Nearly 1,600 young athletes from every corner of the province will gather in Regina to compete in the Saskatchewan Winter Games in February 2022.
For the first time in the program's history, the 2022 Saskatchewan Winter Games will be hosted in Regina, the Saskatchewan Games Council announced Monday. The event will also mark the 50th anniversary of the biennial Saskatchewan Games, which alternate between summer and winter on corresponding Olympic years.
The provincial multi-sport games, scheduled for February 20th-26th, 2022, will involve over 1,800 athletes, coaches and managers who will compete in 16 sports, while representing Saskatchewan’s nine sport and recreation districts. Over 5,000 visitors are expected to attend, and Regina will require up to 1,200 volunteers to host the Games.
The Saskatchewan Games Council has begun to work with the City of Regina and various community partners to lay the initial groundwork for the Games, with a volunteer-driven host organizing committee set to be in place and operational by fall 2020.
Sports approved for inclusion at the 2022 Saskatchewan Winter Games are alpine skiing, artistic swimming, badminton, biathlon, bowling – Special Olympics, cross country skiing, Para Nordic skiing, curling, figure skating, futsal, gymnastics, judo, snowboarding, speed skating, table tennis, weightlifting and wrestling.
Age categories for generic athletes differ by sport but will range from 10-18 years of age, with age categories for Para and Special Olympics athletes extending to 40 and under.
The City of Regina is expected to see a significant economic and tourism benefit from the Games. The most recent Saskatchewan Winter Games, held in North Battleford in 2018, generated an economic impact of nearly $4 million through a combination of visitor spending and capital development.
The 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games in Estevan boosted the local economy by nearly $8 million. Other notable multi-sport events that have been hosted in Regina in recent years included the 2014 North American Indigenous Games and the 2005 Canada Summer Games.
First established in 1972, the purpose of the Saskatchewan Games is to provide an opportunity for the province’s developing athletes, coaches and officials to participate in an exciting multi-sport event in preparation for a higher level of competition.
Countless Saskatchewan Games alumni have advanced to competition at the national level and beyond, with Olympians such as Emily Clarke, Marsha Hudey and Lucas Makowsky, counting the Saskatchewan Winter Games as a key step in their journey to the highest levels of sport. The Saskatchewan Games also leave behind valuable legacies benefiting each host community for years to come.
