Barrie allergy season among worst in the country, according to new report

A woman is shown blowing her nose as she suffers from allergies. (File)

If your allergies feel more extreme this season, you’re not imagining it.

Barrie is one of the worst places in the country for seasonal allergies, according to a new report from Aerobiology Research Laboratories.

The city is in the top five list for most challenging places to live with pollen allergies in 2026.

The results are based on findings of the number of days with either high or very high airborne pollen concentrations and the length of the season for the most clinically relevant allergenic plant species like trees, grasses and weeds.

Among the top five, four of them were cities in Ontario with Barrie at number three. Windsor was number one, followed by Hamilton, Barrie, Victoria, BC and Kingston.

The report says those locations have longer pollen dispersal seasons with higher peak pollen concentrations. The pollen is driven by dense vegetation including large deciduous forests, favourable climate conditions and high amounts of species that are considered highly allergenic like birch, oak and ragweed. These species are especially prevalent across southern Ontario.

The report breaks things down further and for the most challenging cities to live in based on pollen season length and peak concentrations of allergenic weed pollen, Barrie comes in the top spot.

The biggest weed pollen culprits are ragweed, lab’s-quarters, mugwort, goosefoot, plantain and pigweed.

The report also shows pollen has steadily increased year after year across Canada in general.

If you’re seeking a refuge from your seasonal allergies, consider going to one of the places with the lowest number of days where pollen is high, with most on the list are places on the east coast. St. John’s, Newfoundland comes in at number one, followed by Saint John, New Brunswick, Regina, Saskatchewan, Moncton, New Brunswick and Halifax, Nova Scotia.

How to manage your pollen allergies

Experts are giving tips and strategies for how to reduce exposure to pollen.

They recommend planning to travel during seasonal allergies.

They also say to use allergen-proof covers for pillows and bedding and to wash your hair before going to bed.

Experts say it’s a good idea to keep pets out of bedrooms and off furniture during allergy season to keep pollen spread to a minimum.

Finally, they recommend removing shoes at the door and put clothing directly into the laundry.