We believe air quality is the clearest signal of a healthy outdoor environment. It tells you more about where you are — and how you'll feel there — than any other single measure.
Why air.
We track our exercise, our diet, our sleep. But we breathe 20,000 times a day — and pay no attention to what we're breathing in.
Air quality is the one environmental factor we're exposed to constantly — and almost completely blind to. It shapes how we think, feel, and perform, and most of the time we never notice.
It shows up faster
than you think.
You don't need a smog warning to feel the effects. Moderate air quality — the kind cities like Toronto and Hamilton see regularly — is enough to change how your day goes.
- 01cardiology5%Energy & EnduranceIZA World of Labor / NBER, 2019 ↗
Physical Performance
Moderate air quality makes physical effort harder — even on days that look fine outside.
- 02psychology10%Focus & ClarityThe Lancet Planetary Health, 2022 ↗
Cognitive Function
Problem-solving, decision-making, and sustained attention all dip with air quality.
- 03monitor_heart30%Stress & RecoveryEnvironmental Research, 2021 ↗
Recovery Load
Your body's recovery systems work harder when the air is working against them.
Most of us assume air pollution happens somewhere else. But it's in the traffic on your commute, the wildfire smoke that drifts across Ontario every summer, and the smog that settles on calm days.
Fine particles bypass your body's natural defences — reaching your bloodstream, your lungs, and your brain.
of the world's population is routinely exposed to hazardous levels of air pollution.
World Health Organization ↗The long game.
Air quality isn't just a daily factor. Cumulative exposure over years is linked to measurable shifts in long-term health outcomes.
- 01cardiology10%Cardiovascular RiskCirculation, American Heart Association ↗
Heart & Circulatory
Increased risk of severe cardiovascular events over time.
- 02sentiment_dissatisfied15%Anxiety & DepressionJAMA Psychiatry, 2023 ↗
Mental Health
Correlated with higher rates of chronic anxiety and depression.
- 03psychology40%Cognitive DeclineThe Lancet Neurology, 2020 ↗
Neurodegeneration
Increased likelihood of developing neurodegenerative conditions.
The connection between the air we breathe and how we feel — today and over a lifetime — simply hasn't existed.
That's why we built AER around air quality. It's the signal that makes the map alive.
See what
you're breathing.
AER maps real-time air quality across Ontario — from the Bruce Trail to Muskoka's lakeshores — so you can make better decisions about where you go and when.
- 01timeline
AER Score
Your cumulative air quality exposure over two weeks. A simple number that reflects how much clean air you're actually getting.
- 02history
Exposure Timeline
See how your air quality shifts throughout the day — commute to trail to waterfront. No manual logging.
- 03map
Conditions on the map
Real-time air quality, weather, and UV on every spot on the AER map. Check conditions before you head out.
Ready to see what
you've been missing?
Join the beta and start your outdoor discovery across Ontario.