It’s official. Moncton and Saint John will jointly host the 2029 Canada Summer Games.
Catherine Gosselin-Després, chair of the 2029 Canada Games bid evaluation committee, made the announcement in Fredericton on Wednesday morning.
“We know it’s going to be a success in Moncton and Saint John,” she said.
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said having formerly participated in the Canada Games in Saskatchewan 40 years ago, she was left with a great impression of the province.
She hopes the more than 4,000 athletes of the 2029 Games will take away similar good thoughts about New Brunswick.
“They are going to want to come back and back,” Holt said. “This is our chance to make New Brunswick shine on a national stage.”
Premier Susan Holt says New Brunswick will welcome more than 4,000 coaches, athletes and visitors for the 2029 Canada Summer Games, to be hosted by Moncton and Saint John.
As joint hosts, the two cities will share financial risks while taking advantage of a range of existing facilities — such as Saint John’s Canada Games Aquatic Centre, which was built when the city hosted the 1985 Games.
“What a great example of Moncton and Saint John working together for the benefit of the the province,” Holt said.
The estimated cost is $40 million, with municipal, provincial and federal funding, as well as sponsorships.
Now that the bid has been accepted, a governance committee will be formed and more details will be ironed out, said Holt. That includes deciding how the funding for upgrades to the Canada Games Aquatic Centre pool in Saint John will be split.
The Canada Games are scheduled for two weeks and will feature 16 to 20 sports.
Kyle Sacobie, who performed the closing song at Wednesday’s announcement, said his brother played in the Canada Games and it brings back proud memories.
“He got to represent our province and our country,” said Sacobie. “I remember looking back at highlights and being like, ‘yeah, that’s my brother.'”
