Manitoba racing fans were out of luck Tuesday night, as Assiniboia Downs cancelled its events due to lingering poor air quality.
The Downs, located just west of Winnipeg, said in the interest of both the horses and the riders, it was forced to cancel the events because of the smoke that continues to pour into the region from wildfires in the northern Prairies and Northwest Territories.
Racing is scheduled to resume Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m., although it remains air quality-dependent.
As of Wednesday morning, Environment Canada had issued a special air quality statement for Manitoba, indicating regions throughout the southern part of the province will see varying amounts of smoke throughout the day, while northern Manitoba will be hit harder.
The statement said poor conditions are expected to be more widespread across the province Wednesday night, with improvement in the north by Thursday morning and the south by Thursday evening.
Older adults, children and people with health conditions are at higher risk of experiencing the negative effects of wildfire smoke, Environment Canada said, as are those who are pregnant or work outdoors.
Manitobans are urged to take precautions.
Weatherlogics’ Scott Kehler told 680 CJOB’s The Start that the winds that brought the smoke down from the north are expected to continue for a couple more days, and could bring precipitation to the region.
“We’re going to be right at the top of that area of high pressure,” Kehler said. “What I anticipate is that the weather’s going to become a little more active.
“We’ll see a mix of hot days and slightly cooler days, along with probably more chances for rain and thunderstorms.”
Wind warnings have been issued for the south shore of Lake Manitoba, as well as Victoria Beach and Gimli on Lake Winnipeg — which means we could see waves up to five feet higher than normal.