Air Filters Yukon, NWT & Nunavut

Air quality in Yukon, Northwest Territories & Nunavut

• Wildfire smoke
• Winter wood smoke & inversions
• Gravel road dust
• Diesel generators
• Mining dust
• Sealed homes & dry air

The North has some of the cleanest air in the world for much of the year, but its pollution events can be intense. Wildfire smoke is the biggest one in Yukon and the Northwest Territories: boreal forest fires burn every summer, and in 2023 fires forced the evacuation of Yellowknife, Hay River and other NWT communities, while smoke blanketed much of the territory for weeks. In Whitehorse and Dawson City, smoky skies from nearby fires and from Alaska and British Columbia are a regular part of summer.

Winter brings a different problem. In Whitehorse, the Yukon River valley and the city's surrounding hills can trap cold air near the ground during long inversions, holding wood stove and vehicle exhaust close to homes. Yellowknife and smaller communities see similar build-ups on calm, frigid days. In Nunavut, Iqaluit and every other community run on diesel power plants and oil heat, and fine combustion particles from generators and vehicles add up in town centres.

Dust is the third factor. Many northern roads are gravel, and once snow melts, trucks, ATVs and wind lift fine dust into the air – a familiar summer complaint in Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and Inuvik alike. Mining camps, diamond mines in the NWT, gold mines in Nunavut and Yukon placer and hard-rock operations all add local dust. With so much time spent indoors, a pleated filter in your furnace or HRV does a lot of work.

Yukon, Northwest Territories & Nunavut climate, homes & HVAC systems

Northern Canada has a subarctic to Arctic climate. Whitehorse is comparatively mild and dry for the North, Yellowknife has long, very cold winters and short, bright summers, and Iqaluit's tundra climate means heating is needed in almost every month of the year. Across all three territories, the furnace or boiler is the most important appliance in the house, often running from September to June.

Homes in the North are built to keep the cold out: heavily insulated and tightly sealed, so most newer houses and nearly all public housing depend on HRVs to bring in fresh air and remove moisture. Oil-fired furnaces and boilers are common, Whitehorse and Yellowknife also use propane, electric heat and wood or pellet stoves, and many public buildings in Yellowknife run biomass boilers. Because filters and spare parts can be hard to find locally, keeping a season's supply on the shelf is the smartest approach.

Which MERV rating is right for your Yukon, Northwest Territories & Nunavut home?

MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) measures how well a filter captures particles of different sizes under the ASHRAE 52.2 test standard. Higher numbers catch smaller particles. Most residential furnaces in Canada run well on MERV 8 to MERV 13 – here is how to choose:

Not sure? Read our complete MERV rating guide. If you are moving up to MERV 13 on an older furnace, a deeper 2-inch or 4-inch filter keeps airflow healthy.

Popular furnace filter sizes in Yukon, Northwest Territories & Nunavut

These sizes fit most furnaces in northern homes. HRVs and oil furnaces often use non-standard sizes, so check your current filter and see our special sizes or order custom filters.

How often to change your furnace filter in Yukon, Northwest Territories & Nunavut

Filter depth	Typical home	Pets, allergies or smoke
1-inch	Every 1–3 months	Every 30–45 days
2-inch	Every 3–4 months	Every 2 months
4-inch	Every 6–9 months	Every 4–6 months
5-inch	Every 9–12 months	Every 6 months

In the North, buy filters for the whole season at once, check them monthly in winter and replace them right after a smoke event. See the full filter changing guide.

Air filters for Yukon, Northwest Territories & Nunavut businesses & property managers

Hospitals and health centres, schools, government buildings, airports, hotels, mines and camps across Yukon, the NWT and Nunavut all run ventilation systems that need dependable filtration – and running out of filters halfway through winter is not an option when the nearest supplier is far away.

We supply contractors, housing authorities, mining operations and facility managers with pleated, pocket, rigid cell, HEPA and media rolls in bulk. Set up a business account to plan a full year's supply in one order.

• Pleated filters in 1", 2" and 4" depths, MERV 8–13
• Pocket (bag) filters, rigid cell and V-bank filters for rooftop units and air handlers
• Wire panel, HEPA, carbon and media pads & rolls
• Volume pricing, scheduled deliveries and NET terms for approved business accounts

Shipping & delivery to Yukon, Northwest Territories & Nunavut

Orders to Yukon, Northwest Territories & Nunavut ship for $55 flat rate. Most orders arrive in 3–9 business days, with no customs or duties because everything ships from within Canada.

Standard sizes are usually made and shipped within 1–2 weeks; custom sizes can take up to 3 weeks. Prefer to collect? Free pickup is available Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM at 15 Melanie Drive, Brampton. Full details are on our shipping & returns page.

Areas we deliver to across Yukon, Northwest Territories & Nunavut

Whitehorse · Dawson City · Watson Lake · Haines Junction · Carcross · Yellowknife · Hay River · Inuvik · Fort Smith · Fort Simpson · Norman Wells · Behchokǫ̀ · Iqaluit · Rankin Inlet · Cambridge Bay · Arviat · Baker Lake · Pond Inlet · Kugluktuk · Pangnirtung

Nearby location pages: Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island. Or see all locations we deliver to.

Yukon, Northwest Territories & Nunavut air filter FAQ

Helpful air quality guides