The flame is extinguished, the athletes have left and Mayor Aldéo Saulnier has handed the games flag to his counterpart, Yvon Lapierre.
The 43rd edition of the Jeux de l’Acadie is nothing more than a fond memory for hundreds of young people who have put on spectacular performances since Thursday, but also for the 700 or so volunteers who gave their time to make these games a huge success.
Two delegations leave with a small bonus since the Acadian Peninsula deserves the Improvement Award, while the Southeast delegation is awarded the coveted Friendship Award for the first time in its history.
It was a tearful head of mission who delivered her comments after the closing ceremony.
“I can’t even describe it. We’ve been waiting for it for so long. Our young people deserve it so much. We’re so proud of them. It’s the best gift,” explains Monique Bourque.
“It was the ultimate prize that the South East was waiting to win, and finally, it’s this year.”
Madison Ferguson, the soccer team’s coach, also savored the moment. “It shows the heart of all our athletes,” she said.
Triple gold medalist Penelope Locas was also in the mood for celebration. “We didn’t really expect it. It’s really something gratifying. It’s really incredible.”
There was also celebration on the Acadian Peninsula side. “It warms our hearts to win this award. We didn’t really expect it,” confided mission leader Roxane Friolet.
“We have seen a great improvement compared to last year. We have had some great performances in athletics in particular.”
Amy MacIntosh was another one who was beaming. “This award is a great reward for all the effort we put into the regional games and throughout the year. We can be proud of ourselves.”
Théo Simard, who was part of the next generation, also had a big smile on his face. “It means everything to us. It’s been a long time since we won it. It’s really an honour for us, because we worked hard for it.”
A positive number
The president of the organizing committee, Mélanie McGrath, gave a positive assessment of the event.
“We’re definitely in our bubble, but for us, it was a success. The feedback we’ve received has been excellent, from athletes, artists and coaches alike,” she emphasizes. “We’ve definitely had some adventures, but we think few people have seen them.”
She refers in particular to the situation experienced on Saturday, when tents had to be quickly dismantled because of a storm and tornado warning.
“We couldn’t ignore these warnings. We had 15 army tents that could have blown away with 2,000 people on the site,” says the president.
Except the rest of the event went smoothly.
“I can’t say enough about my organizing committee and volunteers. As soon as we got a weather alert on Saturday, we had hundreds of people asking what they could do. There were even parents willing to help.”
Mélanie McGrath really appreciated this new formula which extends over six days, with the athletics competitions in the middle.
“It’s certain that there may be adjustments to be made for next year. But seeing an athletics competition in a block, with everyone, for us, is a must,” she says.
“We just need to improve the planning for that day and find a solution so that these competitions can take place more quickly.”
Its magical moment remains the opening ceremony in the Pays de la Sagouine.
“I’ve been dreaming about it for almost 10 years. It rained during the ceremony, but everyone had fun. It will remain one of my best memories.”
According to her, this kind of event brings the entire community together.
“It was really the Kent region that hosted the Jeux de l’Acadie. In addition to 75 members of the COFJA, we had more than 700 volunteers from all over. To bring all these people together, it was really a community that came together.”
The president of the organizing committee believes that the success of the games is proof that Grand Bouctouche is ready to host other major events.
