Jeux de l'Acadie goes to Miramichi for 2018

TheJeux de l'Acadie, which just wrapped up in Fredericton, will be held for the first time in Miramichinext year.

In the provincial capital, the games hosted1,100 francophone athletes from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, who competedin a variety of sportsand joined in displays ofartistic expression.

The gameswere a success, organizers said, and now Miramichi is excited about putting them onnext year.

"Acadians are more and more active in the community everyday," Miramichi AdamLordonsaid as he welcomed the chance "to give the local Acadian population, especially the youth, the opportunity and the [ability] to host people from across Atlantic Canada."

Similar to the Olympics, municipalities bid for the games. Miramichi's bid before this wasn't successful.

Lordonsaid his city is looking forward to the economic spinoffs from the games, which can total about$1.2 million, according to organizers.

Lordon visited the closing day of the Fredericton games on Sunday and said he got more than he expected.

"The energy at the closing ceremonies was incredible ... where you're there on the ground, you feel the games," he said in an interview.

Thefocus now is to ensure athletes, parents and visitors who come to Jeux de l'Acadie 2018 have a good time in Miramichi.

A visit from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wouldn't hurt either, according to Lordon. Trudeau dropped in onthe opening of the Fredericton games.

"We would love to have Mr. Trudeau in Miramichi," Lordonsaid"We've been joking that hopefully that's an annual visit for him."

A huge success

In Fredericton, the success of the games was evident in the kids who left happy, organizers said.

Mylene Ouellet, the executive director of la Socit des Jeux de l'Acadie, was pleased with how things went.

"I think most of the athletes and cultural participants had a great time," she said.

It was mostly sports but there were musical and other artistic acts as well.

She said it takes more than two years to prepare for the games.

"We can say it was a complete success because the athletes had a good time," said Ouellet.

She thinks the games will do well in Miramichi, too.

"Miramichi just stood out this time and the volunteers were really motivated," she said."They had worked hard, the infrastructure was good, and the willingness to make it work and work with us was incredible

The push to have the games in Miramichi was started by former mayor Gerry Cormier, who died in June 2016 of a heart attack.

"The Miramichi has gone over and above working for bilingualism in the last few years, and it really shows," said Ouellet.

Regional division

Hosting the games each year is expensiveandit would cost more if changes were made in how the regions are divided up, Ouellet.said.

In New Brunswick, teams are selected from each region:Madawaska-Victoria, Restigouche, Chaleur, the Acadian Peninsula and the southeast, comprisingSaint John, Fredericton,Oromocto, Moncton and Dieppe.

Ouellet said games board has lookedat including more sports and teams, but has to be careful about the size and cost of the games.

"It's one of our goals to be able to grow communities and not to be too big for them to host.