New BrunswickInspired by a Moncton comic-con seven years ago, Susan Levi-Peters hosted her own convention Saturday in Elsipogtog First Nation.’This definitely measures up to the ones I’ve been to,’ says actor Adam BeachRhythm Rathi · CBC News · Posted: Aug 24, 2025 6:36 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours agoSusan Levi-Peters hopes to organize another Elsi-Con next year, she said. (Benjamin Ford/CBC)Inspired by a Moncton comic-con seven years ago, Susan Levi-Peters hosted her own comic convention Saturday in Elsipogtog First Nation.Elsi-Con 2025 brought together hundreds of people at the Chief Young Eagle Recreation Centre, including actors, cosplayers, comic book artists, vendors and many creative minds.”Me and my husband knew nothing about it, we walked in and he’s like, whoa, it’s a wholly different world and everybody’s happy,” she said, recalling the Moncton event that served as her inspiration. “So right away, like, we thought about, ‘Can you imagine if we had this in Elsipogtog?'”After Moncton’s East Coast Comic Expo in mid-June refreshed her memories, she began planning Elsi-Con 2025 with the help of the band council, community and expo organizers.On Saturday, Levi-Peters was celebrating the success of the event and looking ahead to planning another for next year in the Mi’kmaw community 90 kilometres north of Moncton.”Two months of planning and this is what we got, so if we had 10 months of planning, imagine what we can come up with.”The cherry on top for the convention came when someone from the East Coast Comic Expo team suggested bringing wrestling to Elsi-Con 2025.The event attracted hundreds of participants. (Benjamin Ford/CBC)”I said, wow, how ironic, because the arena, the venue is named after a former wrestler from Elsipogtog.”Well-known Canadian Indigenous actor Adam Beach had the busiest counter on Saturday, with a lineup of people seeking his autograph throughout the event.Beach said the timing of the Elsipogtog convention was perfect as he had a break from a television show that he’s working on.”It’s my first reservation comic-con, but obviously, I’ve been to San Diego’s comic-con, LA comic-con, you know, so this definitely measures up to the ones I’ve been to, it is well done.”Canadian Indigenous actor Adam Beach had a big lineup of fans at Elsi-Con 2025. (Benjamin Ford/CBC)Ricky Whyte from Napan, a community near Miramichi, won the best in show award for his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume he spent nearly five months putting together from scratch.”It’s all made out of Eva foam which is the same like floor mat foams … extremely light, doesn’t weigh a thing, [and] very hot,” he said.Ricky Whyte won the best in show award for his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume. (Benjamin Ford/CBC)Kirk Aube attended the event on behalf of Innovative Hybrid Wrestling. He said his team travels across New Brunswick and parts of Nova Scotia to perform live professional wrestling.He said the trend of mixing wrestling with comic-cons is popular in the U.S., and his team members are open to dressing up as superheroes too.”There’s not much difference between a comic-con character and a professional wrestling character,” he said.The live wrestling matches were popular with children at Elsi-Con 2025. (Benjamin Ford/CBC)”We always say it’s your personality with the volume turned up to 10.”Aube said this marked the first time his wrestlers were a part of a comic-con. He hopes Elsi-Con will become an annual event they can attend, he said.ABOUT THE AUTHORRhythm Rathi is a reporter with CBC New Brunswick in Moncton. He was born and raised in India, and attended journalism school in Ontario. Send your story tips to rhythm.rathi@cbc.ca With files from Benjamin Ford
Elsi-Con: Comic convention at Elsipogtog First Nation wows large crowd
