Smoked out of great outdoors by wildfires, British Columbians stay active inside

British Columbians in communities hit hard by smoke from ongoing wildfires are changing the way they play as poor air quality remains a concern.

The air quality in Prince George has received a "very high health risk" rating for 11 of the past 14 days.

That means residents are advised to limit or reduce outdoor activities, making University of Northern B.C.'s Northern Sport Centre a big draw for fitness-minded people.

"We are actually getting a lot more traffic with the conditions that are happening with the wildfires and smoke," said membership coordinator Tania Bopp.

That's a big change from usual, Bopp added. Normally the facility is busiest during the cold, snowy winter months.

Facility open to evacuees

Victoria Harlos frequently walks on the indoor track at the sports centre, although she'd prefer to be walking outside in summer sun.

"Since all of this, I'm here 100 per cent of the time. I'm not walking outside at all," she said.

Bopp said the centre has struggled to accommodate the increased demand for the indoor sports field.

"The outdoor local sports organizations are coming in," she said. "Football, rugby and baseball."

However it's not just locals welcome at the Northern Sport Centre, Bopp said. Registered wildfire evacuees can use it, free of charge.

Soccer games cancelled

However, another Prince George facility is not busy: the city is delaying the reopening of Masich Place Stadium due to the smoke.

That means UNBC's Timberwolves men's soccer team has been forced to cancel its season-opening games against the University of Victoria Vikes this weekend.

"We've had to make the decision before UVic flies up, because you don't wanna have them spend that amount of money to come up and not play," coach Steve Simonson said, calling it a mutual decision between the two schools.

"We started our pre-season on August the 1st and I think we've been outside three times… the air quality's not been the best."

Simonson called it inconvenient to cancel the games but athlete safety was a priority.

Masich Place Stadium had been closed as it underwent a $4.8-million improvement project.

Beach town turns to indoor pool

In Kelowna, where summertime is usually about beaches or boating on the lake, families are heading indoors to places like the YMCA's indoor pool.

"H20 Adventure and Fitness Center has probably seen, you know, like, 30 to 40 per cent increase of traffic over the past couple of weeks due to the smoke," said Erica Marshal, the facility's marketing manager.

"We don't have air conditioning in our house, so we're literally in [the smoke] all the time," said Sarah Anson, visiting the pool with her kids her kids Rylen, seven, and Lexi, three.

"It's nice to just get out of it for a little bit."

Anson says her son is having a tougher go of things, fighting off a cough lately.

Rain showers are in the forecast for the city this weekend, however, which could clear some of the smoke away.

With files from Nicole Oud and Brady Strachan