Volunteers Help Make Canoe Kayak Nationals a Success in Regina

Colourful canoes and kayaks, all lined up and ready to race, filled the south side of Wascana Lake at the end of August for the 2025 Canoe Kayak Canada Sprint National Championships.

These championships drew more than 900 athletes from all over Canada to Regina. With so many athletes and races, it was all hands on deck to help the event run smoothly. That’s where more than 200 volunteers came in.

“This event definitely could not happen without volunteers,” says Nathan Wilson, a member of the host organizing committee. “There can be up to 17 boats on the water at once, so we need people to help with boat control, safety, and many other jobs. Volunteers are the reason this event works.”

SaskEnergy supported the event as the Volunteer Sponsor. We were proud to provide funding and lanyards for the volunteer team. On August 26, a group of co-op and summer students joined in on the fun by handing out Champion of Volunteers pins and running a raffle for a prize pack of SaskEnergy gear.

The Canoe Kayak Canada Sprint National Championships weren’t just about racing — it was also about teamwork and community spirit. Allix Schweitzer, SaskEnergy’s Supervisor of Community Engagement, says events like this showcase why SaskEnergy has been the Champion of Volunteers for the past 25 years.

“We were proud to be part of an event that put Saskatchewan in the national spotlight,” says Allix. “We were even more proud to support the volunteers who made it all happen.”

This was the fifth time Regina has hosted the event, with the last time being in 2019. Around 1,700 people came out to watch the races, which featured athletes from more than 50 clubs across the country.

“These are the best of the best canoers and kayakers in Canada, all here to compete for the national title,” says Nathan.