The 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games has taken over Estevan.
After a two-hour torch relay early this evening that had 37 young people carry the flame across the Energy City ending with a march to Affinity Place by local baseball star Carson Perkins, approximately 3,000 people, including the 900 athletes and coaches from each of the nine participating districts, packed into Affinity Place to take in the Saskatchewan Summer Games opening ceremonies.
These ceremonies began with an introduction and parade into the centre of the Estevan Bruins home rink by athletes and coaches from each of the Lakeland, North, Parkland Valley, Prairie Central, Regina, Rivers West, Saskatoon, South West and South East teams. Once the honoured guests had taken their seats and the roaring crowd of 2,000 spectators had died down, Kyle and Aurora Whitehead sang a stirring rendition of Oh Canada to begin the festivities.
Two-time Olympic gold medallist and Saskatchewan favourite Catriona Le May Doan then took the stage where she began by imploring the athletes to be proud of their accomplishments in being able to represent their homes at the Summer Games. Sporting a Team Saskatchewan sweater that she wore while playing in the 1983 Canada Games, Le May Doan said the multi-sport event is about the team around you, the quest to become everything you can be in the competition and to learn how to persevere and attain greatness.
Julie Brandt, chairperson of the Saskatchewan Games council, headed up on stage next to let everyone in attendance know the 2,000 athletes and coaches who are representing 271 communities at these Games represent the largest Saskatchewan Games on record. She said the Games organizing committee and its volunteers have done a incredible job getting Estevan ready for this event over the past three years and she is confident the experience the athletes, coaches and spectators take home from this next week will be monumental.
Games co-chairs Brian Smith and Brian Senchuk then addressed the crowd noting it is a privilege to be able to welcome everyone to the Summer Games. Smith and Senchuk both gave their thanks to the volunteers for their countless hours of hard work over the past three years as well as the many businesses and individuals who have supported the Games by donating money and work in-kind to help make it a reality.
The Saskatchewan Summer Games flag was then raised to the rafters of Affinity Place before torch bearer Kate Dalziel marched in the flame where she handed it off to Team South East athletes Tyren Dorrence and Danica Pedrick. Dorrence and Pedrick then carried the torch outside and lit the Games cauldron at the front of Affinity Place to officially open the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games.
