Tour de Cure ends early due to poor air quality in Fraser Valley

The Tour de Cure, an annual bike ride to raise money for cancer research, was cut short on Sunday due to poor air quality on the route.

The B.C. Cancer Foundation fundraiser was cancelled after lunch on the second day of the ride, which was supposed to see participants pedal from Chilliwack to Hope.

On Sunday afternoon, the Air Quality Health Index in the Eastern Fraser Valley was 10+, or “very high risk.”

When the index is that high, the general population is urged to reduce strenuous outdoor exercise. Those with pre-existing health conditions or those at higher risk including the elderly, young children and pregnant people should avoid strenuous activities outside altogether, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

An air quality advisory remains in effect for all of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley due as smoke from wildfires burning in B.C.’s Interior and Washington State continues to blanket the region’s skies.

“We’re enormously grateful for the understanding of all our riders as plans changed, and the support of our volunteers in ensuring the safety of all throughout the event. We hope to see everyone back next year as we continue raising critical funds for BC Cancer,” B.C. Cancer Foundation president and CEO Sarah Roth said in a statement Sunday.

The event’s organizers had warned that the ride could be called of if the smoky skies worsened, but it went ahead on Saturday, when around 1,500 participants rode from Cloverdale to Chilliwack.

Roth said the Tour De Cure has raised $7.1 million this year.