(Saskatchewan Games Council/Website)

By Kenneth Cheung

SPORTS

Weyburn awarded 2028 Sask. Summer Games, returning event after two decades

Dec 8, 2025 | 2:00 PM

Weyburn has been selected to host the 2028 Saskatchewan Summer Games, returning the multi-sport event to the southeast community for the first time since 2004.

The Saskatchewan Games Council announced the decision Monday, saying the weeklong competition is expected to draw about 1,800 athletes, coaches and mission staff, along with roughly 5,000 spectators from across the province.

More than 1,000 volunteers are expected to support the event, which could generate up to $7 million in local economic activity through tourism spending and upgrades to sport facilities.

Thirteen sports will be featured, including archery, athletics, baseball, basketball, canoe kayak, soccer, softball, Special Olympics bocce, swimming, tennis, triathlon and volleyball. Rowing will return to the Games program for the first time since 1996.

To support preparations, the City of Weyburn will receive a $550,000 hosting grant from the Saskatchewan Games Council. The Games are also expected to generate up to $500,000 in capital investments through the Council’s matching legacy grant program.

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Mayor Jeff Richards said the Games will provide both economic and community benefits.

“Hosting these Games is not only a celebration of sport; it will bring visitors from across the province, driving an economic boost for our community and creating real opportunities for local businesses to grow,” Richards said in a statement.

“It’s a chance to strengthen Weyburn’s vision of a community for all, where young people can discover their strengths.”

Greg Perreaux, executive director of the Saskatchewan Games Council, said Weyburn’s experience and volunteer base make it well positioned to deliver an “exceptional, athlete-centred Games.”

“We know that these will be an exceptional, athlete-centred Games that will spark athlete development across the province,” he wrote.

“We also celebrate how the Games align with Weyburn’s goals for economic diversification, infrastructure investment, and tourism growth.”

Weyburn last hosted the Summer Games in 2004, leaving behind an athletics track at Weyburn Comprehensive School that continues to serve regional athletes. Olympians Marsha Hudey and Chelsea Valois and Paralympians Erica Gavel and Miranda Biletski were among those who competed that year.

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the 2026 Saskatchewan Winter Games, which will be jointly hosted by Flying Dust First Nation and the City of Meadow Lake – the first such partnership in the event’s 53-year history. Volunteer registration and athlete tryouts for the 2026 Games are now open.

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