Fredericton wins bid to host 2017 Acadian games
Jeux de l'Acadie will draw 3,000 athletes and spectators to Fredericton
Fredericton has won its bid to host the Jeux de l'Acadie in June 2017, an event that is expected to draw more than 3,000 young athletes and spectators to the provincial capital.
The Acadian games, which are a mix of sporting and cultural activities, are held every year for Acadian and francophone youth throughout Atlantic Canada.
Fredericton Coun. Mike O'Brien said on Monday the Acadian games will be a major boost for the city's economy.
“It'll generate at least $1.1 million in economic activity, fill 1,000 hotel beds, that's people going to restaurants, getting cabs, buying goods and services, visiting our shops,” he said.
Jean-Luc Benoit, the president of the Centre Communautaire Sainte-Anne, thanked the city council for its "unfailing support" for the francophone community in the region.
"Having the Jeux de l’Acadie in Fredericton again after 17 years is a unique opportunity to bring all residents of the provincial capital region together," Benoit said in a statement.
"For the young participants, it is an unforgettable life experience and an occasion that creates a feeling of collective pride and belonging to the francophone community."
Three New Brunswick cities were in the running to host the games: Fredericton, Dalhousie and Miramichi.
Bathurst held the 2014 games and the 2015 games will be held in Charlottetown.