We have had reports from people who are been smoked out by their neighbours brand new pellet stove. Pellet stoves still produce toxic emissions and yes all wood burning is also a major contributor to global warming. We need to change our ways not try to pretend that wood can be burned healthy.
Why do we have 1 lonely wind turbine up at Grouse Mtn.? We need to stop polluting our air and destroying our forests. We must be green and healthy!

What about wind, solar and geo-thermal!

Canadian wood pellets are sent to Europe for extremely efficient and as far as I know clean burning furnaces from remote locations in the Alps (like my sisters) to apartment buildings. Why don't we burn are waste wood (pine beetle and wood that cannot be milled into lumber into heat. Once more we lag behind.
What should be band is outdoor patio heaters. All heat goes directly into the atmosphere.

On wood burning fireplaces!
The majority of wood burning appliances throughout the Metro Vancouver region would be open hearth fireplaces… Most two (2) story homes have two (2) wood burning fireplaces and many of these homes have become a multi family dwelling… This means that two (2) wood burning fireplaces would be operating simultaneously. Causing, twice as much, pollution!

Recent studies on wood smoke were conducted by UBC Professor Michael Brauer, School of Environmental Health and I did ask him whether there is sufficient evidence to initiate a ban of wood-burning fireplaces. His answer was: “this is not really an issue of science but one of how society views this risk...what we do know is that woodsmoke clearly leads to health impacts and that fireplaces are a, very, uncontrolled source of pollution.”

This would suggest that banning wood burning devices in Metro Vancouver definitely would lead to a cleaner environment.
May I add; that this would be applicable to dated homes with existing fireplaces.
To the best of my knowledge new homes, since the late 1980ties, have been build with gas fuelled fireplaces and furnaces.
Now, whether this happened due to a new building code or the foresight of a futuristic design team, I have no knowledge of.

Banning wood burning is a great idea in residential areas. There is now way a person can keep the noxious and dangerous stench out of their home.

please,please,please ban all wood burning appliances in vancouver

I strongly agree. Nowadays there are so many different ways of staying warm than killing a tree...

burning wood contributes nothing to the greenhouse effect if it comes from a responsibly managed forest. The tree grows, you burn it then another tree grows and absorbs the carbon. It's way better than gas

Yes - ban them - I hate the smell -especially when it fills my kids bedrooms!

Besides been a severe health hazard, wood smoke is also a major contributor to global warming. We now have winter smog because of wood burning appliances. Wood smoke pollution doesn't belong in urban areas. I used to love smoking cigarettes but not anymore!

I love the smell of a wood burning stove in the winter. Burning gas is worse for the environment.

Yes, ban all wood burning appliances in Vancouver and lower mainland

Ban all wood burning applliances

There is NO reason why anyone in the City of Vancouver (except for maybe illegal squatters) should have to burn smoky wood fireplaces or stoves and pollute the air that their neighbours breathe. Many cities in North America have Bylaws prohibiting or restricting wood burning fireplaces. Vancouver should have strict laws if it really wants to be "green".

Ban all wood burning appliances in Vancouver

Air Is Precious

You may love your Woodburning fireplace, but you are polluting your entire neighbourhood!!. The emissions from your Woodburning appliance and everyone who burns wood are destroying health, taking away from the quality of life of everyone and gravely harming our environment!!

One does not need to have respiratory illness or any frailities as you suggest. If you become properly informed about the dangers of Woodsmoke you will find out that Woodsmoke harms everyone..EVEN THE HEALTHY!!!

See: Clean Air Revival http://burningissues.org/

Yes we do live in urban areas, which means we do not wish to be smoked out of our homes and we do not want to be assaulted by Woodsmoke Pollution from anyone. We all deserve the right and common decency to breathe healthy air---Woodsmoke-free.

You are also incorrect, it is not as simple as that. Again, become informed and you will find out that millions DIE world-wide from Woodsmoke Pollution. Burning Wood is an archaic practice that belongs in the history books. We are an advanced society with advanced methods of heating our homes. You do not need to hunt with club today. We can grow our own food and we do have wonderful markets that can supply us with fresh local grown produce. As for clothing....you do not need to kill an animal to dress yourself. Much like Woodsmoke those days are long gone for our urban society. Where have you been?

Millions are ill, suffering and dying from Woodsmoke Pollution. Millions face cancer diagnosis each day. Children struggle with Asthma trying to breathe. Where is your compassion for others?

Why should others leave the city. They burn in rural areas!!
Your Woodburning is making entire communties ill. Woodburning is a deadly silent killer that will take away the quality of your life, your health and harm our environment.

The time to BAN all Woodburning in urban communities is LONG OVERDUE!!!

I love my woodburning fireplaces, stove and barbeque and will continue to use them frequently. Burning wood has been a part of human history since day one, and is one of the main reasons for our survival as a species. If it was bad for us, we wouldn't have survived this long. We live in a city. Cities have smoke. If you have a problem with smoke, don't live in a city - it's as simple as that. Don't make the rest of us suffer because of your respiratory frailties or ridiculous politically correct "green" nonsense.

I am not sure where you have gotten your information from but last I heard there are approx. 129,000 wood burning appliances in MV. Wood burning appliances from no matter what source don't belong in any urban area. As I have said before we have gone from 1 to 3 wood burning fireplaces in our neighbourhood. The fact that people are not installing new ones in renovated or new homes is a blessing but what about the old ones
that are still used. No one has the right to pollute anyones air. It is a fact that children who come from wood burning homes and children that live in neighbourhoods with wood burning appliances have more respiratory problems. No wonder our health care costs are in the billions!
Wood burning is an option...breathing is not.

It might be useful to note that while no ban curerntly exists, the number of wood buring appliances is in rapid decline in Vancouver. Currently the City bans out door wood burning and fire pits. While there is no out-right ban on fireplaces within the home, a word of mouth survey of our plan cecking department, reveals that they have not seen any new wood burning fireplaces in recent memory (aprox 3-5 years). Given that all new development in Vancouver is actually redevelopment (no green field sites) older homes with fire places are being replaced with newer homes without at a rate of aproximatelyt 500 to 700 homes per year.
Still a great idea to consider but hopefully this trend proivdes this group with some comfort.

Pellet stoves still produce neighbourhood pollution and noxious compounds that make people sick and kill many. We have had many reports from people smoked out by their neighbour's new pellet stove.
If even a few people decided to install pellet stoves they would still be polluting their own air and their neighbourhoods. Burning wood for heat does not belong in urban areas. Wood may be considered renewable to many but it is not sustainable. Let's start embracing solar, wind & geothermal. The lonely wind turbine at Grouse needs some company. www.canadiancleanairalliance.ca

I'm all for a wood burning appliance ban, with the exception of pellet stoves which are much more efficient and cleaner burning.