ESTEVAN — Melvin Greening says he has been an avid snowmobiler almost from the moment the machines came on the market for recreational use.
He recalls when Polaris started releasing snowmobiles in the 1960s, and he says he had one of the first ones available.
Now he is been rewarded for his love of snowmobiling and his willingness to help others enjoy the sport.
Greening, who is part of the Estevan Snowmobile Club, has been named the 2026 Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations (CCSO)'s Outstanding Snowmobiler of the Year.
“I wasn’t expecting it, but the fellas here nominated me, and that’s how it carried on,” he said in an interview with SaskToday.
Greening says there are a lot of people who do the same or a similar amount of work, and if he does a little bit more, it's because he’s retired.
“I feel good about it, but I know that there’s a lot of people that could receive it [the award], in this area,” he said. “There are a lot of good volunteers here and they do a lot of good work as well.”
During the winter months, he’s busy marking trails alongside the club’s other volunteers. The club has some good, dedicated young people, he said.
“I enjoy being around all of the guys and getting this trail system going, which is very important … to keep the safety part of it all good and have the trails marked well," said Greening.
He recalls the club started in the early 1990s and then it faded for a few years. It's going strong again, even though they have not had enough snow in the area some winters.
“Our biggest problem is now the last couple of years, the winters we’ve had haven’t been great. We lost our snow too many times," he said.
In the winter of 2025-26, for example, they had enough snow at one point to get the trails marked and to start grooming the routes, but then warm temperatures and rain melted the snow. They’ll take another shot at it next year, he said.
Greening still loves what he calls the fun part of snowmobiling, which is the rides. This past winter, he went on three different trips. The first was to Greenwater in northeast Saskatchewan. Then he went to Kenora, Ont., for a few days, which included a trip into the U.S. and a tour of the Polaris factory. And he headed to east-central Saskatchewan to ride around Duck Mountain and Madge Lake.
He said some people enjoy riding motorcycles and other people golf, but he likes to ride a snowmobile.
“Once you’re hooked on it, it’s hard to get away from," he said. "There’s nothing like it. The crisp air and the scenery. It’s just a great sport. If you can go out with four or five guys or 10 guys, and get to a warm-up shelter and cook up some sausage, there’s a lot of fun and a lot of stories to be told. It’s a great sport."
Snowmobiling is also a family activity. His son, grandson and great grandson all enjoy the sport, and they have embarked on some four-generation rides.
“I remember taking my son [out] when he was four or five years old, sitting him on the front of me and bouncing across the fields, and they’re now doing it with their kids," he said.
Greening and his wife of 58 years Judy put a lot of kilometres on sleds together, too, he said. They have taken trips all over Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.
“I don’t know how many miles I might have made, and how many machines I might have worn out. It’s just been a lot of fun. I’ve met a lot of people all over. It’s just great.”
He enjoys snowmobiling in the southeast and he loves riding through the snow in northern Saskatchewan.
“You can go down in the States. You can go to Ontario … I’ve never snowmobiled much in Alberta, but northern Saskatchewan is as good as anywhere. We have the best trail system anywhere, I think," he said.
In a post on its Sask Snow Facebook page, the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association said Greening's work shows up across the trails.
"He plays a hands-on role in maintenance, supports ongoing development and promotes responsible riding within the community," the association said.
"Saskatchewan riders like this keep our trails moving forward," the post added later.
The recognition will be presented at the International Snowmobile Congress' convention in Omaha, Neb., on June 6. Greening noted a dedicated rider and volunteer from Newfoundland-Labrador will also be recognized at that time.
