Saskatchewan Games
Status	Active
Genre	Multi-sport event
Frequency	Biennial
Location(s)	Various
Country	Canada
Inaugurated	1972 (1972) (summer) 1974 (1974) (winter)
Organised by	Saskatchewan Games Council
Website	https://saskgames.ca/

The Saskatchewan Summer Games and Saskatchewan Winter Games are multi-sport events held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The governing body for the Saskatchewan Games is the Saskatchewan Games Council, a non-profit organization who has held responsibility for organizing the Games since 2006.

The most recent Saskatchewan Winter Games took place in Regina from February 18-23, 2023. The next Saskatchewan Summer Games will take place in Lloydminster from July 21-27, 2024.

History

The games began in 1972 when Roy Romanow, then Minister in charge of the Saskatchewan Youth Agency, announced the inauguration of the Games. The first Saskatchewan Summer Games were held in 1972 in Moose Jaw, and the first Saskatchewan Winter Games were held two years later in North Battleford.^[1]

The 2020 Saskatchewan Summer Games were initially scheduled to be held in Lloydminster. They were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but on December 21, 2020, it was announced that the games had been cancelled in full due to continued health and safety concerns. Lloydminster received the right of first refusal to host the 2024 Games,^[2][3] which it accepted.^[4] In January 2022, the 2022 Saskatchewan Winter Games were also postponed due to COVID-19, citing the current Omicron variant and advice from public health officials.^[5] The postponed Winter Games went forward in February 2023.

Host cities

1972,
1978,
1996,
2010

1974,
1984,
2018

1976

1980,2016

1982,
1992,
2014

1986,2000

1988,2006

1990

1994

1998

2002

2004

2008,
2024

2012

2023

Host cities of Saskatchewan Games

Citing that they typically bid for national and international events, and to encourage the Games to be held in smaller cities, Regina and Saskatoon are ineligible to bid for any Saskatchewan Games. An exception was made for the 2022 Saskatchewan Winter Games, which were awarded for the first time to Regina; the Saskatchewan Games Council cited the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on smaller cities, and as being a special occasion to mark the 50th anniversary of the Saskatchewan Games.^[6]

Sports

Participating teams

Nine district teams, each representing a different region of Saskatchewan, participate in each instalment of the games. Two of the teams (Regina and Saskatoon) represent the provinces main urban centres, while the other seven teams represent a mix of urban and rural athletes. The district teams, ordered by population, and the cities they include are listed as follows.^[9][10]

• Team Saskatoon (Saskatoon) – 266,141
• Team Regina (Regina) – 226,404
• Team Lakeland (Melfort, Prince Albert) – 124,837
• Team Prairie Central (Humboldt, Martensville, Warman) – 118,729
• Team Rivers West (Lloydminster, Meadow Lake, North Battleford) – 110,432
• Team South West (Moose Jaw, Swift Current) – 101,114
• Team South East (Estevan, Weyburn) – 88,152
• Team Parkland Valley (Melville, Yorkton) – 60,718
• Team North (Flin Flon) – 35,988

Medal tables

See also

• Canada Games
  • Canada Summer Games
  • Canada Winter Games
• Western Canada Summer Games
• BC Games
  • BC Summer Games
  • BC Winter Games
• Alberta Winter Games
• Manitoba Games
• Ontario Games
• Quebec Games

References