OTTAWA, Aug. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With Saskatchewan’s lieutenant governor firing the pistol to officially open the 48th annual Legion National Championships during the opening ceremonies, competition got underway on Friday August 6. Over 800 athletes from across Canada have gathered at Regina’s Canada Games Complex in Saskatchewan to compete in a range of track and field events until August 9.
“What an exciting opportunity for you to meet other young competitors from across Canada!” shared the Honourable Bernadette McIntyre, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan in a welcome message posted to all athletes. “You will find that you have much in common, including the love of your sport, drive to do your best, and pride in representing your province,” she said.
This year’s championship theme is the 100th anniversary of The Royal Canadian Legion. Legion Dominion Vice President and Sports Committee Chair Trevor Jenvenne spoke of the organization entering the next century with over 300,000 members. “They believe in what we do,” he said. “We believe in what we do. And you – our youth – are the next generation who will carry parts of our mission, like Remembrance, forward.”
Decorated para-athlete Michael Trauner is returning for his fourth year as Games Ambassador, to share his story of resilience in overcoming great obstacles through sport. A retired military Veteran, Trauner lost both his legs and adapted to related injuries from serving with the Canadian Army in Afghanistan. He plans to offer some advice he learned on his own journey. “Medals come and go, but don’t ever forget the journey and struggles it took you to achieve those goals…don’t forget to be proud of yourselves for your achievements,” he advised athletes. He’ll be cheering on teams throughout the games.
The event is possible because of tremendous sponsors and supporters including the City of Regina, the Regina Hotels Association and PIB Insurance Brokers. The Games are Canada’s only track and field competition for the under-16 and under-18 categories. The Legion Nationals originated with Legionnaires’ support and promotion of sports for Veterans and their families as a healthy and fun activity – especially when a parent is deployed.
Many Legion alumni have gone on to compete at additional national and international levels, including in the Commonwealth, Pan Am and Olympic games.
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About The Royal Canadian Legion
Established in 1926, the Legion is Canada’s largest Veteran support and community service organization. We are a non-profit organization with a national reach across Canada as well as branches in the U.S., and in Europe. With more than 300,000 members, many of whom volunteer an extraordinary amount of time to their branches, our strength is in our numbers.
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