A massive shout-out and thank you to Hallee Mandryk and the team at CTV News for their incredible feature on the SaskCatan community! Seeing our Saskatoon Catan Tournament highlighted as a booming provincial movement is incredibly rewarding, and we are so grateful to CTV for capturing the energy and excitement of our players.
Read the full article by Hallee Mandryk on CTV News here
From Small Meetups to Massive Qualifiers
The article perfectly highlights just how rapidly the demand for Catan in Saskatoon has grown. SaskCatan founder Tyrel Wilgosh shared with CTV how his expectations have been completely blown away. Initially hoping to gather just 16 players for his first event, our recent national qualifier at the Gather Local Market drew a massive, enthusiastic crowd!
As an officially approved organizer for Catan Studios, our tournaments are stepping stones to the 2027 Canadian National Catan Championship. The CTV feature emphasized the prestige of these qualifiers, noting the incredible official prize kits provided by Catan Studios and the amazing local support from our sponsors, like Dragon’s Den, who supplied fantastic raffle prizes and coupons for our players.
Competitive Spirit, Community Bond
The CTV piece also featured a great interview with our tournament champion, Emmanuel Vela! Emmanuel captured the true spirit of SaskCatan perfectly: while players are absolutely “pulling out all the stops” to win those victory points, the atmosphere remains joyful, friendly, and community-focused.
Here are a few takeaways from the feature on why players prefer sitting at our tables over playing digitally:
- The In-Person Connection: You can play online, but as Emmanuel noted, nothing beats the in-person community bond and the sheer fun of trading and negotiating face-to-face.
- Welcoming to Beginners: Intimidated by the competitive scene? Don’t be! The article highlights that our community is incredibly welcoming to newcomers who just want to experience the fun.
- Expanding Casual Play: If you aren’t quite ready for a national qualifier, we are actively organizing more casual board game nights where you can learn the ropes, practice your strategies, and make new friends without the tournament pressure.
Grab a Seat at the Table
Whether you are a seasoned player aiming for the national championship or a total beginner looking for a fun night out, we have a spot for you.