2 N.B. cities say joining forces for Canada Games bid just makes sense

Moncton and Saint John have submitted a joint intent to bid for the 2029 Canada Games, which will be hosted in New Brunswick for the third time.

Shane Porter, the director of events and venues for the City of Moncton, said that with an event the size and scale of the Canada Games, partnering with another region just made sense.

"I think coming off the success of co-hosting with Halifax on the world junior hockey, you know, obviously, we've proven pretty recently that these partnerships really work," he said in an interview with Information Morning Moncton.

"And Saint John has been an excellent partner so far on what's been a really quick turnaround getting ready to bid on these games."

The host community is expected to be announced in the spring of 2025.

The Canada Games Aquatic Centre, built for the 1985 games in Saint John, has the only 50-metre pool in New Brunswick. (CBC News file photo)

A committee representing the two regions will go through the bid process, according to a news release from the Canada Games Council. The process has two phases, beginning with a technical review that will determine the suitability of a location's sport and non-sport venues.

From there, if successful, the next phase is a comprehensive review, which must include a proposal with elements such as the vision for the Canada Games, the budget and a marketing and communications strategy.

The 2029 Canada Summer Games will be hosted in New Brunswick and the formal bid process launched in January. The technical review process will begin this month, with the start of the comprehensive review phase slated for January 2025.

Saint John a previous host

Saint John has a unique advantage to host, having hosted the Canada Games in the summer of 1985. But since then, the event has grown significantly, which comes with challenges, said Andrew Beckett, CEO of Envision Saint John.

"When we hosted in '85, we had 2,279 athletes," he said. "Tthey're now looking at about 4,600 athletes."

But there are still people in Saint John who would remember the significance of hosting the Canada Games and the pride and exposure it generated for the community, he said.

Andrew Beckett, CEO of Envision Saint John, says submitting a joint bid will allow the cities to share financial risks. (Submitted by Envision Saint John)

Proceeding jointly, said Beckett, will allow the cities to share financial risks, take advantage of existing facilities and broaden the sponsorship pool.

For the village where the athletes are housed during the games, both cities are looking at using resident spaces at the universities, he said.

As the process goes on, Porter believes the event will involve a bigger collaboration than just the two cities.

"Both cities are taking more of a regional approach on this," he said. "We've already been in discussions with our neighbouring communities of Dieppe and Riverview … and that means even more venues are coming into play."

Beckett said an estimate for operating costs, based on previous games, is anywhere between $35 million and $40 million. He said it's expected that $10 million to $12 million will come from the federal government, roughly $8 million from the province, and $4 million to $6 million from local municipalities. The rest would come from sponsorships and ticket sales.

"As you can see, it's a big undertaking, and all the more reasons why two regions coming together makes a lot of sense," he said.