Changes made at Saskatchewan Summer Games due to heat, smoke

The 2024 Saskatchewan Summer Games, which kicked off Sunday in Lloydminster, are being affected by smoke from the wildfires burning across Western Canada.

“Most of our provincial sport organizations that operate the competition will have guidelines in place that are based on information provided to them by the national sport organization … on whether it’s safe or not to play,” said Greg Perreaux, Saskatchewan Games Council executive director.

“There’s a decision-making process that includes other partners, the Sask. Games Council, and the local host folks as well, but we usually look to the PSO (Provincial Sport Organization) rules to help guide decisions around air quality, and then heat as well,” said Perreaux.

Changes have already been made to some of the events due to heat and smoke.

“Canoe, kayak did delay competition for quite a bit in the morning, but they were able to run some races later on in the day … They did some modification to the number of races though that they hosted yesterday … All the rest of the sports were able to run through the competitions with little to no issues,” said Perreaux.

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Perreaux also said changes were introduced to sports like soccer, which now allows unlimited substitutions throughout the game.

“This allows athletes to take more breaks, and they’ve added extra water breaks during each half as well.

“Sports like softball have shortened their games to five innings in the round-robin play, and we’ll expand that to the finals. Again, just to be mindful of the heat and potential air issues … Our sports have done a really good job of really ensuring the athlete’s safety is top of mind,” said Perreaux.

Along with making modifications to the sports, other measures are helping athletes stay cool and hydrated.

“Most of the venues will have shaded areas. There’s water available on site, and everyone’s been encouraged to ensure their hydration is up,” said Perreaux.

He said organizers had not seen an increase in heat or air quality related illness or injury.

“The care and comfort of our athletes is top of mind.”

The games wrap up on Saturday. This is the first time since 2016 the games are being held after they were cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more

• Youth athletes brace for heat at Sask. Summer Games in Lloydminster
  Sask. Summer Games coach reflects on time as an athlete
  Wildfire smoke can be a danger to anyone’s health