Low air quality puts halt on MHSAA track championships

Smoke and storms wrecked havoc on the sports schedule across Manitoba last weekend, including in the Southeast.

The highest-profile event cancelled was the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association track and field provincial championships. Athletes from across the province were set to compete at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg June 5-7, before two consecutive days of poor air quality due to wildfire smoke caused organizers to cancel the event outright.

Executive director of the MHSAA Chad Falk said with the short time left in the school year and the impossible logistics of re-organizing an event with more than 1,500 athletes, simply postponing provincials wasn’t a possibility.

“The nature of the event and how many athletes, the unique venue, access to officials, access to venues, kids travelling from across the province, it was just impossible to look at finding a way to reschedule it,” Falk said in an interview with the Winnipeg Free Press.

The MHSAA used data from air quality sensors located at Princess Auto Stadium to determine if the event could go forward. A measurement of eight or higher in the Air Quality Health Index means any high school event is cancelled.

“I think this is definitely going to become a reality for outdoor sports,” Falk said.

“It’s heartbreaking. Especially for the Grade 12s, this was their finale to high school sport.”

Valour FC and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers had to change their routines as well, with a pair of soccer matches start times postponed to later in the day, and the Bombers heading indoors for practices.

This is the first time in the history of the MHSAA track and field provincials had to be cancelled for weather.

Locally, The grade 8 Hanover School Division track and field championships, set to take place at Stoneybrook Middle School in Steinbach June 5, had to be re-scheduled to June 10.

The Hanover Kickers home opener June 5 was also put on the chopping block after the Manitoba Major Soccer League halted all games across the province due to air quality. The Eastman Warriors rugby game also scheduled for that night was postponed as well.

While weekend rainstorms provided some much-needed relief to the region, a thunderstorm watch on Sunday forced the Niverville Force’s home opener to also be postponed. Niverville’s home opener is now set for June 12.

The Kickers will be on the pitch at the Steinbach Soccer Park that night as well. The Warriors are set to start their home schedule June 26.

With files from Zoe Pierce