The Modern Agora: Wildfire Edition
On July 15, 2026, Toronto woke up under an orange haze and held the worst air quality of any city in the world. The Air Quality Health Index sat at 10+, the highest rating there is, for three days. Recent analysis puts the health cost of wildfire smoke in Canada at $231 billion between 2014 and 2025, roughly $19 billion a year, with about 2,500 premature deaths annually tied to long-term exposure. And the burden is not shared evenly. Indigenous people are about five per cent of Canada's population, but 42 per cent of wildfire evacuations in 2023 involved predominantly Indigenous communities.
At this edition of The Modern Agora, we want to look at wildfires through four lenses: what the smoke does to our health and our city, who absorbs the losses, how prepared we actually are, and where responsibility lies.
Our goal is not only to talk about these issues but also to develop a number of ideas and solutions which we can present to our local members of parliament and other stakeholders. 🙏
🔥 Our Four Topics
Impact on city infrastructure and your health. What happens to transit, schools, hospitals, outdoor workers and housing when the AQHI hits 10, and what our buildings would need to hold up better.
Who pays the price in a wildfire? Evacuees, renters, uninsured households, remote and First Nations communities, and the people whose income depends on being outside.
Wildfire preparation: who is ready? What a genuinely prepared household, block and city looks like, and why awareness has not turned into action.
Whose responsibility is it to act? Where the line falls between individual, municipal, provincial and federal duty, and who gets left holding the gap.
🏛️ Our Vision
At The Modern Agora, we are building modern versions of the ancient Greek agoras, gathering places that were central to the development of democracy, public discourse and social impact, while serving as the foundation for community life.
Join our events to discuss what really matters, start local initiatives and build a stronger community with the people in your area.
ℹ️ Here Is What to Expect!
You will be able to work on one of the four topics above, please choose your preferences in the sign-up form
We will be a max. of 30 people, topics will be split in groups of 5-7
We will meet for 3 hours and spend the first part having an open conversation about our topic, the second to develop concrete solutions and the last part to discuss the solutions with the whole group, with time to socialize too of course
We will provide you with an intentional structure, material (pens, post-its etc.) and the environment to help make your conversations more productive
We will have a free light brunch (croissants, snacks & fruits) and coffee for you
If you are interested in getting to know more about The Modern Agora, have a look at our website at themodernagora.org.
Looking forward to hosting you 💙
Leon