NORTHEAST — The Saskatchewan Winter Games are returning.
The 25th Saskatchewan Winter Games originally scheduled for Feb. 20-26, 2022 that was cancelled due to the Omicron variant will finally be taking place Feb. 19-25 in Regina.
Many sport tryout dates are happening right now in the Northeast. Alpine Skiing is scheduled for Jan. 20-22 at Timber Ridge, Big River. Target Shooting on Jan. 14 through the Saskatoon Wildlife Federation. To register for Play Downs, please go to the Saskatchewan Target Shooting Association website and choose a relay. Relay times are 9 a.m., 11 p.m. and 1 p.m. Wrestling Training Camp is on Jan. 13 and trials on Jan. 14 in Prince Albert. Curling Mixed Doubles are scheduled Jan. 28-29. Registration is on www.curlsask.ca. The best way to find out about dates of trials is to contact the provincial sport governing bodies.
The Saskatchewan Games are one of the largest amateur sporting events in Saskatchewan, seeing participation from more than 2,000 athletes, coaches, and officials and more than 1,000 volunteers from every corner of the province. Inclusion is a large focus of the Saskatchewan Games, both Special Olympic and Para-athletes participate alongside able-bodied athletes that reflect the cultural diversity of our province.
Karen Lawson, Game services and Communications Lead, said the Games began in 1972 and the Saskatchewan Games Council maintains the Saskatchewan Games program by providing a hosting and legacy grant, which was established in 2013. This grant ensures host communities will have a lasting legacy of quality facilities, volunteers and an energized community spirit long after the Games have ended.
Lawson said the number of athletes has stayed stable over the program’s 50-year history, with approximately 1,500-1,800 participants taking place at each set of Games. The 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games in Estevan saw the highest participation ever, with nearly 2,000 participants from over 270 communities across Saskatchewan. Lawson said to become a host city there is a bidding process approximately three years in advance of the Games.
The host organizing committee, led by Chair Valerie Sluth and Co-Chairs Dawn Kobayashi and Alison Brown (and former Co-Chair Crystal Longman), and Games Manager Leanne Schellenberg, has been hard at work since early 2020 to plan the Saskatchewan Winter Games. They are supported by the leads of the 12 functional areas of Games planning (these include Sport, Venues, Marketing & Communications, Athlete Experience, Medical, Sponsorship, and more) and their supporting volunteers. In all, multiple dozens of committed community leaders have been dedicating their time and passion towards making these Games an exceptional experience for the thousands of athletes, coaches, managers, volunteers, and spectators who will take part.
Lawson said the public and athletes can find out more information at www.saskgames.ca and the Provincial Sport Organizations and Districts for Sport, Culture and Recreation are the best source of information for participants looking to find information on tryout dates and team information.
