The BC Lions have had enough of the smoke in Kamloops and are pulling the plug on their 2021 training camp a couple days earlier than planned.

They’re heading back to the practice facility in Surrey meaning tomorrow’s planned scrimmage at Hillside Stadium has been called off.

“We’re going to shut down here in Kamloops. We were supposed to do one more day tomorrow but were going to have meetings today, get some stuff done off the field, and then were going to start packing up and head back home,” Head Coach and co-General Manager Rick Campbell told NL Sports.

The Lions were due to be in Kamloops until Friday, but this was the second straight day this week where practice had to be cancelled because of the smoke.

“We ended up doing nothing [yesterday]. The smoke changes rapidly, I couldn’t believe it,” Campbell said yesterday. “What we do is we get ready to practice and then at our start time, if its a no-go, then its a no-go and that’s what happened.”

The 2021 Lions training camp got underway at Hillside Stadium and the Tournament Capital Central back on July 11. It began with some night practices because of the heat in the Kamloops-area.

Kamloops has been home to the Lions training camp since 2010 and both parties have indicated a willingness to extend the agreement further. It was due to expire last year but it was extended by one year because of the pandemic.

The Lions open a pandemic-delayed 2021 Canadian Football League season on August 6 in Regina against the Roughriders. Their home opener at BC Place Stadium is scheduled for August 19 against the Edmonton Elk.

– With files from Jon Keen

Under poor air quality, the @BCLions have wrapped up their training camp early.

🗞️ » https://t.co/HJf9vCsGur#CFLTC pic.twitter.com/ShOzavT1RM

— CFL (@CFL) July 28, 2021