The 2023 Atlantic Cup Swimming Championship took place at the Canada Games Aquatic Centre in Saint John, N.B., over the weekend.
The three-day swim meet saw 227 athletes jump into the province’s only 50-metre competition pool, hence why the event was hosted in the port city.
Sara McNabb of the Fredericton Aquanauts Swim Team had a great weekend coming into the final day of action, winning four gold medals in all four events she competed in heading into Sunday.
“I really like the competition,” McNabb says. “It’s really fun to compete against everyone, and I really like talking to all my friends from across the province I haven’t seen in a while. That’s probably my favourite part.”
Meet manager Michael MacDonald says the event is one of the higher-ranked competitions for the swimmers. It also served as the final competition of the season for many of the athletes, with a small handful using the meet to prepare for nationals.
“It gives them the chance to challenge themselves,” MacDonald says. “It also gives them the chance to meet with other swimmers from the province so there is a social aspect to it.”
Combine the 2023 Atlantic Cup Swimming Championship with the “Summerfest” youth basketball tournament that took place in Saint John over the weekend, and the “Roll Call Car Show” that took at TD Station on Saturday, local businesses saw quite the uptick in traffic this weekend.
“Business took off great this weekend,” says Saint John Ale House bartender Amit Marciano. “We got to see lots of new faces, faces we haven’t seen before, and local faces again stopping by for a drink or a nice bite to eat in between the tournaments, in between the games, before the car show, after the car show so it’s great.”
The sentiment is echoed by Britt’s Pub + Eatery assistant manager Chelsea Daley.
“The rain hasn’t stopped people from walking around uptown,” Daley says. “Going to the container village, popping into each of the restaurants, even if just for a beer at the bar, so it’s been great.”
MacDonald couldn’t put a number on it, but knows the economic boost local businesses saw over the past few days was large.
“You have 227 families essentially coming to the city for the weekend,” MacDonald says. “I think it does bring people to the city and it’s going to be nothing but good for small businesses.”
The weekend festivities served as somewhat of a precursor for what’s to come in the weekends ahead for local businesses. On July 28 and 29, the Box Car Country Music Festival comes to town, followed by the Area 506 Music Festival during the August long-weekend.
Both are expected to draw thousands to the city, and local establishments are ready and excited.
“It’s going to bring a lot of people to the city and we really need it,” says Daley. “Saint John is only getting busier and more fun with all the events happening.”
