The 2026 Saskatchewan Winter Games – co-hosted by the City of Meadow Lake and Flying Dust First Nation – are less than a month away, and the event is in desperate need of more than a few good men, women, children… anyone. According to Lisa Buffin, chair of the event’s volunteer committee, numbers are painfully thin in terms of the amount of people needed to make the Games go off with little to no hitches. “We are hoping for approximately 750 volunteers, and that’s on the low end of things,” Buffin told Northern Pride. “We figure, if we can make it to 750, that would be good. Right now we’re sitting at only 250.”

The Saskatchewan Winter Games are scheduled for Feb. 15-21 and will mark the first time in the biennial multi-sport event program’s 54-year history a city and First Nation have partnered in hosting the event. “We are more than willing to work with anyone to come out and spend their time volunteering,” Buffin continued. “We know, sometimes, signing up online can be a bit overwhelming. So, we are willing to meet with people face-to-face. We have also created paper copies you can fill out and which we can, in turn, put online for you. And, because it takes some time to get criminal record checks back, we really need people to think sooner than later. All of this takes time. We will sit with people face-to-face, over the phone, however they choose… We have times set aside as well during our volunteer recruitment events.”

One such event took place Tuesday (Jan. 20) at the Meadow Lake Co-op Centre while another took place Wednesday (Jan. 21) at PineRidge Ford Place on Flying Dust First Nation. “We’re trying to find different locations so community members feel they are being met partway,” Buffin said. “The more people we can get the merrier. If you are thinking of helping out, we need you so much.” The Games will see participation from up to 1,600 young athletes from every corner of the province competing in 16 different sports. The week-long event will include competitions in artistic swimming, badminton, biathlon, bowling (five-pin and Special Olympics), cross-country and para-nordic skiing, curling, figure skating, futsal, gymnastics, judo, speed skating, table tennis, target shooting, weightlifting, wrestling and ringette.

“Areas people can volunteer in include the various sports, athlete services, medical services, food services, admissions, merchandise and more,” Buffin said. “There’s lots of opportunities for different volunteers to help out. This includes youth. You don’t need to be an adult to volunteer. We can take volunteers as young as 10 years old. If they want to volunteer, their parent just needs to sit with them. Anyone who is 14-17 does not need to have a parent or a criminal record check. There are many opportunities for young and old.” No previous Games experience is required, while training will be provided. Interested residents can register to volunteer at saskgames.ca/winter/volunteers. Buffin, meanwhile, does not want to think of what will happen if the required number of volunteers fail to come forward. “That is a question I don’t necessarily think I can answer right now,” she said. “We have meetings coming up in the next couple weeks regarding how to target and problem solve this, but I don’t know. That is a tough question and I don’t have an answer to it right now.”

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, inclusive multi-sport event in preparation for a higher level of competition. Countless Saskatchewan Games alumni have advanced to competition at the national stage and beyond, with Olympians such as Emily Clarke, Marsha Hudey and Lucas Makowsky counting the Saskatchewan Games as a key step in their journey to the highest levels of sport. “This is a huge deal for our communities of Flying Dust First Nation and Meadow Lake to take part in the Saskatchewan Winter Games,” Buffin said. “This is the first time a community and a First Nation have joined forces in this province for something like this. We’re putting our communities on the map. Meadow Lake is a great place, and we need to show everyone what kind of people we are. We need to welcome everyone… It’s exciting when the community comes alive on so many levels. It’s nice to see.”