New tough regulations on wood stoves start this fall...

Starting September 1st, any wood stove sold in Quebec will have to meet the standards set out by the Environmental Protection Agency, or the Canadian standards association.

"Compared to old wood burning stoves, certified wood stoves emit up to 10 times fewer fine particles into the atmosphere," says environment minister Line Beauchaump, "So, it's really an improvement." 80 percent of wood stoves currently being sold in Quebec already fit the new standards, she says.

Last week, Montreal introduced an all-out ban of new wood stoves. Residents of the city can not install the certified woodstoves, or replace their old-fashioned stoves with the ones approved by the province.

"The right way to do it was what was announced today by the minister," says Marc-Antoine Cantin, of Stove builder international, "The problem in Montreal is that you know that if you know you can not replace your wood appliance with a certified one, you're going to hold on to your old stove for as long as it lasts."