2020 – 2023

The Pandemic

Shortly following our snowy event in September 2019, news began to reach the world of the Coronavirus outbreak in China. That outbreak quickly spread world wide forcing the World Health Organization to declare a Pandemic March 11, 2020. BC Health officials responded by ordering limits to social gatherings which only intensified in the next two years. Those restrictions made it impossible to organize and hold PFR for the next few years.

2021: Wildfires Threaten Our Host City

For many years, the wildfire threat in the southern interior of British Columbia threatened delay and cancellation of PFR, even into our fall dates. Evacuees from Lytton and the Thompson/Nicola Region found emergency housing in the Hotels we would normally use to host our rally. several of our stages were within the wildfire areas and the fire danger made it impossible to safely hold PFR.

November 2021: Atmospheric River Brings Heavy Rain Devastates and Cuts Off Merritt

Already struggling with the effects of the pandemic and summer wildfires, an atmospheric river in November 2021 caused the Nicola and Coldwater rivers to swell beyond their banks and begin flowing through the streets of Merritt. That rainfall also washed away sections of Hwy 8 to Spences Bridge, the Trans Canada Hwy and the Coquihalla Hwy, cutting off Merritt’s connections to the Lower Mainland. Several Nicola Valley residents were displaced, their homes destroyed by the rising rivers. More evacuees filled the hotels of Merritt which also would house pipline and highway workers over the next few years as Merritt and the Highways that connect to it were restored.

How the Flood Affected the Rally

The November 2021 atmospheric river rains swelled Spius Creek, washing away significant sections of Spius Creek Forest Service Road. We are unsure if repairs will ever be completed on this section allowing us to run the classic Spius stage as it was. We are investigating options for alternative routing allowing us to use parts of Spius again.