The 2024 Canada Day Populaire will be 157 km long to celebrate Canada’s 157th birthday. New in 2018 was the 100 km route option, out to Birchwood Dairy and back. New in 2024 is the 50 km Route.

Start and finish for all routes is at Richard Bulpitt Park in 2024. Yorkson Community Park is not available this year. The park is about 3 km south and east of the Carvolth Exchange. Best access by vehicle is the 200 St exit from the highway, south to 80 St, east to 208 Ave, south to 77a then east. Parking is limited, there is no parking lot at the school or park. Car pooling is encouraged.

There will be 2 staffed controls along the 157 km route and each will have water, Gatorade, fruit and sweets. This year the 157 km staffed controls are at the Matsqui Village Park and at the Birchwood.

The route offers a mix of terrain and mostly quiet roads taking you from the start through scenic Fort Langley, site of the official proclamation of British Columbia in 1858, onwards to Matsqui and quaint Old Clayburn, across Sumas Prairie, up Sumas Mountain, through Veddar Crossing, returning across Sumas Prairie via Huntingdon and Aldergrove to Fort Langley.

There will be two start wave for the 157 km route: 8:00 am and 8:15 am. The 100 km routes starts at 8:30. The 50 km Route starts at 9:00. There will be a Control Card and a Route Sheet with a simple map given to each rider as the routes and roads are not marked.

Registration is only available on line, and will be limited to 450 riders. To ride a Populaire, you do NOT need to be a member of the BC Randonneurs Cycling Club.

We look forward to seeing you on July 1st.