The 2021 Francophonie Games, featuring athletes from around the world, may prove too costly for New Brunswick’s new Tory government.
Cost estimates have ballooned to $130 million from the original bid of $17 million, and new Premier Blaine Higgs says his government won’t cover the extra costs.
READ MORE: Francophonie Games are on the chopping block without federal funding: Premier Blaine Higgs
He says he wants the games in the province but will only abide by the previous Liberal government’s $10 million commitment, and no more.
He’s turning to the federal government to come up with the rest, but those relations are a bit frosty after Higgs cancelled a number of federal-provincial projects.
Five members of the games organizing committee resigned on Wednesday, with four explicitly citing the controversy.
The Francophonie Games, which Canada last hosted in Ottawa-Gatineau in 2001, are expected to attract roughly 3,000 athletes from 80 member states that have French as a common language.
Green Leader David Coon is calling for a legislature committee to examine how the costs escalated so much, and how the problems can be resolved.
A federal consultant’s report pegged a reasonable cost of between $72 million and $115 million.