Organizers Recommend Postponing Acadian Games

The 41st Acadian Games Finale in Greater Saint John could be postponed a second time because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Games, which were supposed to be held in Quispamsis and Saint John this past summer, were delayed by one year until 2021.

But Michel Cote, president of the organizing committee, said they are now looking to hold the event in 2022 or 2023 instead.

“We have met a couple of times and had a lot of discussion regarding the possibility of hosting such an event in this coming June,” said Cote. “Everybody agrees that we don’t think it’s going to be a possibility.”

The organizing committee recently sent a letter to its partners, including the two municipal councils and the Societe des Jeux de l’Acadie, asking them to consider postponing the event.

The letter outlines a number of concerns, including the degree of volunteer involvement, the challenges with amenities, and additional expenses due to Public Health guidelines.

Cote said trying to plan the event during a pandemic would be quite a burden on the volunteers who make up the organizing committee.

“We would have to plan for Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D just because there’s so many different things that can happen,” he said. “We can work for 10 months organizing the event, and two days before the event, it can go all away because of some kind of decision that would be made by Public Health.”

Cote said there are several factors which need to be considered before the society could reschedule the Games.

He noted the 2022 event was supposed to be hosted in Memramcook and the 2023 Games were supposed to take place in Bouctouche.

“The Societe des Jeux de l’Acadie has to see also with those municipalities if they’re willing to change dates and move a year so we can have the games here in Saint John and Quispamsis,” said Cote.

A final decision on the 41st edition of the Games is expected by early December. Saint John last hosted the Games in 2010.