The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[mylesmalley]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2092/2193504521_f0cbcd23b5.jpg?v=0
Berry Mills Rd. area.

[mylesmalley]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2032/2194289848_bbcbce4735.jpg?v=0
The North End.

[mylesmalley]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2099/2193505141_758fa487fc.jpg?v=0
Mall across from Costco

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2154/2194290452_9e97559189.jpg?v=0
Harrisville Area.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2381/2194290574_45117ecb12.jpg?v=0
Fox Creek area.

[mylesmalley]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2086/2194290732_7d2fd9f23f.jpg?v=0
Middle of Dieppe.

[ErickMontreal]

Awesome maps Myles, great job.

[mmmatt]

Thanks Myles!! Really shows how much the city is changing...and just how much Google should update its satellite maps more often haha...Im pretty sure the pics of Moncton are from around 2004...the second 4 storey condo on Assumption Blvd was still U/C...again thanks! :)

[ErickMontreal]

Road work approved

Published Tuesday January 15th, 2008
Appeared on page A5

The redesign and reconstruction of Paul Street was kickstarted by Dieppe city council last night with the awarding of a contract worth $526,000.

ADI Limited has been chosen by the city to conduct the engineering services for the project's first phase, from Highway 15 (Veterans' Highway) to Sunset Street.

Paul Street will see significant work in 2008, including underground infrastructure as it is completely rebuilt and redesigned in phases beginning this year.

[ErickMontreal]

Calling cities home

Greater Moncton has seen a significant increase in the number of native people living in and around the city over the last few years. It reflects a national trend that indicates more Canadians than ever who identify themselves as aboriginal are living in the country's urban centres. Newly released StatsCan data shows a 17 per cent increase the Greater Moncton native population since the last census.

http://www.c103.com/default.asp?mn=1.40.85

[ErickMontreal]

Commercial Development - Cordova Realty

Corner Frampton Lane and Mapleton Road (50 % of that space already pre-leased)

Corner Mountain and Gorge Road.

You could see advertisement on the site in both cases.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moncton 12/14/2007

Greater Moncton International Airport gearing up for busiest winter charter season ever

Travelers wishing to get away to a warm destination will have plenty of choices at Greater Moncton International Airport (GMIA). The 2008 winter charter season is gearing up to be GMIA’s busiest yet with seven non-stop weekly flights to five sunspot destinations.

Between February 9 and May 18, Transat Holidays, along with partner CanJet, are offering weekly departures to Mexico, Florida, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. In addition, Sunwing is returning for their second season with a weekly offering to Punta Cana from March 20 to May 8.

“The 2008 winter charter schedule will allow travelers to take maximum advantage of their stay with no mid-week departures”, states Rob Robichaud, President & CEO of Greater Moncton International Airport. “The key to keeping these great seasonal services is to have people in our region choose the GMIA as their airport of departure.”

[mmmatt]

http://www.hawk.ca/uploadedImages/News/MonctonLogo.jpg

created by Hawk, an advertising company based in moncton http://www.hawk.ca/

[mmmatt]

I did some work on a Moncton Wiki article tonight if anyone is interested:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_headquartered_in_Moncton

[mylesmalley]

I know it's out of context, but notice how the word 'Vague' creeks into the new logo...:p.

Good job with the list, Stu. Are you listing distinctive companies? Or ones with large numbers of employees?

Shameless plug alert haha.

My family's business, http://www.malleyindustries.com/ manufactures all the ambulances in New Brunswick, many in Newfoundland, and a lot now go to Mexico and the Caribbean. As well, we do a lot of custom vehicle work for the department of defence, and mobility vehicles for the disabled. We're one of the biggest in Canada. There's probably in the neighborhood of 75 people working for us. I'm not saying we should be included, but just as something you might think about.

Anyway, you might also look at Fancy Pocket, Apex, Dooly's etc...

[gehrhardt]

... And don't forget Spielo Gaming International. It's owned by GTech in Rhode Island (which is in turn owned by Lottomatica SPA in Italy), but technically it is based in Moncton and was founded in Moncton. It is definitely international and has over 400 employees.

[JasonL-Moncton]

There's also IGT Canada which was formerly Hi-Tech Gaming on Henri Dunant in the Moncton Industrial Park, Hi-Tech was bought by their largest distibutor IGT and changed to IGT Canada. IGT is based in Las Vegas. They distribute gaming machines across Canada (like Spielo), a lot of Atlantic Lotto's machines come from IGT. IGT Canada's HQ is in Moncton.

[mylesmalley]

I'm not sure if you mentioned it, but Minacs is based in Riverview. They've got a good 1000 or so employees.

[ErickMontreal]

I did some work on a Moncton Wiki article tonight if anyone is interested:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_headquartered_in_Moncton

Thank you for that list !

[ErickMontreal]

Casino-convention centre mean growth

Published Wednesday January 16th, 2008
Appeared on page D7

How soon we forget.

We've forgotten already the 2002 KPMG study that showed how a casino would spur a wealth of other private investment in Moncton's downtown core.

Nobody remembers all the major national and international conventions Metro Moncton has missed out on -- naturally, because we've never heard of the ones that got away. There are many. Metro Moncton doesn't have a facility big enough to host these very large gatherings in one place.

Those who oppose gambling as a ruiner of lives forget there are hundreds of casinos all over New Brunswick, in almost all bars in the province, operating seven days a week.

We forget that Metro Moncton misses out on concert tours because of our antiquated arena -- we forget until the next missed opportunity is splashed in our headlines.

We forget that growth doesn't come easy, that we have to invest in things that keep the Metro area growing in the right direction, like concert halls and hockey arenas and convention centres and a casino -- no, it's not a "destination gaming centre," it's a casino, darn it -- and that putting all three in a downtown core will transform the entire city centre in one fell swoop, with ripple effects -- more like economic tsunamis -- spreading out for hundreds of kilometres.

Instead we throw out red herrings like "tourists don't visit a city to gamble" (I certainly don't, but some do, and many others will consider that they gamble when they're looking for a city to visit) and "gambling is bad" (perhaps, but today's widespread gaming, regulated by bartenders and wait-staff, is far worse) and "convention centres don't make profits" (no, but they do generate other wealth that spreads throughout a metropolitan area and beyond) and "we already have a good hockey rink" (yes, one that costs millions in upkeep, has the poorest layout for concerts in Atlantic Canada and the worst ventilation as well.)

Imagine what a proper convention centre tied to a new arena, a casino, convention centre, hotel and a family-entertainment centre would do to the entire Metro Moncton region, when 1,000 delegates from the annual general meeting of the, say, Doctors Who Love to Spend Freely Association fan out from Parlee Beach to Fundy National Park for a weekend or more.

Think of the business that would be generated in the pubs, restaurants and hotels in Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview when 12,000 people flow out of a big concert at 11 p.m. on a Saturday night.

With all this in the downtown, a casino would be a natural, integral part of the mix, along with forms of family entertainment as well because they all feed off each other. Take in the convention, hit the hockey game or concert, perhaps visit the casino for an hour or three at some point during the week and maybe even there's time for mom and dad to relax with a bit of private time while junior and juniorella take in an IMAX movie or swim in the aquatic centre or spend a few hours at Crystal Palace or mountain biking in Kouchibouguac National Park.

There's no way this can happen without federal investment -- just enough to get the ball rolling. The province has already been sold on the idea of a convention centre as an economic generator.

Can the feds be convinced?

Face it, no federal government needs us in order to win power. No wonder they're the ones dragging their feet.

Out of the billions the feds pour into other, better-off provinces, you'd think that investing a few million to generate hundreds of millions of private investment would be a good deal indeed for all Canadian taxpayers.

It seems clear they're more interested in investing in votes west of us rather than in ideas here in our own back yard that have all the promise of a great return on the dollar.

n City Views appears daily, written by various members of our staff. James Foster is editor-at-large. His column appears every Wednesday.

[JasonL-Moncton]

I'm not sure if you mentioned it, but Minacs is based in Riverview. They've got a good 1000 or so employees.

Minacs is based in Ontario not Riverview and is owned by the Aditya-Birla company from India (formerly owned by Elaine Minacs).

If Minacs qualified so would Sitel (320 Edinburgh Dr.) with numbers creeping up on 1000 as well.

But Sitel is based out of Nashville (even though it's a Canadian owned company by Onex Corporation) with 67,000+ employees in 28 countries with annualized revenue of $1.8 billion.

Jason

[mylesmalley]

Casino-convention centre mean growth

Published Wednesday January 16th, 2008
Appeared on page D7

How soon we forget.

We've forgotten already the 2002 KPMG study that showed how a casino would spur a wealth of other private investment in Moncton's downtown core.

Nobody remembers all the major national and international conventions Metro Moncton has missed out on -- naturally, because we've never heard of the ones that got away. There are many. Metro Moncton doesn't have a facility big enough to host these very large gatherings in one place.

Those who oppose gambling as a ruiner of lives forget there are hundreds of casinos all over New Brunswick, in almost all bars in the province, operating seven days a week.

We forget that Metro Moncton misses out on concert tours because of our antiquated arena -- we forget until the next missed opportunity is splashed in our headlines.

We forget that growth doesn't come easy, that we have to invest in things that keep the Metro area growing in the right direction, like concert halls and hockey arenas and convention centres and a casino -- no, it's not a "destination gaming centre," it's a casino, darn it -- and that putting all three in a downtown core will transform the entire city centre in one fell swoop, with ripple effects -- more like economic tsunamis -- spreading out for hundreds of kilometres.

Instead we throw out red herrings like "tourists don't visit a city to gamble" (I certainly don't, but some do, and many others will consider that they gamble when they're looking for a city to visit) and "gambling is bad" (perhaps, but today's widespread gaming, regulated by bartenders and wait-staff, is far worse) and "convention centres don't make profits" (no, but they do generate other wealth that spreads throughout a metropolitan area and beyond) and "we already have a good hockey rink" (yes, one that costs millions in upkeep, has the poorest layout for concerts in Atlantic Canada and the worst ventilation as well.)

Imagine what a proper convention centre tied to a new arena, a casino, convention centre, hotel and a family-entertainment centre would do to the entire Metro Moncton region, when 1,000 delegates from the annual general meeting of the, say, Doctors Who Love to Spend Freely Association fan out from Parlee Beach to Fundy National Park for a weekend or more.

Think of the business that would be generated in the pubs, restaurants and hotels in Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview when 12,000 people flow out of a big concert at 11 p.m. on a Saturday night.

With all this in the downtown, a casino would be a natural, integral part of the mix, along with forms of family entertainment as well because they all feed off each other. Take in the convention, hit the hockey game or concert, perhaps visit the casino for an hour or three at some point during the week and maybe even there's time for mom and dad to relax with a bit of private time while junior and juniorella take in an IMAX movie or swim in the aquatic centre or spend a few hours at Crystal Palace or mountain biking in Kouchibouguac National Park.

There's no way this can happen without federal investment -- just enough to get the ball rolling. The province has already been sold on the idea of a convention centre as an economic generator.

Can the feds be convinced?

Face it, no federal government needs us in order to win power. No wonder they're the ones dragging their feet.

Out of the billions the feds pour into other, better-off provinces, you'd think that investing a few million to generate hundreds of millions of private investment would be a good deal indeed for all Canadian taxpayers.

It seems clear they're more interested in investing in votes west of us rather than in ideas here in our own back yard that have all the promise of a great return on the dollar.

n City Views appears daily, written by various members of our staff. James Foster is editor-at-large. His column appears every Wednesday.

FINALLY SOMEONE IN THAT GOD-AWFUL NEWSPAPER HAS POINTED OUT THE OBVIOUS.

If only people would listen...

[mmmatt]

Thanks for the info guys!

I was trying to keep it a list of semi large/interesting companies I guess...I do have Doolys (added it last night) and IGT Canada already, all the others mentioned I did research and they are all owned by companies outside Moncton (ie Spielo, which was founded in Moncton but then bought out). Minacs and Sitel are also american owned, now Asurion is american owned, but Moncton is the only canadian location, so if there was a "Asurion Canada" it is based in Moncton for sure haha. I will have to look up Apex a bit further, I know that the industrial supply Apex was bought out by Wosely (sp) because I did my Co-op there in grade 12, so they dont qualify for sure. Ill look up your families company Myles, but it sounds like a good qualifyer haha...my dad owns Brunswick Fyr, they install and inspect safety equipment all over NB, about 20ish employees. I tired to find info on Deluxe Fish and Chips too but they dont have a website haha.

[mmmatt]

FINALLY SOMEONE IN THAT GOD-AWFUL NEWSPAPER HAS POINTED OUT THE OBVIOUS.

If only people would listen...

Indeed, a very good article :)

[mmmatt]

On the list I kinda made a ballpark estimate about Pizza Delights Corps employees, its the only one I did that for just to show it is a fairly large company...but I dunno if I over estimated or under or what...

They own:

100 Pizza Delights
115 Mikes
24 Scores
18 Bâton Rouge
_____________

257 resturants total...plus corporate offices etc

so I estimated approx 12 workers per resturant which is 3,000. Am I wrong?

[ErickMontreal]

On the list I kinda made a ballpark estimate about Pizza Delights Corps employees, its the only one I did that for just to show it is a fairly large company...but I dunno if I over estimated or under or what...

They own:

100 Pizza Delights
115 Mikes
24 Scores
18 Bâton Rouge
_____________

257 resturants total...plus corporate offices etc

so I estimated approx 12 workers per resturant which is 3,000. Am I wrong?

You could add 50 + workers within Mikes corporate office in Montreal.

[ErickMontreal]

Same as for the Bâton Rouge as well as Score offices based in Montreal.

[mylesmalley]

Minacs is based in Ontario not Riverview and is owned by the Aditya-Birla company from India (formerly owned by Elaine Minacs).

If Minacs qualified so would Sitel (320 Edinburgh Dr.) with numbers creeping up on 1000 as well.

But Sitel is based out of Nashville (even though it's a Canadian owned company by Onex Corporation) with 67,000+ employees in 28 countries with annualized revenue of $1.8 billion.

Jason
Oh, my bad then.

[mmmatt]

Oh, my bad then.

I added Malley Industries to the list, as they seem worthy :) I didnt know how to properly say the industry...so I just put "Specialty Vehicles" if you have a better idea you can change it haha

[mylesmalley]

I added Malley Industries to the list, as they seem worthy :) I didnt know how to properly say the industry...so I just put "Specialty Vehicles" if you have a better idea you can change it haha

Much appreciated, Stu. Though it really wasn't necessary. I only mentioned us to make a point lol.

[JasonL-Moncton]

Thanks for the info guys!

Minacs and Sitel are also american owned

No...Minacs is "Indian" owned (Aditya-Birla) http://www.adityabirla.com/ (used to be Canadian)

And...Sitel is Canadian owned (Onex Corporation) http://www.onex.com/index.taf?pid=57

Trust me...I've worked for both ;)

:cheers:

Jason

[ErickMontreal]

Metro housing up in '07
Statistics show 3,231 units were sold last year at an average price of $152,250, up from $138,377 price tag in 2006

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=76896&size=300x0
The Metro Moncton resale market for housing had another booming year in 2007. This house was sold recently on Highfield Street

TOOL HELP
by dwayne tingley
times & transcript staff
Published Thursday January 17th, 2008
Appeared on page C2

Steve McWilliam has been expecting Metro Moncton's flourishing housing market to level off for the last three years or so.

He's still waiting.

The president of the Greater Moncton Real Estate Board was thrilled when he read the region's 2007's housing statistics after they were released earlier this week. The numbers continue to stagger him.

Board statistics show 3,231 units were sold last year at an average price of $152,250, up from the $138,377 price tag in 2006.

The total value of all units sold was $423 million in 2007, a 21 per cent hike over the previous year. The number of sales jumped by 12 per cent.

"It was another fantastic year," McWilliam said.

"People ask us why we continue to shine with great numbers year after year and no one seems to have a definite answer," he said.

"We have the jobs and when there are jobs, you usually have a strong economy. I keep saying it's going to level off and I'm always wrong. I don't mind being wrong in a case like this."

Claude Gautreau, a statistical analyst with the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, said statistics in New Brunswick, including Metro Moncton, bucked some national trends,

Nationally, there was a decline is housing starts by about five per cent, but it topped 10 per cent in New Brunswick.

Gautreau expects the levelling off trend to finally hit Metro Moncton in 2008.

"I think you'll see the prices rise again this year, but sales should decline slightly," he said. "It may not be by a large amount, but we should see a very slight decline.

"The region should still outperform the national trend, but there will be a levelling out to a more sustainable level."

Nationally, the Canadian Real Estate Association said resale housing activity, new listings, average price and dollar volume in the country's major markets all reached their highest annual levels ever in 2007.

Annual sales in major markets totaled 362,934 units, up 7.9 per cent from 2006.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

AOL centre to close
Company says it's too costly for the company to keep the Moncton call

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=76897&size=300x0
After cutting 140 jobs a few months ago, the AOL office in Moncton will close in March, putting the remaining 100 employees out of work

times & transcript staff
Published Thursday January 17th, 2008
Appeared on page C2

Almost 100 workers will be unemployed when AOL Canada closes its call centre in Moncton's Emmerson Park on March 2, but efforts are already under way to find new jobs for them.

AOL Canada was the first business to operate in the former CN Shops property when it opened five years ago. At the time, the province gave the company a $1.2 million grant as part of the government's plan to establish an "electronic New Brunswick."

American Online spokeswoman Anne Bentley said yesterday it was too costly for the company to keep the Moncton call centre running.

About 140 jobs were eliminated from the call centre in October. This week, the final 90-100 workers were told their jobs will be gone in March.

"We," Bentley said from company headquarters in Virginia, "had hoped to support the Canadian business, but running the Moncton centre because cost-prohibitive."

AOL is changing the way it does business from a subscriber-based firm to one based on a free service supported by advertising. "We are in transition," the spokeswoman said.

All laid-off workers will be given six weeks notice and a severance package that includes two weeks of pay for each year of service, one week's retention bonus as well as paid out vacation timing owing.

The company will also provide career counselling, including an effort to find work with another company in Metro Moncton.

John Thompson, the chief executive officer of Enterprise Greater Moncton, said other call centres will hold a career fair to help the laid-off workers find new employment.

There are more than 20 call centres in Metro and they employee more than 8,000 workers.

"These workers will be absorbed by the other call centres, if they care to work there," Thompson said.

He also said there are on-going talks with the provincial government to find a new tenant for the AOL building, which sits in the heart of the Emmerson Park development.

[mmmatt]

Stupid AOL...man Ive always hated that company haha, now I have only more reason. Oh well, we had a net gain of like 4,000 new jobs last year, whats 100 in the long run, theres plenty of other jobs for these people.

[ErickMontreal]

Stupid AOL...man Ive always hated that company haha, now I have only more reason. Oh well, we had a net gain of like 4,000 new jobs last year, whats 100 in the long run, theres plenty of other jobs for these people.

For sure, its not a big deal. Although that could be the right time for Moncton to talk about a jobs-creation plan with government officials. I think the time is coming for Moncton to create new sustainable jobs to keep that momentum up, I`m not talking about a short-term strategy to ensure the workforce a job for the next 3-5 years but a plan that could draw new clusters in Metro.

Montreal has been able to built up a Video game as well as a E-Business cluster in couple years, Why not Moncton ?

[michael_d40]

Montreal has been able to built up a Video game as well as a E-Business cluster in couple years, Why not Moncton ?

hahah because Moncton is NOT montreal. not even close. haha i cant even believe you'd ask something like that
haha. oh wow.

[Helladog]

TOOL HELP

For sure...lol

[ErickMontreal]

hahah because Moncton is NOT montreal. not even close. haha i cant even believe you'd ask something like that
haha. oh wow.

It was a example of what a city could do to enhance is own situation. I never said Moncton was Montreal... and I never said Moncton could attract a such things, just said the city could attracts sustainable jobs based on R&D grant, not just ... anyway

[mylesmalley]

hahah because Moncton is NOT montreal. not even close. haha i cant even believe you'd ask something like that
haha. oh wow.


Why the hell couldn't we?

So much of this province's problem is that we think we can't go after the big fish because we aren't Toronto or Boston or Montreal. We do have some established companies involved in the gaming industry, not to mention one of the largest lottery corporations in the country based here.

Why shouldn't we go after corporate data centers and back offices? Or major manufacturing concerns. We've got the ports, airports, highways and trains. With a global economy, almost any part of a company can be put almost anywhere. New Brunswick has some of the cheapest labour in the country, low taxes comparatively, decent weather for Canada, an abundance of natural resources, and a bilingual population. We're ripe for development. We also have a glut of workers and a provincial government that has proven it's willing to chip in to create jobs.

So yeah. So what if we aren't Montreal.

If Montreal had the same attitude about Toronto, and Toronto had of New York, and NY to....nobody would ever do anything!

[mmmatt]

Why the hell couldn't we?

So much of this province's problem is that we think we can't go after the big fish because we aren't Toronto or Boston or Montreal. We do have some established companies involved in the gaming industry, not to mention one of the largest lottery corporations in the country based here.

Why shouldn't we go after corporate data centers and back offices? Or major manufacturing concerns. We've got the ports, airports, highways and trains. With a global economy, almost any part of a company can be put almost anywhere. New Brunswick has some of the cheapest labour in the country, low taxes comparatively, decent weather for Canada, an abundance of natural resources, and a bilingual population. We're ripe for development. We also have a glut of workers and a provincial government that has proven it's willing to chip in to create jobs.

So yeah. So what if we aren't Montreal.

If Montreal had the same attitude about Toronto, and Toronto had of New York, and NY to....nobody would ever do anything!

Very well said Myles, who says we couldnt go after these kinds of companies? RIM, which is now one of the largest companies in canada revenue wise is based in Waterloo...heck most americans would be amazed Blackberries are made in canada let alone a fairly unknown place like Waterloo (dont let the guys from there hear it haha)...Montreal gets tons of international exposure recently due to the success of Ubisoft (makers of Assassins Creed, Splinter Cell series, Prince of Persia series)...imagine if a similar type company set up in NB, we could see a flood of tech companies, which are where its at these days...not saying its gonna happen any time soon, nor am I saying Moncton is comparible to Montreal or even Waterloo, just saying it would be nice, and theres no reason to say it cant happen.

[mmmatt]

Oh yeah and back to companies based in Moncton topic...I was doing a little browsing and remembered that the makers of this "Just a Drop" bathroom odour eliminator stuff are based in Moncton...just a local entrepreneur who discovered this "miracle" product, now its sold across Canada in Wal-mart, Shoppers drug mart, sobeys, home hardware and others...I guess they sold over 718,000$ worth in '06. Right now theyre trying to break into the US market...they were featured on the Howard Stern radio show (satellite radio) in 2004 i think...CBCs "venture, dreamers and schemers" in 2006 and CNBCs "The Big Idea" in july 2007...Not too bad for a company started like 5 years ago

heres the CNBC vid:

aIrgcivuyWg&v3

heres a link to the CBC one: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=11299870

I guess they sell a whole line of air fresheners, check it out: http://www.prelam.com/

[ErickMontreal]

For sure...lol

C`est quoi ton problème ? Le fait que mon anglais est pas parfait ? ou le fait que que tu ne connaissaise rien à la nouvelle économie? Bref je peux comprendre que nouvelle économie et SJ ne sont pas vraiment des synonymes.

[ErickMontreal]

Why the hell couldn't we?

So much of this province's problem is that we think we can't go after the big fish because we aren't Toronto or Boston or Montreal. We do have some established companies involved in the gaming industry, not to mention one of the largest lottery corporations in the country based here.

Why shouldn't we go after corporate data centers and back offices? Or major manufacturing concerns. We've got the ports, airports, highways and trains. With a global economy, almost any part of a company can be put almost anywhere. New Brunswick has some of the cheapest labour in the country, low taxes comparatively, decent weather for Canada, an abundance of natural resources, and a bilingual population. We're ripe for development. We also have a glut of workers and a provincial government that has proven it's willing to chip in to create jobs.

So yeah. So what if we aren't Montreal.

If Montreal had the same attitude about Toronto, and Toronto had of New York, and NY to....nobody would ever do anything!

Very well said.

[mmmatt]

NBCC campuses to expand

Times & Transcript staff
Published Friday January 18th, 2008
Appeared on page C2

FREDERICTON - New Brunswick Community Colleges in Dieppe and St. Andrews are about to get important additions to their campuses to enhance trade training programs there.


Supply and Services Minister Roly MacIntyre announced yesterday a $1.3 million contract to complete construction of an addition at the Dieppe campus and a $2.5 million contract to build a new multi-purpose trade shop in St. Andrews, replacing a 30-year-old facility in the process.

Both projects are expected to be completed by September 2008.

"Investing in the trades is key to building a strong education system and a trained workforce for a self-sufficient province," MacIntyre said.

The contract for the completion of the NBCC Dieppe facility went to Simmchen Construction Ltd. of Grande Digue which did the work on phase one, the foundation and structural steel. The company tendered the lowest of five bids.

The 907 square metre (10,082 square feet) addition will contain two classrooms and two new shop areas for training in the carpentry and masonry trades.

The successful bidder on the NBCC St. Andrews project is APM Construction Services Inc. of Stratford, P.E.I., the lowest of nine bids.

[mylesmalley]

C`est quoi ton problème ? Le fait que mon anglais est pas parfait ? ou le fait que que tu ne connaissaise rien à la nouvelle économie? Bref je peux comprendre que nouvelle économie et SJ ne sont pas vraiment des synonymes.

It isn't worth the effort, Erick. Some people just feel empowered by trying to push people down.

[mylesmalley]

...also, glad to see the news about NBCC. The more money that goes into post-sec the better.

[mmmatt]

...also, glad to see the news about NBCC. The more money that goes into post-sec the better.

Indeed! I dont know if you guys heard or not, cant remember if it was posted here...but UNB Moncton (nursing school) is expanding by like 100 new student slots per year for the next couple of years...Pretty soon we may have more full time post sec students in metro moncton than in freddy haha...what with U de M still growing in numbers every year, MFC exploding, dieppe NBCC expanding, Oultons new dental colledge expansion on Vaughn Harvey and others...plus the fact that UNB and STU are both going down in enrollment every year Im pretty sure...and this STUpid strike isnt gonna help STUs numbers thats for sure :S

[mmmatt]

Great news everyone! Greater Moncton International Airport is now the

dun dun dun...

14th BUSIEST AIRPORT IN CANADA!!! :cool:

the preliminary data from Transport Canada for 2007 was released and now shows that aircraft movements at GMIA went up from 77,886 movements in 2006 to 125,230 in 2007, an increase of 60.8%!! :D

In 2006 GMIA was the 21st busiest airport, now the 14th!

Of the 20 busiest airports in Canada GMIA saw the most growth by far...60.8% compared with the 21.1% increase of Calgary/Springbank Airport.

Of course this is only half the picture, this increase is mainly due to one of Monctons biggest success stories Moncton Flight College, which has exploded with growth over the past couple of years, even now outgrowing GMIA and expanding to GFIA (freddy international airport)...The airport also added another seasonal service in 2007 to Cancun, which also helped up the numbers.

The equally if not more important statistic of passenger numbers is still to be released. The 2006 numbers were realeased on 1/24/07 so hopefully we will see them this coming week!

check out the list on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_busiest_airports_in_Canada

[kwajo]

That list seems weird, I would have expected St. John's to be in the top 20 in aircraft movements, especially given the number of military and trans-atlantic flights that stop through. Maybe Gander's airport deflects a lot of St. John's traffic, but I still am surprised by YYT's omission.

[ErickMontreal]

Will Metro 'Trump' Saint John for casino?

The sleuth
GOSSIP FROM N.B.’S FAVOURITE RUMOUR-MONGER
Published Saturday January 19th, 2008
Appeared on page D10

The stakes are high when it comes to which group will get the licence to build New Brunswick's first casino.

So high, in fact, that one of the world's best-known casino owners and entrepreneurs has waded into the fray. Who was that magic-haired guy sniffing around both Saint John and Moncton recently? Was it really 'The Donald', the guy who may eventually play the 'Trump' card in the N.B. casino sweepstakes?

Representatives for Donald Trump confirmed they were in Saint John recently to look at a few uptown locations for a possible casino. And Sleuth's sources suggest that Trump's advance men didn't come all the way up here to look only at Saint John. There was also a secret mission to the Moncton area to do some background work on a casino bid proposal.

Trump Entertainment Resorts, which run three casinos in Atlantic City, N.J., would be only one of several possible bidders on the casino licence. But you can be sure that Trump would have all his cards in line before putting his money where his hair is in New Brunswick.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

$1.5M more cash boosts size of stadium
Source says the new ACOA contribution will build bigger, better Moncton venue capable of hosting wider range of events

By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Saturday January 19th, 2008
Appeared on page A1

The Times & Transcript has learned the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency has just approved an additional $1.5 million in assistance towards the construction of the track stadium needed for Moncton's hosting of the 2010 IAAF World Junior Track and Field championships.

This financial assistance is above the initial contribution of $6 million announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper at a news conference in Moncton in March of 2006.

A source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said yesterday ACOA's contribution is conditional on written confirmation of a matching additional $1.5 million in funding from the Province of New Brunswick.

That appears to be a condition likely to be met, as New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham told the Times & Transcript last month, "we're going to be announcing increased participation in this project."

Premier Graham didn't name a dollar figure, but whatever the provincial Liberal government adds will be on top of $5 million the former Conservative provincial government committed towards the project in 2006.

The revised project will increase the permanent seating capacity from 5,000 to 8,500 permanent seats with the option for an additional 10,000 spectators to be accommodated in the field area. The extra seating capacity will enable the City of Moncton to host events ranging between 10,000 to 18,000 spectators.

The financial contribution will also be used to build additional access roads, parking, entrances and exits, showers, dressing rooms, sound systems and electrical feeds.

In many circles of the community, people have been suggesting a bigger investment would pay off because it would help ensure the stadium gets more use beyond the 2010 games.

According to the source, the additional financial assistance was approved by ACOA minister Peter MacKay after a request made by the City of Moncton.

"ACOA's contribution towards this project clearly demonstrates that the Government of Canada is working efficiently with community partners to address their priorities," the source said, adding the Government of Canada and the New Brunswick federal caucus are strong supporters of the project because of its economic benefits for Metro Moncton, the province and the region as a whole.

An estimated 2,000 athletes from 170 countries and an expected audience of 40,000 spectators will be at the six-day event in 2010. It will be the largest sporting event ever hosted in Atlantic Canada and will have an international profile, as track and field enjoys considerable popularity around the globe.

The hope is that the legacy of the facility and the 2010 games will be able to spur youth involvement in track and field and other sports.

The city is in the process of the final design stage and it's expected the project will go to tender in January or February, so construction can begin in April. It's expected to be completed in 2009. In recent days, there has been site preparation under way next to the CEPS Louis J. Robichaud building, near Morton Avenue on the UdeM campus.

In addition to what has been pledged by the federal and provincial governments, the City of Moncton will pick up the tab for $3.5 million. The university will throw in $3.5 million toward capital and operational costs, some of that in the form of the land it is providing.

Stadium funding

More federal and provincial funding will offset increased construction costs since the Moncton track stadium project was initiated following the city’s 2006 winning bid for the 2010 IAAF World Junior Track and Field championships. But it is also expected to result in a bigger, better venue for a variety of events:

* 8,500 permanent seats instead of 5,000

* Capacity to seat another 10,000 spectators on field for other sport, entertainment or cultural events

* Raises total spectator capacity from 10,000 to 18,000

* Will also fund additional access roads, parking, entrances and exits, showers, dressing rooms, sound systems and electrical feeds for the stadium, to be built on the Université de Moncton campus

[mmmatt]

Great news about the stadium! I imagine it will have a wider canopy than in the rendering we have now :)

As far as the Trump thing goes I have a feeling it wont ammount to anything, but it is fun to think of the possibility of a gleaming trump casino in NB.

[mylesmalley]

That's fantastic! The potential for 18000 seats?! You could cram all of Riverview into one spot.

As for the rumors about Donald Trump. The SJ forums have been pretty happy about it, but I really don't see the rumor holding any water. His casino company hasn't faired well in the past few years-unlike his hotel and property companies, which are separate. As well, it seems to me that casinos tend to be drawn towards cities with other casinos (or projects?) like Reno, Vegas and Atlantic City. Even Toronto has a couple, I think. If casinos are anything like gas stations, if they hear a company is building something at one location, they'll try to build one right across the street.

[mmmatt]

That list seems weird, I would have expected St. John's to be in the top 20 in aircraft movements, especially given the number of military and trans-atlantic flights that stop through. Maybe Gander's airport deflects a lot of St. John's traffic, but I still am surprised by YYT's omission.

Well in the TC 2006 annual report St Johns was the 35th busiest by aircraft movements with 43,342. However if its any consolation it was the 10th busiest by passenger traffic in 2005 :)

[ErickMontreal]

Moncton :: Aerial pictures

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2216/2203137718_954c588852_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2174/2203137978_63bb46a2a2_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2389/2202347613_a55453547f_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2401/2202347381_cd5e861e8a_o.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thewentworths/

[mmmatt]

Awesome find man!!! Thanks! :D

[mmmatt]

Heres another one from that collection, personally Ive never seen a pic like this of Moncton, note the semi circle of blue in Riverview which is the new ring road built over the past couple years and just opened in December. Its a bit of a funny angle though makes Riverview look almost as big as Moncton because its closer to the camera...I would really like to see a nice night shot from a sattilite, that would look cool but also be more accutate as far as size goes...anyways, enjoy!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2055/2203137332_fbe37c8e6c_b.jpg

[someone123]

That list seems weird, I would have expected St. John's to be in the top 20 in aircraft movements, especially given the number of military and trans-atlantic flights that stop through. Maybe Gander's airport deflects a lot of St. John's traffic, but I still am surprised by YYT's omission.

Aircraft movement totals are hugely distorted in favour of smaller airports since the size of the aircraft are not taken into account. A 777 landing with 250 people is one movement, along with a small propeller-driven plane with 8 people on board.

[mmmatt]

Aircraft movement totals are hugely distorted in favour of smaller airports since the size of the aircraft are not taken into account. A 777 landing with 250 people is one movement, along with a small propeller-driven plane with 8 people on board.

An aircraft is an aircraft regardless of size, the air traffic controller still has to direct every plane to land and take off. These stats do favor a smaller airport but they are not distorted in any way. I think Wikipedia puts it well when they say that aircraft movements are a measure of how busy the runways are, and passenger stats are a measure of how busy the terminals are. St Johns has over 1,100,000 passengers per year compared to the less than 600,000 in Moncton, however there is a much higher workload for air traffic controllers in Moncton, as our airport handles Canadas largest flight school and is the regional base of operations for FedEx and Purolator, hense we have a much higher volume of air traffic, but with fewer people in the planes. Wow...thats a lot of words to say something fairly simple :cool:

[Haliguy]

Passenger traffic and the amount of cargo that goes through an airport is the true indicator of the how busy a particular airport is.

[brod3211]

Um in Riverview with the whole Canadian tire idea thats been talked about what is happenening is Sobeys owns a lot of land in the Findlay Park area. My Point is Sobeys has offered there store to Canadian tire after they decided to rebuild in Finlay Park but until then Sobeys will remain in there store. I found that out from the Coverdale Sobeys Supervisors and some other staff.

[ErickMontreal]

Um in Riverview with the whole Canadian tire idea thats been talked about what is happenening is Sobeys owns a lot of land in the Findlay Park area. My Point is Sobeys has offered there store to Canadian tire after they decided to rebuild in Finlay Park but until then Sobeys will remain in there store. I found that out from the Coverdale Sobeys Supervisors and some other staff.

Thank you for information and welcome to the thread !

[mmmatt]

Um in Riverview with the whole Canadian tire idea thats been talked about what is happenening is Sobeys owns a lot of land in the Findlay Park area. My Point is Sobeys has offered there store to Canadian tire after they decided to rebuild in Finlay Park but until then Sobeys will remain in there store. I found that out from the Coverdale Sobeys Supervisors and some other staff.

Welcome to the forum man! Always good to hear another voice.

[brod3211]

Theres also word on very Large sum of Money being put into Hotel and something else supposed to go up out by the Big Stop is Salsibury.... this may be just a rumor im not sure.

[ErickMontreal]

Greater Moncton :: 2008 Highlights

Moncton - Université de Moncton Stadium ($18-Million)
Moncton - Courthouse/Office ($50-Million)
Moncton - Moncton Marriott ($15-Million)
Moncton - Hampton Inn ($10-Million)
Moncton - Mapleton Power Center ($45-Million)
Moncton - Factory Outlet ($30-Million)
Moncton - Fire station ($2-Million)
Moncton - Moncton High ($12-Million)
Moncton - Bird Holdings Ltd Warehouse ($10-Million)
Moncton - Botsford Street ($2-Million)
Moncton - Shopper Drugs Mart Atlantic Office ($5-Million)
Moncton - Mapleton Street ($10-Million)
Dieppe - Fox Creek - Phase 2 ($350-Million)
Dieppe - Uptown Dieppe ($150-Million)
Dieppe - Aquatic Center ($18-Million)
Dieppe - Expansion of the Dieppe Industrial Park ($5-Million)
Dieppe - Paul Street ($6-million)
Dieppe - Champlain Place / Ramada renovation ($14-Million)
Dieppe - BMW/Mini dealership ($4-Million)
Dieppe - Mazda Dealer ($3-Million)
Dieppe - Canada Post expansion ($7-Million)
Dieppe - seniors housing complex ($10-Million)
Riverview - Royal Court Seniors' Residence Expansion ($7-Million)
Riverview - Moncton Golf Course Condo

[brod3211]

What is the the Hilton Gardens would that be the Hampton Inn ?

[ErickMontreal]

What is the the Hilton Gardens would that be the Hampton Inn ?

Yeah you`re right, I`ll get the change

[brod3211]

oh okie haha thats what i thought

[brod3211]

So when and where is the Courthouse going to be built ?

[mylesmalley]

So when and where is the Courthouse going to be built ?


Who knows.... They've changed their minds, started construction and stopped construction...so many times. Hopefully something will star this year.

Welcome to the forum, btw.

[brod3211]

I think what would do best is if they put the courthouse where they originally planned, with it being 5 stories then add like 4 more floors which could make up the police station on top of it making it 9 floors in total and with the Casin, convention center, hotel i say Casino then 5 or 6 floor hotel on top of it making it a total or 6 or 7 floors then have the Convention center 5 floors but the 4 floors above the 1st floor should be more of the hotel and have the convention center hotel part connected to the casino Hotel part by Pedway.

[ErickMontreal]

Who knows.... They've changed their minds, started construction and stopped construction...so many times. Hopefully something will star this year.

Welcome to the forum, btw.

So true, so I think the courthourse of (the largest CMA in the province.... :haha: ) will start this summer. It could be larger than in the first rendering.

[mylesmalley]

Haha, if you took all the Moncton vs. Saint John bickering out of their forum, there'd be about 100 posts left. Though at times this place isn't a lot better.

[Helladog]

Haha, if you took all the Moncton vs. Saint John bickering out of their forum, there'd be about 100 posts left. Though at times this place isn't a lot better.

Probably true, which is why I don't get into that kind of stuff in the first place. But if you notice, most of the [city size] envy comes to the forum not from it. Seems like success in Moncton automatically means something bad for SJ and vise versa, which is untrue. I say congrats, now let us have our day while we can...I really like the forms here so I can find out what's going on and what's coming. The bickering, I agree is really annoying.

Like I pointed out recently...whether SJ or Moncton, when either city reaches 2 million, lets continue the discussion, if we even care at that point. :whip: In the grand scheme of things as an Atlantic Canadian city, growth in any area is welcome; we have to play "catch-up".

[ErickMontreal]

Haha, if you took all the Moncton vs. Saint John bickering out of their forum, there'd be about 100 posts left. Though at times this place isn't a lot better.

You are right Myles. All that things remind me Quebec Vs Mtl rivalry. Anyway, we should pass up this moment and just try to focus on our respective cities, that include myself.

[ErickMontreal]

About Courthouse project, we should get some informations in the coming weeks on the developer that has been chosen.

[mmmatt]

About Courthouse project, we should get some informations in the coming weeks on the developer that has been chosen.

Hopefully, I want to see some renders of this thing to get excited about :D

[ErickMontreal]

Hopefully, I want to see some renders of this thing to get excited about :D

I keep my finger crossed and hope they'll get back with a brand new design or at the least a huge improvement of it.

[mmmatt]

I keep my finger crossed and hope they'll get back with a brand new design or at the least a huge improvement of it.

Unless its the same exact developer as before and they are dumb I cant see it being the same design haha, Im hoping for 5 stories and lots of glass, thats what my fingers are crossed about!

[ErickMontreal]

Unless its the same exact developer as before and they are dumb I cant see it being the same design haha, Im hoping for 5 stories and lots of glass, thats what my fingers are crossed about!

Well, the current government increased the project`s value from $25-milllion to $50-million, maybe you could get your 5-stories and more.

[mmmatt]

Greater Moncton :: 2008 Highlights

Moncton - Université de Moncton Stadium ($18-Million)
Moncton - Courthouse/Office ($50-Million)
Moncton - Moncton Marriott ($15-Million)
Moncton - Hampton Inn ($10-Million)
Moncton - Mapleton Power Center ($45-Million)
Moncton - Factory Outlet ($30-Million)
Moncton - Fire station ($2-Million)
Moncton - Moncton High ($12-Million)
Moncton - Bird Holdings Ltd Warehouse ($10-Million)
Moncton - Botsford Street ($2-Million)
Moncton - Shopper Drugs Mart Atlantic Office ($5-Million)
Moncton - Mapleton Street ($10-Million)
Dieppe - Fox Creek - Phase 2 ($350-Million)
Dieppe - Uptown Dieppe ($150-Million)
Dieppe - Aquatic Center ($18-Million)
Dieppe - Expansion of the Dieppe Industrial Park ($5-Million)
Dieppe - Paul Street ($6-million)
Dieppe - Champlain Place / Ramada renovation ($14-Million)
Dieppe - BMW/Mini dealership ($4-Million)
Dieppe - Mazda Dealer ($3-Million)
Dieppe - Canada Post expansion ($7-Million)
Dieppe - seniors housing complex ($10-Million)
Riverview - Royal Court Seniors' Residence Expansion ($7-Million)
Riverview - Moncton Golf Course Condo


thanks for that list, if even 1/2 this ammount of money is actually put into the area in 2008 that would be a huge increase over 2007, of course it most likely wont, as basically none of these projects are feasible to be complete within one year, espically the Fox Creek phase 2, which will probably be spread over about 5 years, same as Uptown Dieppe. This would only be a partial estimate of 2008s possible building permit values though as single and multiple unit housing is a major player and has been on fire in the area in recent years.

[mmmatt]

Well, the current government increased the project`s value from $25-milllion to $50-million, maybe you could get your 5-stories and more.

Well considering this justice center is costing the exact same ammount as the one in SJ, and the one in SJ is 5 stories, huge and beautiful, I am hoping for something similar. :cheers:

[gehrhardt]

Theres also word on very Large sum of Money being put into Hotel and something else supposed to go up out by the Big Stop is Salsibury.... this may be just a rumor im not sure.

The foundation and a small amount of the framing work is done on the Best Western Salisbury, along with some paving and the curb work. As for the other building, there's a lot of digging going on behind the Ultramar station, on the opposite side of the highway from the hotel. I'm not sure what it is yet, but I'll ask next time I get gas. Unfortunately, the village council notes that are online are always at least a month old. :(

I might be able to get some pics of everything here soon, if it warms up a bit.

[JasonL-Moncton]

What are the dates on the decision fro the casino project again?

[kwajo]

Isn't the Application deadline in March and the final decision supposed to come in late May?

[ErickMontreal]

Federal government investing in research and development projects in NB

January 21, 2008 - 10:21 am
By: Rebecca Davis, News 91.9 Staff

MONCTON, NB-Research and development in New Brunswick are getting a boost from the federal government.

It was announced today that the province will receive 12.6 million dollars for six projects under the Atlantic Innovation Fund.

Al-Pack Enterprises Limited, and the University de Moncton are two that will benefit from the funding in the Greater Moncton area.

Al-pack is trying to develop new materials for use in shopping bags, compost bags, and food packaging.

The 2.2 million dollar project will receive up to 1.5 million dollars from the fund over three years.

The university, meanwhile, will receive 3 million over five years from the fund, on a project that will cost about 4.1 million.

They're researching how to develop dietary products from bio-resources.

[ErickMontreal]

I wonder if the city could go alone with the convention center / hotel project ?

[brod3211]

Im thinking they could... If they got someone intrested like Veridoc or whatever or someone else that could maybe help pitch in on the cost I think the could go fullout and do it alone. Isn't Fredericton going alone on one or is tat government funded?

[mylesmalley]

Im thinking they could... If they got someone intrested like Veridoc or whatever or someone else that could maybe help pitch in on the cost I think the could go fullout and do it alone. Isn't Fredericton going alone on one or is tat government funded?

I'm pretty sure they're getting a heap of cash from the province. A project that big would require some significant cash from the feds as well.

...and I think we all know how Stephen Harper feels about Atlantic Canada.

[brod3211]

haha true and well then i guess we go it alone...

[ErickMontreal]

I'm pretty sure they're getting a heap of cash from the province. A project that big would require some significant cash from the feds as well.

...and I think we all know how Stephen Harper feels about Atlantic Canada.

Well, in my mind, the time is come to go without the federal while being involved in process to get money from them. Fredericton will do that why not Moncton ?

[mylesmalley]

Well, in my mind, the time is come to go without the federal while being involved in process to get money from them. Fredericton will do that why not Moncton ?

It would be nice (logical) for the federal government to treat all the regions fairly, thats all. BC gets a billion here and a billion there for a deep-water port, but atlantic canada has to fight tooth-and-nail to get a dime for upgraded highways to our deep-water port. However, Canada's New Government, featuring Stephen Harper and the Alberta Good-Times Band, has repeatedly shown that they dont' give a shit about what happens on the east coast.

This country is hemorrhaging cash, yet we can't get a few million to fix the river, or a few million to build a convention center, or a few million to spur employment growth. I've been opposed to the GST cuts since the start because they've been done for the wrong reasons. The 12 billion dollars this most recent one is going to cost the federal government could have been put to much better use all over the country. 1 billion, spent effectively on job creation in Atlantic Canada could go a long way to ridding us of the Welfare-province label. Sounds like a lot of money, until you realize it's 1/3 of 1% of the federal budget...

I could write an essay about how stupid that tax cut is, but that's another post...

[kwajo]

BC gets a billion here and a billion there for a deep-water port, but atlantic canada has to fight tooth-and-nail to get a dime for upgraded highways to our deep-water port.

Not to nitpick - because you are right after all - but the Maritimes has more than one deep water port. Halifax gets the press, but Saint John has a deep water port as well, we just don't use it for container terminals (although there was a drive toward that a couple decades ago).

I could write an essay about how stupid that tax cut is, but that's another post...

Definitely agree with you on that one. I was actually in favour of NB keeping the tax rate at 14% and taking an extra percent for itself. We could have funded all kinds of good things with that extra money - like your Moncton convention centre for example ;)

[JasonL-Moncton]

Moncton can't go it alone...because if they succeed...the next time they go to the federal government for needed money, the government will just say "why don't you just do it yourself" (even though that's pretty much what they do anyway) ;)

[ErickMontreal]

Dieppe mayor predicts rosy 2008
Achille Maillet says the coming year may be one of the city's best

TOOL HELP
By Aloma Jardine
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Tuesday January 22nd, 2008
Appeared on page A1

Dieppe Mayor Achille Maillet says the future of his city looks bright.

Maillet delivered a state of the city address at the Dieppe Rotary Club's noon luncheon yesterday.

He took the time to highlight some of the successes of the past year, including construction worth $83.8 million, the city's best year yet, and the signing of a tri-community water deal as well as an agreement on a new police funding formula.

Maillet is expecting 2008 to be just as prosperous, maybe even more so.

He says they already know of $52 million worth of non-residential projects set to go ahead in the coming year, including extensive renovations at Champlain Place, an expansion of Canada Post's operations in the city, the next phase of the Fox Creek development, the first phase of the Paul Street reconstruction, and projects in both the uptown and downtown areas.

If all come to fruition, it will be the city's best-ever year for non-residential construction. In 2007, permits worth $33.7 million were issued in the non-residential sector while residential construction accounted for $50.1 million.

Maillet says the city is continuing to move towards its goal of a 60-40 residential/non-residential split in its tax base. He says it is currently 67 per cent residential and 33 per cent non-residential.

The city's debt stands at $88 million including money borrowed to finance the aquatic centre, but Maillet makes no apologies for it.

He says Dieppe's incredible growth -- its population has doubled in the last 15 years and its tax base in the last 10 -- made it necessary to move ahead with building infrastructure for the future.

Maillet points out that more than 17,000 people attended events at the plaza behind city hall last year and that membership at the new library is up 15 per cent over the year before, with the number of loans up from 38,000 to 47,000, an indication of how important these investments were.

Maillet notes that Dieppe is a very young community. The median age of its residents is 35.7 years old, nearly 20 per cent are younger than 15, and the birth rate is through the roof.

He says projects such as the aquatic centre and transforming the old city hall building into a cultural centre are needed to continue to serve the community.

He says the city's strong economic situation made it the perfect time to move ahead with projects.

"We don't want to miss the bus... We're not spending, we are investing some money so we can ensure the future of the City of Dieppe, the quality of life," he says. "What do we do? Do we say no to development? Do we say no to (businesses) who come here and say, 'We want to be in Dieppe'? Do we say no to the 200 houses that were built by not building the infrastructures that were needed? Do we say no to that? Do we go back to the status quo? Or do we say we are going to continue growing?"

Maillet says managing growth brings challenges, and one challenge in Dieppe has been installing the necessary infrastructure and the costs that have come with it, but he says council is committed to reducing the city's debt, electing to borrow only $4.8 million this year and putting off projects like the completion of Dieppe Boulevard in order to keep on track with paying down the debt.

"We made investments that cost money, that added to the debt, but those investments will bring us more and more revenue and taxes so we can diminish and pay that debt," he says.

Maillet says the city's tax rate remains the second-lowest of the province's eight cities.

"Compared to other municipalities we have phenomenal growth," he says. "The status quo is not acceptable. We have to continue to work to continue that growth."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lowe's hardware store coming to Moncton?
Company won't comment but U.S. home improvement giant plans several Cdn. stores in 2008

By Eric Lewis
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Tuesday January 22nd, 2008
Appeared on page A2

Come springtime, Metro Moncton residents may be able to work several new stores into their shopping plans as announcements should be made about exactly what stores will be opening in the new Mapleton Power Centre development on the northeast corner of Mapleton Road and Wheeler Boulevard.

Only one company, The Brick, has announced its intentions to open in the 250,000 square foot development. It will be one of the anchors for the shopping centre.

Patrick Gillespie, president of Ashford Investments Inc. in Moncton, the developer of the power centre, continues to remain quiet about other stores moving into the area, but he says plans will likely be unveiled in spring with formal announcements giving each company "the opportunity to shine in the spotlight".

He says there remain a few vacancies in the project still, but the main anchor stores have all been confirmed.

Ashford Investments recently purchased an additional piece of land adjacent to its current development, however that property is not currently zoned for commercial use.

Gillespie says if he is successful in having the property rezoned, it would make the entire development roughly 350,000 square feet in size. He said if the area is rezoned, there would be room for yet another anchor store as well as several smaller stores, but "I don't know who they would be."

The snow Metro Moncton has been hammered with over the last month has slowed things down at the Mapleton Road development, but some work has been completed. Retaining walls, as well as water, sewer and storm lines have been put in place next to the creek near Mapleton Road.

Meanwhile, there has been some speculation that Lowe's Home Improvement, a mammoth U.S. company in the home building supplies side of retail, might be one of the stores moving into the area.

Gillespie says he heard that Lowe's had been "sniffing around" the region, but couldn't say whether anything had ever come of it. He did confirm that the company wasn't currently involved in his development.

Lowe's recently expanded into Canada with stores opening last month in three Ontario cities: Hamilton, Brampton and Brantford. Stores in Toronto, North Brampton and East Gwillimbury are opening Feb. 1, and a store will open in Maple, Ont. on Feb. 8.

When the company opened its first three Canadian outlets last month, it announced an additional 15 sites in the Canadian pipeline, but a Lowe's representative is mum on the details.

"Until we close on all real estate matters, our policy is not to comment on a specific site," says Maureen A. Rich, a Lowe's public relations officer in Mooresville, North Carolina.

Rich wouldn't confirm whether the company was even considering stores east of Ontario because of the company's strict policy against releasing information prior to closing real estate matters.

"As part of our nationwide expansion, Lowe's is evaluating many potential sites; however, the real estate process can be a long and sometimes complicated one," Rich explained via e-mail. "It's our policy not to comment about specific sites Lowe's may be considering for new stores unless we have closed on all real estate matters. We have not done that in Moncton, New Brunswick."

A follow-up call revealed nothing. Asked if Lowe's was even looking east, Rich was apologetic, but said she simply couldn't say.

The company is expanding at a rapid pace in North America, however, so a store in the Maritimes is possible.

Lowe's currently has more than 1,500 stores open and plans to open 150 to 155 stores in 2008. The company plans to expand into Mexico in 2009. Lowe's averages opening one new store about every three days.

Ben Champoux, economic development officer with the City of Moncton, was intrigued by the idea of a Lowe's moving into Moncton, but says the rumours are news to him.

Champoux says there has been lots of discussion, but no formal plans for other areas of the city.

Areas of focus, or "hot spots" as he called them, in 2008 include the Vaughn Harvey extension between Main Street and the Gunningsville Bridge, as well as Vaughn Harvey between Main Street and the YMCA building, and Main Street east of Vaughn Harvey along the Petitcodiac River.

"Basically the whole downtown area," Champoux says.

Another area ripe for development in 2008 and beyond, he says, is the land between Mapleton Road heading down along Wheeler Boulevard to the Université de Moncton and between Wheeler and the Trans-Canada Highway.

Champoux says it is "another strategic area for us. You should see some movement there in 2008."

He couldn't give any more information than that, other than to say there is some "serious discussion" with developers about creating residential subdivisions in the area between Mapleton Road and the university. Nothing is confirmed, however.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Good news expected for New Brunswick airports
News on additional CBSA coverage, expanding hours for international flights, expected with next few weeks

Rod Allen
Published Tuesday January 22nd, 2008
Appeared on page A4

After almost two years of intense lobbying, it appears as if good news is coming soon for airports in Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton on the issue of customs service.

Rob Robichaud, CEO of Greater Moncton International Airport, has been in constant contact with senior staff from federal Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day's office and yesterday told this newspaper things are looking up for New Brunswick.

"They are optimistic there will be good news for us as an airport group," said Robichaud in his capacity as president of the Atlantic Canadian Airports Association, which represents all small and medium-sized airports in the region.

That includes New Brunswick's three largest airports, all of which need improved service from the Canada Border Services Agency in order to grow their business.

Currently, all three cities have only partial staffing from the CBSA, whose officers are responsible for, among many other things, security and customs service for all international flights arriving in those cities.

The problem is there aren't enough officers to staff weekends and after-midnight arrivals, so any flights coming into airports like GMIA in the off-hours have to be re-routed to Halifax, the only airport in the Maritimes that enjoys free (federally covered) 24-7 CBSA coverage.

Re-routings cost airlines a ton of extra money and, needless to say, are inconvenient for Moncton-bound passengers who have to tack on an extra three-hour bus ride from Halifax to their final destination.

That makes it very difficult for smaller airports to survive.

New Brunswick's airports also have to either pay for the service or pass it on to the airlines which, in turn, increases ticket prices and again makes it hard for New Brunswick to stay in the game.

Now, help is on the way.

According to Robichaud, Day's staff have been hard at work on the file and in fact had hoped to see results in the late fall.

After some unforeseen delays, they now hope to deliver the goods within the next few weeks, before Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduces the federal government in late February or early March.

In itself, the word from GMIA yesterday might not seem much like 'news' given that nothing is likely to happen for several weeks.

However, it is noteworthy that results are in fact being achieved thanks to Ottawa, but also in part to the work of a GMIA-led airports association.

Canadaeast News Service this weekend carried an interview with author Andrea Mandel-Campbell, whose message is that New Brunswick business interests, which presumably include cities and airports, have to stop squabbling among themselves and band together to compete with huge global-scale economies such as China's and India's.

That seems logical, but it depends on how it is interpreted. It should not, for example, mean that all airports should be treated the same by government, nor should it mean that airports must avoid competition any more than should other types of business.

Provincial co-operation serves recent progress with the CBSA file, but a keen competitive spirit from GMIA, together with its central location in the region, have for many years made it the provincial leader for passenger traffic and even a rival to Halifax at the cargo end.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

New hotel could increase tourism in Salisbury

By Nathan Rochford
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT
Published Tuesday January 22nd, 2008
Appeared on page C2

The construction of a proposed $4-million Best Western hotel at the intersection near the Irving Big Stop on route 470 in Salisbury is now under way and is expected to be finished by May.

The land, originally owned by M R Martin Construction after being won in a lawsuit, was sold to a group of local business owners after they approached village council last year.

The 65-room hotel will cover approximately 51,000 square feet. The surrounding area has been developing over the years following the construction of a Tim Hortons and a second gas station.

Being the only hotel between Sussex and Salisbury, the hotel brings new hope for the village's tourism sector, said Councillor Wayne Wagner.

"The hotels in Moncton are being built. They're being filled up. So pretty soon people will be looking to the outlying areas."

He expects the summer months to be particularly busy.

Jim Martin, of M R Construction, said from what he's seen, the hotel's lure is expected to be big. He said one major reason is because as of now Salisbury has no place to put up visiting sports teams. The hotel will ensure that they do.

Aside from necessity, location is another reason why the hotel should do well.

"Because the Irving Big Stop is a destination, this is expected to be a big draw," Martin said.

Construction is being done by Saulnier Management, a Tracadie based company with four other Best Westerns on the go in Atlantic Canada, while site work is being done by M R Martin Construction.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

N.B. projects share millions in research, development funding
Projects range from biodegradable shopping bags to ultra-clean diesel fuel

By Yvon Gauvin
Times & Transcript staff
Published Tuesday January 22nd, 2008
Appeared on page C2

MIRAMICHI - Six New Brunswick research and development projects will share $12.6 million in federal investments under the latest round of Atlantic Innovation Funding.

The total for the Atlantic provinces is $63 million granted to 29 innovative research and development projects, the federal government announced yesterday.

The six projects to receive funding include Al-Pack Enterprises Ltd. of Moncton, Atcon Plywood Inc. of Miramichi and development of dietary products at the Université de Moncton.

The New Brunswick projects were outlined in an announcement in Miramichi yesterday by Greg Thompson, federal minister of Veterans Affairs and Regional Minister for New Brunswick, on behalf of Peter MacKay, minister of National Defence and minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).

"Harnessing an economic advantage from innovation is important for the economic future of New Brunswick," said Thompson. "The Atlantic Innovation Fund is a catalyst for increased trade, investment and productivity and helps Atlantic Canada attract and retain a highly skilled workforce."

The six New Brunswick projects are estimated at $19 million with the project principals expected to raise the $6.4 million balance from private and public sector sources.

The Atcon project, for example, involves development of more efficient and competitive manufacturing processes for plywood. Al-Pack is looking to produce biodegradable bags and food packaging. A third project at the Hydroprocessing Laboratory, University of New Brunswick, is working on production of ultra-clean diesel fuel.

The two remaining projects are Cooke Aquaculture Inc. in Blacks Harbour on a DNA-based traceability system to track individual Atlantic salmon from "farm-to-fork" and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Centre at UNB to develop new MRI methods to analyze petroleum core samples.

AL-PACK Enterprises Ltd. is to develop and commercialize new starch-based, biodegradable materials for use in shopping bags, compost bags and food packaging with the project estimated to cost $2.2 million.

Atcon Plywood Inc. is to adapt new robotic technology to for more efficient and competitive manufacturing processes for plywood. That project is estimated to cost $3.9 million.

The UdeM project involves researching new processes for the production of plant seed oils for the commercial production of biopeptides derived from seafood processing discards. The project is estimated to cost $4.1 million.

All of these projects are over several years.

The fund has been instrumental in raising New Brunswick's capacity for research and development and raising its reputation for innovation, said the communique. ACOA has invested close to $49 million through the fund in the province since 2006 helping conduct world-class research.

The commercial application which is the goal of the fund only adds to the province's economy.

The estimated cost of the 29 projects funded in Atlantic Canada is $126.8 million with the proponents of the projects to come up with $63.8 million from other sources.

The projects approved for funding in Nova Scotia and in Prince Edward Island were announced in Halifax and in Charlottetown yesterday while the projects for Newfoundland and Labrador will be announced today in St. John's.

The next round of the Atlantic Innovation Funding was also announced yesterday with eligible proponents invited to submit letters of intent and project proposals over the next several weeks.

Eligible proponents include private sector businesses, universities, colleges and other research organizations.

[brod3211]

Its good to see money going into research.

[michael_d40]

http://www.microtelinn.com/about/images/microtel_exterior.jpgMicrotel Inns & Suites to Develop Seven New Hotels in Canada


Microtel Inns & Suites, the award-winning chain of all new-construction economy/limited service hotels, today announced the execution of franchise agreements to develop seven new Microtel Inn & Suites hotels in Canada: two in Ontario including London and Woodstock; and five in Atlantic Canada including St. John and Moncton, New Brunswick, and Halifax, Dartmouth and Sydney, Nova Scotia.

The two Microtel hotels in Ontario are scheduled to break ground in March 2008 and open next fall. The Atlantic Canada properties are all anticipated to break ground in 2008.

“Microtel will add a new dimension of quality economy lodging to two fast growing regions of North America,” said Roy E. Flora, Chief Operating Officer of Atlanta-based US Franchise Systems, Inc., parent company of the franchisor of the Microtel brand. “We are excited to expand the Microtel concept in Canada and look forward to further development.” Microtel’s first hotel in Canada opened in 2006 in Parry Sound, Ontario.

Microtel hotels feature single, double and suite accommodations. Amenities include free wireless high speed Internet (WIFI) access in all guestrooms; free local calls and phones with data port and voice mail; cable television with over 30 channels, and complimentary daily continental breakfast, and on-site meeting room. All hotels offer the brand’s stylish new bedding known as Dream Well™ with a plush pillow-top queen-sized mattress or topper and fitted bed skirt, crisp 200-thread count white piped linens with triple sheeting, down-like blanket, decorative top sheet, bed scarf and pillows.

For the sixth consecutive year, Microtel has been ranked highest in overall guest satisfaction among economy/limited service hotel chains in the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index StudySM. Microtel is the only economy brand in the hotel industry to have
received this recognition six successive times. In addition, according to Lodging Econometrics of Portsmouth, NH – the industry authority for hotel real estate research – Microtel continues to be the top hotel brand for number of projects and rooms in the economy segment, with more than half of all new-construction in the development pipeline in the U.S.

There are currently 316 Microtel hotels open and under construction worldwide. Microtel hotels are located in 45 states in the U.S. and in international locations including Argentina, Canada, Mexico and The Philippines. The brand continues to aggressively develop and over the next six months, plans to open an additional 20 hotels and break ground on an additional 30 hotels.

Microtel is a sponsor of The Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality (SATH) and is known as the preferred hotel chain for travelers with disabilities. The chain is committed to providing this rapidly growing market segments with quality, accessible hotel accommodations, and with a service culture prepared to make their stay an enjoyable experience.


This was posted back on page 45.
Keep up eh,

[ErickMontreal]

Its good to see money going into research.

Yeah, this is the way to acheive real and sustainable economic devlopement.

[ErickMontreal]

Moncton can't go it alone...because if they succeed...the next time they go to the federal government for needed money, the government will just say "why don't you just do it yourself" (even though that's pretty much what they do anyway) ;)

Both Myles and you have great arguments and at the end of the day you`re likely right. However, Moncton talks about that since 2001, I just said, go ahead with or without them and just throw away that unsustainable conservative rethoric.

[ErickMontreal]

More money to upgrade Centennial Park

January 22, 2008 - 12:57 pm
By: Darrell Quann - News 91.9 Staff

MONCTON, NB - The group behind the Atlantic Nationals Car Show will be investing more money into Centennial Park.

The group will invest $75,000 dollars toward the $200,000 dollars in this year's budget for upgrading the park's playground.

Meanwhile, the event's chairman Bill Doherty has unveiled details about this year's Atlantic Nationals extravaganza.

Doherty said this year's celebrity guest will be the host of the show "Overhaulin" on TLC, Chip Foose.

Also, a feature report on the Atlantic Nationals will air on the Speed Channel series "My Classic Car" on April 20th.

[mmmatt]

Lots of great news today! Lowes would be nice, but its just a rumour. That CBSA issue is incredibly foolish...I hope the feds are smart enough to fix that soon, looks that way so thats good news for sure, all 3 main NB airports are growing and this would only serve to accelerate that growth. :)

Good to hear Centennial Park is getting more money, that park is seeing a fairly good overhaul in the last couple years:

- new basketball court
- artificial turf installed on Rcky Stone Field
- new canteen
- splash park (also sponsored by Atlantic Nationals)
- TreeGo adventure park
- and now another expansion to the playground

Cool news about Chip Foose coming to the show, hes a great car designer.

[Helladog]

Lowe's hardware store coming to Moncton?
Company won't comment but U.S. home improvement giant plans several Cdn. stores in 2008

I thought they were going to buy Kent Building Supplies...that would be many stores and an established market East...

[mmmatt]

I thought they were going to buy Kent Building Supplies...that would be many stores and an established market East...

I never heard that...if that was the case I have a feeling there would be no Lowes in Moncton unless they wanted to compete with themselves from across the street :P

[mmmatt]

Well the news has broken that the Quebec gaming company which was proposing the racino in SJ dropped thier proposal out of the NB casino race...which means that Moncton is currently the only city in NB with a proposal, and 2 at that...for the time being that is, as I imagine there will be many more players show up in the coming months in SJ and Moncton, who knows whats gonna happen.

[ErickMontreal]

Well the news has broken that the Quebec gaming company which was proposing the racino in SJ dropped thier proposal out of the NB casino race...which means that Moncton is currently the only city in NB with a proposal, and 2 at that...for the time being that is, as I imagine there will be many more players show up in the coming months in SJ and Moncton, who knows whats gonna happen.

I keep my fingers crossing for Downtown.

Convention Center/Casino/hotel/Aquatic Center/Imax/Restaurants/retails ect..