Moncton, Saint John to submit joint Canada Games bid by end of month

Moncton and Saint John are preparing to submit a joint bid to host the 2029 Canada Summer Games.

It's New Brunswick's turn to host, and while there's no competition in terms of other bids coming from within the province, it is still a process that requires due diligence, Louis Léger, a co-chair of the bid committee, said.

"We expect to hear formally, go, no go, in April, and that will start the process," Léger said. 

"It's a fairly long runway, you know, we're looking at 2029 but when I speak to the people in St. John's ... who are hosting this summer, they're telling me that, you know, it flies by pretty fast."

The bids are assessed in two phases, according to a news release from the Games last year, with the second phase being the stage Léger is at now.

Between the two cities, there is everything needed to host the events, he said, including the 50-metre pool in Saint John that will be refurbished ahead of the Games.

"Because we have all the facilities, it's going to allow us to focus on developing our athletes and developing the sports system in New Brunswick."

The Games are slated to run for two weeks and will feature 16 to 20 sports. About 4,600 athletes, coaches and managers and more than 5,000 volunteers are expected to take part.

Léger said the events will be divided between the Saint John and Moncton areas, but precise locations have not been decided yet for all sports. For example, he said Dieppe has an incredible mountain biking facility so it would make sense to hold those events there. 

Moncton will host the opening ceremonies, Léger said, and Saint John will take the closing ceremonies. Saint John previously hosted the Canada Summer Games in 1985.

Léger said the total cost of hosting the Games is a set formula, likely coming in around the $40-million mark.

But he said when looking at other cities and regions that have hosted, the economic benefits usually come in around $200 million.