The buildings on prairie city skylines were becoming easier to see, but a smoky smell similar to a provincial park on a holiday long weekend lingered across much of Western Canada Saturday.

However, drifting smoke from B.C. wildfires was starting to clear, officials said.

Provincial monitoring stations in Alberta and Saskatchewan were reporting mostly fair air quality conditions as of noon on Saturday.

On Thursday, when smoke first rolled into Alberta, the air quality index was poor.

Environment Canada meteorologist John McIntyre said westerly winds over the past few days have blown smoke as far as Manitoba and northern Ontario.

But McIntyre added that low pressure systems in Montana and B.C. will soon bring northerly winds, which should continue to clear the smoke and hopefully deliver showers to the fires.

Tara McKee, who owns a tobacco shop in Saskatoon, said even cigar and pipe smokers noticed the smell of smoke in the air when it was really thick on Friday.

"I wanted to go and take really deep breaths and suck it all in if I could," joked McKee at the counter of the Captain's Den Tobacconist on Saturday.

McKee said she believes smokers may actually notice the smell more than non-smokers. She suspected it might have something to do with the fact that smokers enjoy the smell of smoke.

She said customers also joked that they didn't really need to smoke -- all they had to do was step outdoors.

There were 178 sizable fires burning across British Columbia as of Friday.

Chief medical officers in Alberta and Saskatchewan have issued warnings urging people with chronic lung conditions to stay indoors, and even advised people with healthy lungs to avoid strenuous activity.

This Sunday's marathon in Edmonton was still going ahead, although organizers say the runners would be advised to take precautions.

Franco Savoia, president of the YMCA in Edmonton, said it's hard to tell if the smoke is affecting the number of people working out at the organization's gyms because he notes there's always a dip in August because of members who take holidays.

But he said he suspects the smoke may actually be giving a slight boost to the number of runners using the Y's indoor track and treadmills.

"We've got air conditioning which filters some of the smoke, so you don't notice it much inside," Savoia explained.

"My sense is that people have stayed more inside. I think there's fewer people running outside."

Many people expressed surprise at how far the smoke had travelled from its source, particularly when it first arrived.

Glendy Sanchez was in downtown Edmonton on Thursday when it became suddenly hazy right before noon. She hadn't heard any newscasts and worried there might be a huge fire burning right outside the city.

"I was thinking I'd better find out where my kids are," Sanchez said.