Residents looking forward to the familiar sight of bicyclists making their way through Rocky View County for the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer were left disappointed this year, as the annual ride was called off because of the smoky conditions. Though the bike ride was given the green light Aug. 18, event staff and medical officials decided to pull the plug approximately 90 minutes in, as air quality deteriorated due to wildfire smoke blowing in from British Columbia. “We had been monitoring the air quality conditions for a couple weeks [and] we knew it could potentially be an issue on ride weekend,” said Ryan Campbell, director of corporate relations for the Alberta Cancer Foundation. “As people got on the road, there were definitely some people who were having respiratory issues. Nothing serious, but there were definitely some people coughing and we don’t want to see that, because safety is our number one priority.” The ride would have seen a horde of bicyclists pedal 100 kilometres from WinSport in Northwest Calgary to Sundre and back again over two days, with the cyclists staying overnight at a campground in Sundre. The fundraiser’s medical team deemed the campground unsafe to spend the night at, due to the smoke. “[The smoke] actually got worse as you got further north up to Sundre, so we made the decision a few hours in to officially pull everyone off the road and get them safely back to Calgary,” Campbell said. Riders were transported back to WinSport by bus, while their bicycles were taken back by van. More than 1,800 riders had registered to participate in the ride this year. Despite the ride portion being called off, the fundraising remained a success. According to Campbell, the event still collected just more than $8.1 million for the Alberta Cancer Foundation, which he said is a record. “It’s almost like there are two separate events – the fundraising and the bike ride,” he said. “One can happen without the other, and all the fundraising needs to be done beforehand.” This was the second time the ride had to be cancelled, Campbell added. In 2013, it was set to take place in June but was called off due to the flooding across Southern Alberta that spring. The ride was rescheduled for later that summer and has taken place in August ever since. The ride will not be rescheduled this year, according to Campbell, as it is quite late in the season. “Thankfully, it’s a very dedicated and resilient group of people who participate in this event and they understand,” he said. “We’ve heard nothing but positive feedback, and people are really excited to get out there again in 2019.” One unexpected positive that came from the ride’s cancellation was the donation of more than 500 pounds of meat, as well as food and drinks stocked for the event, to the Calgary Mustard Seed. The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer began in 2008 and has raised roughly $74 million in 10 years for Albertans facing cancer.
