McFlurry of Activity
Entrepreneur Brad McLellan expects the Bathurst Bears and new Eastern Canadian Basketball League to play integral roles in the game’s rapid growth in his home community and beyond. McLellan says the Bears will attract supporters from Bathurst, which is the largest city in northern New Brunswick, as well as Miramichi, the Acadian Peninsula and as far away as Campbellton and Dalhousie.
McLellan’s family owns and operates the McDonald’s franchise on busy St. Peter Avenue in Bathurst as well as an outlet in Walmart. The restaurant’s signature dessert known internationally as the McFlurry was invented in Bathurst. He’s a major sponsor for the Bears and is doing all he can to promote the league, which opens training camps in early March with games scheduled to start late in the month.
“It’s going to showcase our area because it is such a positive move forward for our city and our region,” McLellan says. “It’s new, it’s exciting and it’s a great opportunity to help the sport grow,” he adds. “We’re going to see a lot more young people play basketball after they see the high-level of play the league is bringing to Bathurst. I’m looking forward to seeing our young people proudly wearing Bears T-shirts and sweaters.”
Besides being a corporate sponsor, McLellan has featured Bears advertising on the restaurant’s outdoor electronic sign, which is seen by about 30,000 motorists each day. He has always enjoyed the sport, but admits he was never a star player growing up in Bathurst or during his time at Dalhousie University in Halifax. These days, he’s helping coach his son’s team at Ecole secondaire Nepisiguit. The sport is gaining in popularity at ESN, Bathurst High School and other schools in northern New Brunswick, which have both boys’ and girls’ teams.
“Basketball has a bright future here and I hope we get more sponsors and fans as we get closer to starting the season,” McLellan.
The Bears, in collaboration with the Chaleur Chamber of Commerce, will host a special event on Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. at 13 Barrels Brewery on Cunard Street. Paul Theriault, the team’s manager of business and basketball operations, expects a large crowd of people, who will be given an update on the operations of the Bears.
Information on tickets and sponsorships will be available. The Bears will also announce the names of their coaching staff. Serge Langis, who has extensive professional coaching experience, is the team’s head coach and National Basketball League of Canada veteran forward Cordell Jeanty will be his first assistant.