After 40 years, a popular Mississauga event has been cancelled due to high policing costs.

The Alterna Bread and Honey Road Race, a staple that has been part of the Bread and Honey Festival, will no longer exist due to a new Peel police policy that will no longer see the service absorb the policing costs of the event.

“It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I bring to you this news, regarding the Alterna Bread and Honey Race,” said race director Ellie DeSousa in a statement posted on Facebook. “Our volunteers and our race committee, have all worked together and have been doing so for the past 40 years, to accomplish two goals. Firstly, to promote community athletic participation and secondly, to dedicate race proceeds to charities.”

Due to the new policy on police costs, organizers for the race would have to cover the estimated expense for paid-duty policing of the event at $27,700.00, DeSousa said.

“We had no choice but to cancel the event," she said. "Their new costs of $27,700 made it impossible for the race to continue. "

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers who worked tirelessly to put on this great community event. To all our dedicated and committed sponsors, without you the race would not have been possible. And most of all, our participants, who made it all worth while,” the statement reads.

Race organizers tried to compromise and use course marshals and volunteers instead of police, but for safety reasons it wasn’t possible, organizers said.

“Shocked,” said Tim Smith on Facebook. “Glad me and my family participated when we had the chance, we will miss it in the future.”