CFL to delay games when wildfire smoke levels are high

Parts of Sask. break smoke hour records WATCH: Several areas of Saskatchewan broke smoke hour records this year, according to Environment Canada.

With smoke from wildfires hitting parts of Canada in record amounts this summer the Canadian Football League (CFL) says it plans to delay games when the air quality health index is above seven.

The CFL and Canadian Football League Players Association (CFLPA) released a statement on the issue Thursday afternoon.

“We have agreed to engage an independent third party organization to test air quality and provide measurements in real-time,” the statement said.

The statement also said that the decision on whether to play or continue playing if a game is in progress will be based solely on air quality measurements.

The debate on whether or not to play has surfaced ahead of multiple CFL games this season when wildfire smoke was in the weather forecast ahead of kickoff, including the 58th Labour Day Classic on Sunday.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have been continuously monitoring the air quality at Mosaic Stadium.

Levels have been steadily declining throughout the afternoon & currently sit well below the acceptable level to play football.

Kick off is still scheduled at 5 p.m. See you there! pic.twitter.com/wPAKOoCPBJ

— Saskatchewan Roughriders (@sskroughriders) September 3, 2023