VICTORIA -- Canada Post is suspending delivery service across most of Vancouver Island Monday due to poor air quality conditions.

Environment Canada has issued smoke advisories for the majority of B.C., stemming largely from wildfires in Washington state.

Now, Canada Post says a “Red service alert” has been issued for many regions in central and southern B.C., meaning mail carriers will not be making deliveries due to unsafe air quality conditions.

Canada Post has not said when delivery services will resume, though the company did say that it will only restart deliveries “once it is deemed safe to do so.”

“The safety of our employees is our number one priority,” said Canada Post in a release Monday.

The company adds that while Red service alerts have been issued for some regions across the province, many other regions are under a “yellow service alert.” A yellow alert means that deliveries are still taking place, though delays may occur.

The following B.C. regions will not be receiving deliveries for at least the remainder of Monday:

  • South Vancouver Island (Duncan, Sidney and Victoria)
  • North Vancouver Island (Campbell River and Powell River)
  • West Vancouver Island (Courtenay, Nanaimo and Port Alberni)
  • Metro Vancouver area
  • Central and Southern British Columbia
  • Okanagan Valley and Similkameen regions (Kelowna and Penticton)
  • Kootenay regions (Cranbrook, Castlegar, Nelson and Trail)
  • Thompson, Nicola and Fraser regions (Vernon and Kamloops)