World juniors brings $20 million in economic activity to N.B., province says

The world junior hockey tournament generated about $20 million in economic activity in New Brunswick, the province said Thursday.

In a release, it said more than 100,000 people from around the world attended the championship games in Moncton. The tournament took place in Moncton and Halifax from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, with pre-tournament activities taking place in Moncton, Quispamsis, St. Stephen and Bouctouche.

“We welcomed the world to New Brunswick,” said Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister Tammy Scott-Wallace in the release.

“The province will benefit from this event for many years as people experience the province for the first time and others rediscover it. We thank the more than 150 volunteers, partners and supporters who helped make the tournament the success it was.”

Scott-Wallace, who is also the minister responsible for Women’s Equality, said the province also launched a sexual violence prevention campaign that reached 269,000 residents and visitors. This came after Hockey Canada was embroiled in a scandal around its handling of sexual assault allegations.

“We had a responsibility while presenting the province on an international stage to deliver the message that there is no tolerance for sexual violence in sport and that the culture in sport must continue to improve,” said Scott-Wallace in the release.

“We cannot accept it, and we owe it to New Brunswickers to make that message clear. At every level in sport, from parents to players, coaches to our organizations, we all have a responsibility and role to play.”

According to the province, the event resulted in:

• A 40 per cent increase in hotel bookings compared to a typical December;
• Record attendance for any event held at the Avenir Centre;
• Up to $2 million collected in provincial tax revenue;
• More than three million people watching games from New Brunswick on television;
• A 140 per cent increase in activity on the ExploreNB website;
• The launch of the Always Inviting marketing campaign;
• $150,000 raised from 50/50 proceeds to support community organizations working to support sexual violence prevention.

Nic Jansen, the executive director of Hockey New Brunswick, said the event was a “resounding success.”

“The opportunity for New Brunswickers to watch the best Under-20 players, and future NHL stars from across the world is an outstanding opportunity. In addition to watching world-class hockey, the hosting of the World Juniors will provide a legacy that makes the game safe and more accessible,” he said.

As Global News reported earlier this week, Moncton and Halifax can make another run at the world juniors in 2025.

Hockey Canada has said “a number of factors” will be considered when selecting the final host site for 2025, “including community engagement, participant experience, hosting experience, financial viability and local support.”

“Hockey Canada has returned to previous host communities within a two-year period before, and if Halifax and Moncton were interested and proposed the best hosting model Hockey Canada would consider returning in 2025,” it said.

Scott-Wallace said at the time that the province “will definitely be evaluating the opportunity to host the tournament again.”