Home > Runs & Races

New Brunswick Francophone Games to cost up to 7 times more than expected

Moncton-Dieppe is set to host the 2021 Francophone Games but high costs are causing organizers to second-guess their bid

The Francophone Games are held every four years. The event, a mashup of artistic and sporting events that started in 1989 and attended mostly by French-speaking nations, is an honour, but may also generate controversy. Moncton and Dieppe, New Brunswick are set to co-host the 2021 games, but the cities are facing financial troubles, as hosting the games is estimated to cost seven times more than initially predicted. 

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - SEPTEMBER 24: (L-R) Robson da Silva #125 of Brazil, Ray Stewart #623 of Jamaica, Carl Lewis #1102 of the USA, Linford Christie #413 of Great Britain, Calvin Smith #1120 of the USA, Ben Johnson #159 of Canada, Desai Williams #181 of Canada, and Dennis Mitchell #181 of the USA start the final of the Men's 100 meter track event of the 1988 Olympic Games on September 24, 1988 at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)

Global News reports that the cities had both agreed to pitch in $750,000, with the federal and provincial governments covering the rest. What was originally proposed as a $17 million project has turned into an estimated $130 million endeavour. Eric Mathieu Doucet, the event’s chairperson, told Global News that following the bid, several organizations like FIFA and the IAAF suggested upgrades. 

RELATED: Toronto Pan American Games under budget

The news about Moncton-Dieppe follows Calgary turning down the bid for the 2026 winter Olympics over who would pay. The CBC reported, “This bid also undeniably fell victim to the unpleasant baggage weighing down the Olympic movement. The cynical narrative is familiar by now. Cities spend billions more than initially proposed to host a two-week party that leaves little long-term positive economic impact.”

Toronto hosted the Pan Am Games in 2015, and Toronto native Sasha Gollish was able to win a medal in the 1,500m in the city she was born and raised in. “Competing in my backyard at York University during the Pan Am Games was a dream come true,” she says. “The warm-up track was the first place I ever ran a track race, which happened to be a 1,500m when I was in grade 7. Having my friends and family surrounding me in the stadium was surreal. Never again has there been anything like it.” While major games can leave a bad taste in taxpayers’ mouths, there are many athletes and spectators who strongly believe in the merit of hosting a games.

New Brunswick still hasn’t signed a contract with the games and could decide to cancel the event. However, according to the CBC, if a host country cancels, they still have to cover all of the costs incurred by the games’ governing body. 

Check out the latest buyer's guide:

Top 10 shoes our testers are loving this March

We tested tons of great shoes this year, but only the very best make the list