World's top figure skaters coming to Saint John

Ice dance gold medalists, Canada's Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, show their medal during victory ceremonies at Skate Canada International in Windsor, Ont., on Saturday, October 27, 2012. (Paul Chiasson / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Some of the world’s top figure skaters will be competing in the Maritimes this fall.

On Monday, Skate Canada announced the names of the athletes who will taketo the ice at Saint John’s Harbour Station for Skate Canada International. The roster of names reads like a who’s who of figure skating superstars.

“We have three-time world champion Patrick Chan coming, we have Olympic Gold medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir coming and Yuna Kim, the Olympic gold medalist from the Vancouver Olympics.”

Sixty Olympic and world competitors from 15 countries are expected at the competition. This year’s event will mark the 40th anniversary of the inaugural Skate Canada International event.

“Coming to skating live is just so much different than watching it on TV,” says event co-chair Susan Taylor. “It’s like any sport, seeing it live is amazing. To hear the blades on the ice, it’ll be an opportunity no one will want to miss.”

This will be the third time Harbour Station has staged the event.

“We’re hoping to fill the building,” says Skate Canada events director Jackie Stell-Buckingham. “I’m really hoping we can attract a full house. It’s not a huge venue, for us it’s the perfect size.”

Businesses met with Skate Canada officials on Monday to discuss how they can become involved in the international event - one that is expected to have a major economic impact on the City of Saint John.

“Restaurants, retailers, transportation companies like taxis, accommodation providers, little operators, convenience stores, pharmacies, everybody benefits and everybody gets a piece of the pie when you have a national or international event this size,” says Jillian MacKinnon of Discover Saint John.

Business owner Gill Nadeau says the event is a fantastic way to show the world what a great place Saint John is.

“I think Saint John is a really great city and this is going to give us that opportunity to showcase that to the rest of the province and the country and the world,” says Nadeau.

Skate Canada International runs from October 24 to 27.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Ashley Dunbar