Sherbrooke vies to host 2021 Francophone Games
Mayors says games would bring $100M economic boost to community, province
A delegation from Quebec has travelled to Ivory Coast to make their case for hosting the 2021 Francophone Games in Sherbrooke.
Bernard Sévigny, the mayor of Sherbrooke, is part of the delegation that will present a bid tomorrow in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast where the 2017 games will be held next summer.
The mayor said the budget for the games would be $50 million, but the economic benefit would be double that for Sherbrooke and the province. The money for the games would come from all three levels of government, as well as sponsors.
The games would host about 3,000 athletes and about 2,000 other delegates. Sevigny said visitor numbers could reach 100,000. Sherbrooke hosted the Canada Summer Games in 2013.
Aside from the financial boost, Sévigny wants his city to play a role in the francophonie.
"We have to play a role in Canada, in North America, the world. And that's why we want to be the central attention of the francophonie all around the world."
Charest part of delegation
Former Liberal premier Jean Charest, who was born in Sherbrooke, is part of the delegation headed to Africa.
"People in the francophone countries see Jean Charest like the father of the jeux francophones," Sevigny said.
He recalled the Quebec summit in 1987, when Charest was a young Conservative federal minister in Ottawa who become involved in creating the games after conversations with then-French president François Mitterrand.
"Jean Charest defined the concept, he created the event, that's why in those countries everybody knows Jean Charest," Sévigny said.
"I don't want to talk about advantage, but it's really the key of our presentation."
Sherbrooke has competition from another proud Francophone community — Moncton-Dieppe. A New Brunsick delegation is also making a pitch to host the games and will host the Canadian Francophone Games in 2017.
The other members of the Quebec delegation include Luc Fortin, provincial minister of Culture and Communications and Christine Saint-Pierre, provincial minister of International Relations and La Francophonie.
Sévigny said they will have to wait until November to find out which community will be chosen.