REGINA ‑‑ It is an opportunity Saskatchewan athletes look forward to every four years. However, due to the prolonged pandemic that has seen a fifth wave being declared in the province, the 2022 Sask. Winter Games has announced they will not proceed.
A media release Jan. 7 says, “Saskatchewan Winter Games that were slated to take place in Regina from Feb. 20-26, 2022, will not proceed due to COVID-19. The Saskatchewan Games council and the Regina host committee have made the difficult decision that the 2022 Saskatchewan Winter Games in Regina will not proceed in February based on advice from medical advisors due to the unpredictability of the Omicron variant. This decision follows a recommendation by medical health officials representing the Saskatchewan Health Authority, as well as input from the medical division of the host organizing committee.”
Sask. Games council and the host committee in Regina worked collaboratively with medial advisors throughout the planning process, hopeful that the opportunity for young athletes would be a possibility. The unpredictability and rapid spread of the new Omicron variant has added an extra layer of health and public safety risks that became more challenging to mitigate.
The Sask. Games council offered their thanks, in this release, to everyone for their patience and understanding as partners worked tirelessly to try to deliver the event. The safety of everyone involved was the number one priority and when it became evident that a rapid rise in COVID cases would not be conducive to this, the difficult decision was made.
“The hope is to deliver the 2022 edition of these games in the future. Additional information will be communicated when a shared decision has been reached.”
