Environment Canada has clarified that it is not considering regulating emissions from wood-fired ovens used in some bagel shops and pizzerias, contrary to earlier reports. 

The National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI), a branch of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), had reportedly contacted restaurants in Montreal to assess if they met emission-reporting thresholds for pollutants from wood-fired ovens.

This was also shared by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre who criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, accusing him of launching a “crusade against pizza ovens.” Poilievre claimed Trudeau was focusing on irrelevant issues while neglecting more pressing concerns.

Wood smoke pollutants, including carbon monoxide and particulate matter, can be harmful, according to Health Canada. However, ECCC clarified that no wood-fired pizzeria or bagel shop had been identified as meeting the emissions threshold for reporting under published requirements. 

As mentioned in our previous report, the NPRI, which tracks over 3,000 pollutants, does not set emissions limits but it can impose fines for non-compliance with reporting requirements. ECCC spokesperson Amelie Desmarais said that the collected data serves the purpose of monitoring pollutants rather than imposing regulatory measures.

“Asking Canadian businesses to share details of what they release into the atmosphere is nothing new. In fact, over 7000 facilities are reporting to ECCC every year,” ECCC wrote on X. “There have been no ECCC in-person inspections of wood-fired pizza and bagel shops. ECCC also does not regulate wood smoke from these small businesses.”

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