The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

Interesting Budyser................it would be nice if the redevelopment included the whole "triangle" of land there. I don't think too many people would miss that Deluxe restaurant (we have two other ones in the city I think) and we could probably reduce the collective serum cholesterol level in the city by a couple of mM/dl. in the process :haha:

[Steelcowboy]

Hello everyone, i've been reading this forum for the past week and its very interesting to read about projects in the area.

I've moved here from London in October 2008. I work for the CNR (Laid-off the second I arrived at the airport...they tried to keep training me in different fields but the budget ran out and CN wanted to concentrate on training their own managers as engineers for the lockout).

Since this is now my city as well, i'd like to see neat things being built. Although I haven't had much $$ to go around and see Moncton's highlights, I am excited to see the Casino and Stade Moncton open. I'm not a gambler or anything but i've seen my home town of Windsor really boom when the Casino was built, now its owned by Caesars and the entertainment that goes there is amazing. I also read about the possibility of a new arena/convention center to be built in the downtown core. The JLC is a good model for Moncton to go after. Building a place like that here that can seat up to 10,000 I think is a very wise decision. If this city is growing like stats are showing, who knows what will be in store for the new venue.

Since I work for the railroad and obviously encourage train travel. I'd like to see train service to Saint John again. There are many communites so close to each other in the Saint John - Fredericton - Bathurst - Halifax circle around Moncton, that could probably justify an improvement to train service around here. The tracks are under utilized. There's only 2 trains a day in the Saint John corridor, 6 trains a day (including VIA) on the Halifax/Dartmouth corridor, 4 trains on the Edmundston corridor and 4 on the Bathurst/Miramichi corridor.

The IRSI shops here in Moncton is refurbishing 8 RDC (RAIL DIESEL CARS) for VIA in use in Southern and Northern Ontario as well as on Vancouver Island. With so many of these RDC's on hand here in Moncton, it would be nice to see the NB government and local communities put pressure on VIA to pick up 2-4 more for use just in NB. Just think about the Saint John run... Saint John, Rothesay, Sussex, Petitcodiac and Moncton. Await for the connecting train from Montreal to Halifax and then return to Saint John with those same stops possible twice a day...once in the morning and late afternoon to connect with the afternoon VIA train from Halifax to Montreal.

If there's improvements to travel between cities it'll also help vitalize each community, especially Moncton's!!!:)

[mylesmalley]

Glad to have you on board, Steelcowboy!

There are quite a few rail enthusiasts in these forums, including myself. Moncton has a long railroad history, but unfortunately for a long time they've fallen out of favour towards greater trucking interests. However with population growth in all of the region's major cities, and huge investment in infrastructure and ports across the Maritimes, hopefully we'll see a resurgence in train use.

As for construction in the city. Certainly the two most visible recent developments are the stadium and casino, but don't overlook the huge investment in retail, residential, commercial and industrial construction that's happening all over the city. We may not be Toronto or London, but we're holding our own!

[MonctonRad]

Yes, welcome SteelCowboy.

You can count me amongst the ranks of rail enthusiasts as well, my father worked for CNR :)

I agree with you on all counts re: rail transportation. All existing rail right-of-ways should be preserved for posterity. Sooner or later (sooner I think) they will have to reactivated in order to support intercity freight and passenger traffic. The era of long haul trucking won't last longer than another 20 years IMO.

Local passenger rail service within the Maritimes should be re-established. A rail liner to Saint John from Moncton would seem a obvious choice. In addition, commuter rail would be viable in the Halifax metro area now, using existing right-of ways.

Commuter rail possibly also could be viable (at some point) within southeastern NB, along a corridor extending from Amherst thru Sackville, Memramcook, Moncton, Salisbury and Petitcodiac as well. I don't mean now, but all bets would be off once gas is $3-4 per litre.

I look forward to hearing more of your opinions!

[Steelcowboy]

I will agree that Moncton isn't a London or Toronto, but having come from London, this city is set up a million times better. The NIMBY attitude in London has made it so it does NOT have a ring road and now if you live in the north end of the city it can take up 20-30 minutes to get to the highways 401 or 402. I went from east end to the west end to meet someone that was coming from Chatham (45 minutes away). he beat me to our meeting point, it took me nearly an hour to get there.

When I was training as a yardmaster last year I had heard that all the trucking companies in this area (ARMOUR, MIDLAND, MARITIME ONTARIO and Sunbury) had met with CN and had tried to encourage CN to put the 2nd train back on as they will utilize the rail as much as possible. The one and only intermodal train that runs into and out of this region is a mammoth sized train. Lately on average of 12,000ft and usually around 160 cars of containers from all those trucking companies plus other marine containers for Saint John (TROPICAL). With the double stacking capabiliy of todays trains, its not uncommon to see 300 plus containers on these trains. Everyday between 6-700 containers pass through Moncton. These 2 trains each pick up or drop off 4000-5000 ft of traffic from Moncton and in many cases have to leave traffic behind until the next day in both Halifax and Moncton.

For CN, Moncton is still a major hub city as the traffic diverts in all directions from Moncton (Saint John, Halifax, Edmundston and Campbellton/Bathurst/Miramichi).

I consider Moncton a small city with big city dealings. Its exciting to read about all these projects and up and coming events. I'd really love to see Moncton get a CFL team. Bring more people from the west to the east and everywhere in the region will flourish in the long run.

I had heard 2 days ago that Transport Canada is only placing those special screening devices in Halifax's Stanfield's Airport and Moncton isn't getting one. I hope enough pressure is put back onto TC to see that Moncton truly needs one as well. I don't know if the other Airports in NB (Freddy and SJ) have daily flights to the USA or not.

[mylesmalley]

Fredericton had a flight to Boston (which they paid handsomely to get), but my understanding is that it was cancelled. Moncton currently has a daily flight to, and from Newark, plus charter flights at various times of the year to other destinations in the US. The airport is apparently working hard to get a second daily flight to Newark. Saint John only has domestic air service as far as I know.

The fact that Moncton isn't getting the same equipment as Halifax isn't at all surprising. Granted that Halifax gets roughly 5 times the passenger traffic (though roughly equal air freight), it makes sense that Transport Canada would give them more attention than to smaller airports. That said, if that number disparity was smaller, I still suspect this would be the case. The federal government to an extent, and Transport Canada in particular seem to be of the opinion that all roads in Atlantic Canada lead to Halifax. It has been a huge fight in the past few years to get 24 hour customs coverage. I think we're up to 16 horus a day at the moment, but larger flights and those after those 16 hours still require the airport to bring in extra people to handle the burden.

[mylesmalley]

As for our ring road... It's more of a C, but the point is well taken. Moncton's biggest problem in terms of planning is waiting for a problem to get serious before working to fix it.

I truly believe that Mapleton Road would be far more built up today if the road had been widened 5 years ago. I think a lot of developers were turned off by the thought of spending millions of dollars to develop land that was only accessible by a 2 lane country road.

[Dmajackson]

As for our ring road... It's more of a C, but the point is well taken. Moncton's biggest problem in terms of planning is waiting for a problem to get serious before working to fix it.

I truly believe that Mapleton Road would be far more built up today if the road had been widened 5 years ago. I think a lot of developers were turned off by the thought of spending millions of dollars to develop land that was only accessible by a 2 lane country road.

Same here in Hali (well in Dartmouth at least). Heck even our harbour's a "C" shape.

In Halifax you don't have to wait for a problem to get serious to fix it. Anything to do with infastructure is already serious down here. :haha:

[mylesmalley]

The grass is always greener on the other side :haha:

[Steelcowboy]

Well at least Moncton has the space to build up. I wonder what other stores are going into that Mapleton power center besides Best Buy and The Brick (which I read from an earlier post). Oh and by the way, there is at least one Brick in NB..its in Bathurst, on the main drag attached to a mall. What i'd like to see is another TD Canada Trust built on this end (North western end) I live by the NBCC on Mountain rd. Its a pain in the ass when the only 3 branches are in Dieppe, Riverview and downtown Moncton. This part of town is getting built up pretty nicely...seems like all it missing is my bank :P

[JasonL-Moncton]

Well at least Moncton has the space to build up. I wonder what other stores are going into that Mapleton power center besides Best Buy and The Brick (which I read from an earlier post). Oh and by the way, there is at least one Brick in NB..its in Bathurst, on the main drag attached to a mall. What i'd like to see is another TD Canada Trust built on this end (North western end) I live by the NBCC on Mountain rd. Its a pain in the ass when the only 3 branches are in Dieppe, Riverview and downtown Moncton. This part of town is getting built up pretty nicely...seems like all it missing is my bank :P

There is a TD bank machine beside the NBLC and Fairlanes bowling on Mountain Road...not a full bank but at least you can avoid service charges when taking out money.

JL

[David_99]

Apparently this lot is now sold which is why the house needed to go to make room for an upcoming apartment complex. This information comes from former tenants of this house, which is not confirmed, but reliable.

I have no information on the other 4 houses on the left. Supposedly it may also be sold but not certain.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/blacquiere/Moncton/deluxe.jpg

Let's hope so. They can build as nice of an apartment complex as they want, but who would want to live between a railroad and "crack house" looking places? I'm glad areas like this are being targeted for renos. It'll be easier to beautify St. George with upgrades to these little side-street housing strips.

Now if only they could do the same with Lester...

[JasonL-Moncton]

I just heard a blurb on News 91.9 about an expansion to the Kent Hills Wind Farm on Caledonia Mountain. 54mW addition to bring a total of 150 mW!

100 Million dollar expansion! (25 year agreement with Trans Alta)

JL

[David_99]

I read at the end of 08 that the NB Government planned to have 10% of New Brunswick's total energy to be supplied by Wind Power by 2010. Any stats to say if those numbers are plausible?

[mylesmalley]

According to Wikipedia, NB Power currently has generating capacity of 3,297 MW as of 2008.

The 150 MW at Kent, plus the 100 or so up North would put us at around 7-8 percent wind power.

That's assuming that another project isn't announced, which I'd say seems possible, seeing as how these two sites have both been completely privately built.

[gehrhardt]

According to Wikipedia, NB Power currently has generating capacity of 3,297 MW as of 2008.

The 150 MW at Kent, plus the 100 or so up North would put us at around 7-8 percent wind power.

That's assuming that another project isn't announced, which I'd say seems possible, seeing as how these two sites have both been completely privately built.

It'll never happen because Hydro Quebec will own it all. :) Wait, no more discussion on that one!!! :haha:

[MonctonRad]

It'll never happen because Hydro Quebec will own it all. :) Wait, no more discussion on that one!!! :haha:

With the expansion just announced, Kent Hills will have:
- 50 turbines
- generating capacity of more than 150 MW
- power enough for over 26,000 homes

That should be enough to supply the residential requirements for Moncton and Riverview.........maybe we should unplug from the grid and then we wouldn't have to worry about Hydro Quebec. :tup:

We'll let Dieppe fend for themselves (just kidding) :D

[David_99]

We'll let Dieppe fend for themselves (just kidding) :D

We can charge 10% more for energy for non-Moncton/Riverview residents.

[BlackYear]

We can charge 10% more for energy for non-Moncton/Riverview residents.

:lmao:

[kwajo]

We can charge 10% more for energy for non-Moncton/Riverview residents.
Except Saint John Energy will still manage to have lower rates than you still ;)






(sorry, couldn't help myself ha)

[pierremoncton]

I hope that such a map doesn't already exist and that I didn't waste my time -- here are all of the heritage buildings in Moncton: http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=46.08914455549602~-64.77737116885276&lvl=15&sty=h&cid=2A61440572F6D1E1!118

I made this after seeing that the building by Deluxe has been demolished, wondering if the other "crack houses" nearby could meet the same fate (and they could).

Data from: http://www.moncton.ca/Assets/Residents+English/By-Laws/Z-1102+-+Heritage+By-law.pdf

Most buildings aren't lined up properly, but I fixed a few that I knew. The coordinates could be properly set using SNB's new geomap service given the time and interest.

[MonctonRad]

Nice map pierre, that's a lot of heritage properties! It's a good thing we don't have a group as radical as the "heritage trust" here in Moncton, we'd never see a new building built in the downtown core again! :yes:

[mylesmalley]

I'm all in favour of protecting heritage structures, but not if it protects ramshackle or dilapidated buildings that should be knocked down and replaced with something newer and of higher quality.

[josh_cat_eyes]

A bit off topic here but I have done up a plan proposal for a new arena to be built at highfield square.

The new Highfield Square will consist of everything downtown Moncton needs. It will be Highlighted by the Sobeys Garden at Highfield Square 2 office buildings will be completely redone, one remaining an office building, the other becoming a hotel. The retail footprint within the mall with become substantially smaller as will the area of The Bay. The mall itself will become 2 stories though. The green lines are hallways or entrances, the upper hallways on the second floor will be on the sides, similar to the Halifax Shopping Centre. There will be an Empire Theatres IMAX built aswell.

Everthing is labeled on my map below except the little gray box with the line coming from it south of the hotel. That would be the underground entrance. It would have the loading docks for all of the retail space, and it will also be the "back entrance" of the arena. Also I have added a piece onto the train station for a new bus depot. These are all just vague representations on my map as well. I have included the logos I made too (I am an amateur logo designer and photographer...checkout Iris Design on facebook for my portfolio)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c337/josh_cat_eyes/HighfieldSquare.png
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c337/josh_cat_eyes/Sobeys.png
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c337/josh_cat_eyes/Picture4-1.png

[mylesmalley]

Nice job, Josh!

Seeing it that way almost makes me wonder if we could do something like Union Station or the Gare Centrale in Montreal. Leave the tracks where they are, build a train/bus station on main street at the corner made by the subway and Main, with a level of retail above. Knock down the mall and replace it with the arena, with a parking garage in behind where the current station is.

Practical? No. But I like the thought of having trains go through a building. :D

[MonctonRad]

A bit off topic here but I have done up a plan proposal for a new arena to be built at highfield square.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c337/josh_cat_eyes/Picture4-1.png

Not off topic at all! This is after all a Moncton development forum. :)

I have been torn for some time as to where the downtown arena should be built. The two main candidate locations are behind Assumption Place or at Highfield Square.

I honestly think that the new arena would have more impact in the centre of the downtown core behind Assumption but I do think that
Highfield is more practical, especially in terms of vehicular access and parking and therefore is likely the preferred site.

This would be a major project, but incorporates all of the features that I think are necessary to make this a focal point for the city and therefore a success.

We have discussed in the forum here before the possibility of locating a parkade on the south side of the railway tracks, connected to the new arena by a pedway. This seems like a good idea. Integrated retail in the development is a must. A downtown IMAX is an excellent idea, although I don't think the square footage of the Bay department store should be touched. The idea of converting one of the Terminal Plaza towers to a hotel is intriguing and I think has merit.

A redesigned downtown bus terminal should definitely be part of the project and should be weather protected and integral to the overall design of the structure. I like the idea of integrating the railway station in some way as well.

Good job Josh :tup:

[JasonL-Moncton]

I'd love to see a station like they have in Montreal, where the trains come through the building below, and you rise up via stairs to a retail/ticket level that contains a Main St., street level enclosed bus 'central station' (trains below, buses at ground). Attach that to an arena, retail center, theater, hotel, luxury condo complex and this would be a bustle of activity downtown.

I believe that would be a major catalyst in our downtown core.

JL

[JHikka]

I approve of the Arena @ Highfield idea.

[mylesmalley]

I'd still sooner see it behind Assumption Place, but if it were to go downtown, I'm thinking it pretty well has to go at Highfield.

[acrew79]

Not off topic at all! This is after all a Moncton development forum. :)

I have been torn for some time as to where the downtown arena should be built. The two main candidate locations are behind Assumption Place or at Highfield Square.

I honestly think that the new arena would have more impact in the centre of the downtown core behind Assumption but I do think that
Highfield is more practical, especially in terms of vehicular access and parking and therefore is likely the preferred site.

This would be a major project but incorporates all of the features I think is necessary to make this a focal point for the city and therefore a success.

We have discussed in the forum here before the possibility of locating a parkade on the south side of the railway tracks, connected to the new arena by a pedway. This seems like a good idea. Integrated retail in the development is a must. A downtown IMAX is an excellent idea, although I don't think the square footage of the Bay department store should be touched. The idea of converting one of the Terminal Plaza towers to a hotel is intriguing and I think has merit.

A redesigned downtown bus terminal should definitely be part of the project and should be weather protected and integral to the overall design of the structure. I like the idea of integrating the railway station in some way as well.

Good job Josh :tup:



Hi Find it hillarious .. how .. we have come full circle.. even Construction and retail does the same as Clothes and Fashion..

Downtown moncton used to have "high end" retail at its core.. we used to have not 1 but 2 movie theatres downtown.. then in the 80-90s.. S&%t hit the fan.. bad decisions were made ( maybe they were good at the time) .. and boom we lost our downtown..

now .. 30 yrs after the fact.. we are looking at trying to get downtown revitalized.. as well.. as bring a movie theatre back..

i just find it kind of ironic.

i wonder what we are changing today.. that will get changed back in 2040?

[David_99]

i wonder what we are changing today.. that will get changed back in 2040?

"That damn Petitcodiac keeps overflowing into the city every spring! If only there were some way to block it..."

[Jerry556]

i cant see how they could fit the metro center in the back of assumption, is there really enough space?? am not even talking about parking, just the arena?

[David_99]

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/5586/monctonarena.jpg

Not going to happen but this would be my choice. Oulton's might even be able to still fit. The only major hurdle, of course, is that damn Roger's.

It's right downtown, not far from Main, 5 or 6 streets to exit, including those to Riverview and Dieppe, ample room for parking/parking garages, gets rid of some of the crap and empty lots down there. With the Creek empty, there's only a couple houses left and a run down bar. Colpitts would have to move, but there's plenty of empty lots along Main if they didn't want to move far. It would also add a lot to the city visually from the Riverview side. Of course, plenty of room to add a nice hotel, retail, bars etc. Even a nice plaza with an outdoor rink in the winter. It's also nice and close to the new Justice building and Park.

I know there maybe concerns being too close to the unstable clay underground, though if it helps, I'd leave the parking closest to the river. If it still had to be moved further from the bank, we could always incorporate the farmer's market into the building.

[MonctonRad]

Moncton in 2040:

"That damn Petitcodiac keeps overflowing into the city every spring! If only there were some way to block it..."

Yup, I can see that happening.........especially with global warming and sea level rise. In 30-40 years, we may be begging the feds for funding to build a barrage of some kind downstream in order to save the downtown of the city from being submerged.

It would be the causeway redux........Maybe we could use this to justify the "third crossing" from St. Anselme to Bridgedale.

[riverviewer]

I prefer the Highfield location. It's much easier to redirect the Wheeler traffic to the Coliseum up Millennium Blvd, onto Vaughn Harvey and straight into the new Arena parking than trying to get the out-of-towner's to navigate around and under the tracks.

I really like the parkade idea as it doubles as indoor office parking for Heritage Court. I pity the poor workers who have to slug across the tundra to find their cars in a storm.

As for Assumption, better face it, Roger is in a new building and is not going to move without a hefty cost.

[riverviewer]

Moncton in 2040:



Yup, I can see that happening.........especially with global warming and sea level rise. In 30-40 years, we may be begging the feds for funding to build a barrage of some kind downstream in order to save the downtown of the city from being submerged.

It would be the causeway redux........Maybe we could use this to justify the "third crossing" from St. Anselme to Bridgedale.


Are you expecting inches or feet of water in your doomsday scenario?

We'd have to build a pretty high wall to protect those gamblers building homes in the Dieppe marsh.

[MonctonRad]

Are you expecting inches or feet of water in your doomsday scenario?

We'd have to build a pretty high wall to protect those gamblers building homes in the Dieppe marsh.

By 2040, probably no more than 4-6 inches but even that might make a difference with the highest high tides and with storm surges.

All it would take is a couple of catastrophic floods to get people thinking about the future.........a few inches of water on the floor at Champlain Place during a hurricane fed storm surge might change peoples minds about a "free flowing" Petitcodiac River.

There is a barrage on the Thames to protect London, England. I can envision the same at some point on the lower Petitcodiac............just think, you would get a nifty lake in front of downtown Moncton and a fixed crossing between Dieppe and Riverview at the same time!

This wouldn't be a popular option now, but people may feel differently in 30-50 years time. I won't see it, but some of you young whipper-snappers might. :yes:

[riverviewer]

just think, you would get a nifty lake in front of downtown Moncton and a fixed crossing between Dieppe and Riverview at the same time!

I wonder: if the current Petitcodiac Lake was part of Moncton's downtown, would there now be less call for a removal of the causeway? Everybody loves waterfront. The unsightly silt-up would have only been visible in Hillsborough and Memramcook if it had been built further downstream.

I do hope the causeway removal helps to beautify the city with some clearing of the mud, but I fear that it will not have the results that many hope for.

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

Absolutely!.......................if the causeway had originally been built 10 km downstream, nobody (but a few environmentalists) would be petitioning for it's removal.

[riverviewer]

:( Except we need the tide to come up as far as downtown to flush our toilets at Outhouse Point. :yuck:

[MonctonRad]

Editorial from today's T&T

Dieppe must not shut out the world
Published Wednesday January 13th, 2010

Bravo to the majority of the City of Dieppe councillors for rejecting a proposed ban of out-of-town groups from soliciting or canvassing the public at city buildings and events. Their decision -- and only two councillors voted for the proposal -- demonstrates a positive vision and wisdom that affirms Dieppe is an open and welcoming place, an integral part of, and participant in, the life of Metro Moncton and New Brunswick.

A ban would have sent out all the wrong messages to the wider community, including the businesses looking for progressive, forward-looking, inclusive and welcoming places to invest.

We are concerned that lately the City of Dieppe has been showing some isolationist tendencies that are not ultimately in its best interest. Its French language sign law for example goes beyond being inclusive, by requiring bilingual signs, to being exclusive, by allowing French-only signs. And at its Aquatic Centre, a 10 per cent higher membership fee is charged to non-residents. The tacit message is that outsiders are not welcome.

Working to establish its own identity is one thing; but it ought to be done in such a way that it does not result in building a magnificent castle surrounded by an impenetrable moat. The richness and vibrancy of any community requires an openness to, and interaction with, others. Isolationism is the wrong path to travel to ensure a brighter future.

Personal note: I agree with this editorial opinion completely. Dieppe needs to avoid dangerous and narrow minded parochialism. Dieppe is an integral part of the greater Moncton area community and should behave as such.......

[Jerry556]

this just proves my point about what i said last week, Dieppe needs to get there heads out of the clouds(there starting to be a bit snoby) Again am french and i live in Moncton. Am not shur if they are trying to be in a higher class then everybody am just sick and tired of them!!!

[ErickMontreal]

this just proves my point about what i said last week, Dieppe needs to get there heads out of the clouds(there starting to be a bit snoby) Again am french and i live in Moncton. Am not shur if they are trying to be in a higher class then everybody am just sick and tired of them!!!

:haha:

[Steelcowboy]

I totally agree with this...my dentist is from Dieppe and they all feel strongly about their Acadian culture and are proud of it...they are ashamed of these new "French only by-laws" and were perfectly content with the bi lingual nature. They were blaming radicals from northern NB who have been strongly influenced by the Quebecers and not by their culture. Similiar to what Jerry was saying. I'm fairly new here and I think its neat that there is a french culture here "Acadian", its far different from the Quebec attitude. I'm glad to see majority are waking up! :) way to go Dieppe!

[ErickMontreal]

Myles is right, this is going nowhere therefore I am delating my post.

[mylesmalley]

I don't think I like where this is going.

Let's be civil, guys. There are always going to be people who support extreme sides in issues. Thankfully in the end, the moderates tend to win out.

[pierremoncton]

To post or not to post?

I haven't read Erick's original post, but I'll attempt to add to this subconversation carefully, without inflammation.

Some background: I'm a Moncton-born francophone. I currently live in Moncton and work in Dieppe. I enjoy my mother tongue and I'd selfishly like to see more (proper) French displayed in the region.

Opinion: Dieppe reminds of an adolescent. It seems to be trying to prove and protect itself against its neighbour while going through some growing pains, which is perfectly fine, and I understand the goals or reasons of certain decisions (or maybe not), but I definitely object to its exclusive behaviour in a societal context -- this is a city, not a person, and irresponsibility and childishness for such an entity are, it seems, unacceptable.

Given my (admittedly limited) understanding of constitutional rights, I expect the sign bylaw to be struck down as soon as it's challenged (so I hope). And I think that the city may expect this as well -- but they may think that regardless of whether or not the law persists, it will have brought real exposure to the language issue which will have lasting effects. In the best scenario, they'll get more French-languages signs without forcing hands and without any bitterness.

If exclusion is not their goal, I agree with the assessment that they ought to be careful with their (from some perspectives) arrogant displays. But if Dieppe is exclusive on purpose, they'll manage to get their way with or without laws supporting their decisions. If that's what they want, let them have it.

Although I may be one of the only few people crazy enough to refuse to move to a city based on just a few decisions, I am proof that some people will react: I've been casually looking for a house for the past couple of years, and whenever I see something of interest in Dieppe, I have my conscience telling me to not pursue a move there, the greatest reason being those exclusive decisions: the sign bylaw and the extra out-of-towner pool fee. To a lesser extent, I don't trust them to balance a budget.

I definitely have some personal interests in moving to Dieppe, but I'm very hesitant to do so because of their "culture". Inversely, I'm sure that many fervent francophones will rush to move there. Maybe that's what they want. Let them reap what they sow -- good and bad. Good for them (grudgingly).

Though incomplete, this has to be my only post on this topic.

Let's talk about the courthouse. Someone mentioned on the T&T article yesterday that the windows look tiny. I concur.

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

Good post pierre.

I agree with most of what you say.

I guess metro Moncton is large enough and diverse enough to accomodate almost anyone....

In general:
- the most fervent francophones can choose to live in Dieppe
- the most fearful anglophones can live in Riverview.
- those individuals who are more broad minded and/or feel less threatened can live in Moncton.

Ne'er the twain shall meet. Municipal amalgamation will never occur.

My main issue with Dieppe is that some of the decisions they are making could be interpreted (by some) as promoting exclusivity and being unwelcoming to anglophones. This could drive investment dollars away and could hurt the whole metropolitan economy. They should be careful.

Now on to other things...........

I agree that the courthouse windows are awfully small. :)

[mylesmalley]

I don't like their lack of symmetry. Other than that, I have no complaints about the courthouse so far.



I'll address pierre and erick's posts when i have a few minutes to consult the Charter and Constitution Act of 1984 :haha:

[mylesmalley]

Thought this was a neat idea from the Canada section. Which streets would you guys pick for a Moncton Monopoly?


▇ - Royal Oaks
▇ - Kingswood

▇ - Main
▇ - Champlain
▇ - Ammon/Front Mountain

▇ - Gordon
▇ - St George
▇ - Dieppe

▇ - Mountain
▇ - University
▇ - Evergreen

▇ - Mount Royal
▇ - Coverdale
▇ - Assumption

▇ - Pine Glen
▇ - Gauvin
▇ - Amirault

▇ - Elmwood
▇ - Edinburgh
▇ - McClaughlan

▇ - Westbrook Circle
▇ - Lester

Throw in the Reservoir and Coliseum in place of the Water Works and Electric Company

Replace the four railroads with: Via Station, Bus Terminal, Cloverleaf, and Hump Yard.


What would you guys pick?

[MonctonRad]

I've already voted for Moncton on the Canada Monopoly site, everyone should. :tup:

[benvui]

They announced this morning that the skating rink at city hall is ready to go, so mark that one of the wish list.

[JasonL-Moncton]

They announced this morning that the skating rink at city hall is ready to go, so mark that one of the wish list.

It's great that they are doing this...but I wish there was a 'permanent' venue downtown like I suggested the other day.

Something that could be used both in the winter as a skating rink, or summer for rollerblading.

JL

[Sony500]

:previous: Block off the Petitcodiac River by Dieppe, fill it with concrete. flood it in the winter for skating, and drain it for activities in the summer :banana:

[Steelcowboy]

going back to that Monopoly, the 4 RR's should be, CN RR, ICR, NTR and VIA Rail,

CN is Canadian National of course
ICR is INTERCOLONIAL RR, Moncton through Campbellton,
NTR is National Transportation Railway, Moncton to Edmundston
Via Rail is well, always late :)

[josh_cat_eyes]

Thought this was a neat idea from the Canada section. Which streets would you guys pick for a Moncton Monopoly?


▇ - Royal Oaks

▇ - Champlain

▇ - St George

▇ - Mountain

▇ - Assumption

▇ - Pine Glen

▇ - Elmwood

▇ - Westbrook Circle

Throw in the Reservoir and Coliseum in place of the Water Works and Electric Company

Replace the four railroads with: Via Station, Bus Terminal, Cloverleaf, and Hump Yard.


What would you guys pick?
I'd say Centennial Park, The Coliseum, Casino Moncton, and Assumption Place to replace the railways and NB Power (Electric Company) and Quebec Hydro (Water Works)...actually bad idea, Peticodiac River for water works and Magnetic Hill for the Electric Company.

Also I don't know what could be done about going to jail, seeing as how its way out in Shediac now! Maybe you could miss 2 turns.

[Dmajackson]

I've already voted for Moncton on the Canada Monopoly site, everyone should. :tup:

I caved into my Maritimer friendliness gene and voted for Moncton (I'm alternating btw Moncton and Charr'town for the third vote). the 'Fax and Quebec have my fulltime support. :)

[MonctonRad]

Casino Construction
from the Moncton T&T

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=433392&size=0x600

This large cupola was lifted to the roof of the 128-room hotel section of the Casino New Brunswick this week. The $90-million project at Mountain Road and the Trans-Canada Highway is expected to open in a few months and will feature a casino with 600 slot machines, 20 tables, eight poker tables, a high-limit room, food and beverage facilities; a 128-room hotel; and the Palladium, a multi-purpose entertainment venue/convention facility

Still no word on branding of the hotel or the nature and names of any restaurants in the development........

[MonctonRad]

Pics of the new outdoor skating rink on the plaza at City Hall
Courtesy of the Moncton T&T

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=433913&size=800x0

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=433914&size=800x0

I like the nighttime shot the best......It's neat that they left the Christmas lights up on the trees, it makes for a very nice overall effect. :tup:

[Steelcowboy]

The rink looks very beautiful and peaceful at night :) we love driving by it.

[mylesmalley]

It looks pretty sharp in those photos. I just wish there was another building next to city hall along Botsford to close in the 'plaza' so we'd have a proper square :haha:

[JasonL-Moncton]

It would look awesome if this was in front of a large building like assumption like it is in Rockafeller Center.

http://wirednewyork.com/images/manhattan/rockefeller_center/rockefeller_center_xmas_tree.jpg

[MonctonRad]

I was at Champlain Place today and noted that they are doing renovations at the old Buck or Two and Nutrition House locations.

It appears that Jacob is moving into Buck or Two (yet another women's clothing store). :(

I'm not sure what's going on at the old Nutrition House location.

[MonctonRad]

Building permits set record in 2009
Published Tuesday January 19th, 2010

Big projects like the courthouse and casino drove industry last year
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

Moncton set a new record year for building activity in 2009, with a total of 1,151 permits issued worth a record $217.7 million, the City of Moncton reported yesterday.

The year-end total represents a 43 per cent increase in value as compared to the previous high set in 2006. The City of Moncton issued a total value of $151.9 million in building permits that year.

"I'm very pleased to report 2009 was a record year for building activity in Moncton," Mayor George LeBlanc said in a news release. "It's remarkable that the value of construction in our City hit an all-time high despite the state of the global economy and a recessionary environment. The consumer confidence in the Moncton economy is remarkable -- the value of building permits was up across all categories -- residential, government and commercial construction."

Kevin Silliker, business development officer for the City of Moncton, said there were many factors that drove the numbers in 2009. Big projects included the new courthouse in downtown Moncton, the casino on Mountain Road, the new stadium at l'Université de Moncton, the new north end school and expansions at Crandall University on the Gorge Road.

Silliker said there was also about $61 million worth of residential construction.

"In a year when you are getting massive projects like the courthouse and the casino, it's also very important to see that the residential market is so strong. There was a lot of subdivision growth, especially in Moncton north and the Shediac Road area."

Silliker said there were lots of other projects like new elevators, expansions and renovations of buildings, which indicates that businesses were successful and trying to make their facilities more energy-efficient. On the residential side, there were a lot of building permits for individual homeowners who were inspired by the Home Renovation Tax Credit.

The total value of residential building permits increased 14.8 per cent in 2009 compared to 2008. A total of $67.3 million in residential permits was taken out in 2009 accounting for over 30 per cent of the total value of building permits. Commercial and industrial permits totalled $98.9 million, up 69 per cent from 2008 while institutional and government permits were valued at $48.9 million in 2009.

In December 2009, to close out the year, the City of Moncton issued 49 building permits valued at $10.1 million.

Highlights for December included:

* A foundation permit in the amount of $1,170,100 at 355 MacNaughton Ave. was issued to construct a new warehouse building for Maritime Hydraulics.

* A permit for an addition to Targett's Windows & Door Centre & Building Supplies in the amount of $730,000 was issued.

* The University of Moncton has a $718,130 permit for a three storey building construction of 3890.2 square metres.

* A $700,000 permit on behalf of Corey Craig Ltd. (the local Tim Hortons franchise owner) to create five additional units at their distribution centre at 240 Commerce St.

"In recent years, we've implemented enhanced services at City Hall focused on providing a better service for the building and construction sector including a development review panel and our one-stop shop for builders and developers," said Moncton City Manager Jacques Dubé. "Despite a record year in 2009, we don't intend to rest on our successes; we've created a task force with stakeholder representation to review policies and practises focused on quality delivery of building services true to Moncton's "open for business" reputation."

[mylesmalley]

Anyone know what the new building at UdeM is for?

[C_Boy]

Anyone know what the new building at UdeM is for?

I was told it was for the health sciences department. I think they are running out of room for the nurses.

[gehrhardt]

There has been a lot of clearing done in the general area below, I noticed this morning:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2698/4290586338_05f5b2a16f.jpg

The image is a little small, but it's located just off the eastbound lane of the TCH, before the Berry Mills exit.

There is a dirt road that runs parallel to the highway from Lower Mountain Rd to this location. There has been a lot of transport truck activity on it too.

I have no idea what this would be. It's not too far from the landfill but it's probably too close to the highway for it to be related to it. There are lots of signs indicating lots for sale in the area, but this is on the other side of the TCH and tracks from that. Any ideas?

[mylesmalley]

It could be part of the expansion to the industrial park, but I doubt it.

I doubt it's residential either, since it would have pretty poor access to the highway and the city.

Who knows!

[JasonL-Moncton]

:previous: The exapnsion to the industrial parc is, I thought, on the other side of the landfill as the new entrance will be directly across from Horseman Rd.

JL

[JasonL-Moncton]

THE CANADIAN PRESS - HALIFAX, N.S. - A Nova Scotia mayor says Prime Minister Stephen Harper will travel to central Nova Scotia on Thursday to announce funding for a new $50-million multi-purpose arena complex.
Harper is scheduled to participate in announcement at a Truro hotel with Defence Minister Peter MacKay, Premier Darrell Dexter, local MP Scott Armstrong and Truro Mayor Bill Mills.

Bob Taylor, the mayor of Colchester County, says the announcement will regard the federal portion of the funding for the Central Nova Scotia Regional Civic Centre Project.

Taylor says local officials are excited about the announcement because the federal portion of the funding will be crucial to making the project work.

Colchester County council has voted in favour of a $14.4-million capital contribution, while Truro has committed to contribute $9.6 million.

The proposed civic centre is to be located on land bordering the Town of Truro, Colchester County and the Millbrook First Nation.

A $50 Million multi-use facility...in Truro?

So...Moncton City Council...when are you going after federal funding for our new 'multi-use facility' in our downtown core??

JL

[BlackYear]

A $50 Million multi-use facility...in Truro? :eek:

That's bigger than anything we have in here Moncton!

[mylesmalley]

:previous:

Well I don't know about that.

Something tells me the coliseum would be well north of 50 million if you were to build it today. The casino + palladium thing is valued at $90 million.

Moncton's problem isn't a lack of venues. It's a lack of a single, centrally located venue big enough to attract larger crowds.

[BlackYear]

Well, I'm having fun Googling $50 million dollar multi complex arenas, and I'm finding some very impressive recent projects that would make the Coliseum look like a piece a crap! Which is not really hard to do in the first place.

I'm thinking a good portion of the casino $90 milions is going towards luxury items rather than the actual steel & brinks and the basic materials needed for a multi purpose complex. I don't really know, but I'm just guessing.

All I know is $50M in Truro is a lot of money for a complex with an urban area population of 22,000! Good for them though.

[BlackYear]

Which brings me to another thought. If Truro can sustain a $50 million dollar multi complex in an urban area of 22,000 population, can Moncton/Riverview/Dieppe sustain a $150 million dollar multi purpose arena downtown in a population of 120,000? :shrug:

[MonctonRad]

If I recall, the figure being bandied about for the proposed downtown arena/events centre was about $85M for a 9,000 seat facility.

One wonders what is going to be included in the Truro facility. For $50M, if nothing else like a pool or indoor track facility is being considered, that sort of cash could probably buy a 5-6,000 seat arena.........I wonder if they're going after a Q league team. They might be, you never know, the Truro census agglomeration population is about 45,000 which makes it the third largest population centre in Nova Scotia (I think).

In any event, if Truro can get the feds to help cough up funding for a $50M arena, surely we can get funding for a $85-100M facility.

Come on Moncton city council; we know you read the thread, it's time to get cracking on this project! :yes:

[MonctonRad]

Work progresses on new Ryan Street School

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=436006&size=800x0
from Moncton T&T

This building is going up quickly. Of course it would with steel and pre-cast concrete assembly..........

Ugly, isn't it :yuck:

[BlackYear]

WTF? Is this a holding unit for psychotic elephants gone bad from the circus?

Where are the windows?

Wait a second...this must be the gym area. I see a little something in the background.

[Halifax Hillbilly]

Truro's $50 million rec complex would be impressive, but they do have a Conservative MP. If you want to see where the big money has been going, look to Conservative ridings. Cities like Moncton and Halifax have Liberal MPs, although Rodney Weston, Conservative, hasn't seem to have landed big bucks for Saint John.

[Dmajackson]

If I recall, the figure being bandied about for the proposed downtown arena/events centre was about $85M for a 9,000 seat facility.

One wonders what is going to be included in the Truro facility. For $50M, if nothing else like a pool or indoor track facility is being considered, that sort of cash could probably buy a 5-6,000 seat arena.........I wonder if they're going after a Q league team. They might be, you never know, the Truro census agglomeration population is about 45,000 which makes it the third largest population centre in Nova Scotia (I think).

In any event, if Truro can get the feds to help cough up funding for a $50M arena, surely we can get funding for a $85-100M facility.

Come on Moncton city council; we know you read the thread, it's time to get cracking on this project! :yes:

Good luck getting money ... HRM couldn't even get funding for a $40 million four-pad arena here in Bedford. Thankfully its so desperately needed the municipality is paying for almost oall of the project now.

Truro is in a conservative riding so it nautral received much more than it deserved.

And actually it is the fourth largest population centre in Nova Scotia. New Glasgow area (Pictou, NG, Stellarton) has a few thousand more.

EDIT: I just checked StatsCan and apparently MonctonRad was correct in Truro's population ranking. For CMA/CA's it goes Halifax, Cape Breton, Truro, New Glasgow, then Kentville.

[mylesmalley]

Well, I'm having fun Googling $50 million dollar multi complex arenas, and I'm finding some very impressive recent projects that would make the Coliseum look like a piece a crap! Which is not really hard to do in the first place.


Sorry. What I meant to say was that a multi-use facility like the Coliseum-Agrena complex were built today, it would be well north of 50 million.

You're right though. It would look a whole lot nicer if it were built today. Architecture in the 60s in New Brunswick left quite a bit to be desired.


....although by the looks of the new school, some things never change!

[josh_cat_eyes]

The new arena/pool/gym etc. in summerside cost 42.5 million. It is said to be one of the nicest in Atlantic Canada. I'd even push the cost up around 50 million when you count the new race track grandstand, and the feild, beach volleyball courts for the Canada Games as well there was a new tennis court constructed. The facility is quite amazing. Truro is lucky to be betting one as well.

As for Moncton, they should have built at Highfield when they built the new YMCA on Vaun Harvey. That way you'd have a pool as well. Add some bowling lanes and a gym, plus you'd have the retail portion remaining of the mall, and build a new 10,000 seat arena. That would be impressive. What if when you built that if it had the casino in it too? That would be the ultimate building/group of buildings

10,000 Seat arena
Casino
10 + Story Office Building (one of the terminal buildings...gutted & expanded?)
8-10 story hotel (the other terminal building...gutted & expanded?)
2 Story Retail mall
4 Story parking garage (one floor underground)
Restaurants
IMAX Theatre
Palladium/Conference Rooms
YMCA:
Lap/Leisure Pool (seating for up to 500-1000 at the lap pool for swimming events)
Gym (Like a school type gym + a weight room)
Bowling Lanes

It still could happen...just half of it wouldn't be justifiable.

[mylesmalley]

If the market could justify all of that, it'd happen. If you get much past the stadium, you're getting into pretty risky turf for the city to be involved.

I'm all for public event venues like coliseums and stadiums, but public IMAX theatres would be pushing it big time. It seems that'd be the only something like that owuld happen.

[josh_cat_eyes]

If the market could justify all of that, it'd happen. If you get much past the stadium, you're getting into pretty risky turf for the city to be involved.

I'm all for public event venues like coliseums and stadiums, but public IMAX theatres would be pushing it big time. It seems that'd be the only something like that owuld happen.

The retail part of the complex wouldn't be public. It would be likely owned by Crombie REIT as they own Highfield Square anyway. The pool/gym part would be owned by the YMCA and the arena would be owned by the city.

[mylesmalley]

I know what you mean. But my point is that the reason we don't have stuff like an IMAX theatre is because the business case for it apparently isn't there. The city always mentions stuff like that when talking about potential projects, but it seems the only way it would happen would be through some kind of public involvement. If there were a case, the IMAX company would be building one on their own as we speak.

I'm in favour of city-built venues like stadiums and convention centres because, while they in themselves are not always money makers, they can generate good returns for the city by benefiting local businesses, hotels etc.

But again, only if there's a case for it.

[MonctonRad]

A downtown IMAX as part of a redevelopment of Highfield Square to include an arena/events centre is not out of the question.........

Highfield is owned by Crosby REIT
Crosby REIT is a Sobey's company
Sobeys owns Empire Theatres.
Empire Theatres already has an IMAX in Halifax.

If the Crystal Palace Cinemas were renovated for stadium seating and the number of theatres in the complex reduced to 4-6, Empire might look to regain capacity with a new theatre complex in downtown or in Riverview.

An Empire Four complex at Highfield including an IMAX could easily become part of a major redevelopment here.

I think a redevelopment of Highfield Square could easily include:
- an arena with 9-10,000 seats
- convention facilities
- retail space including the existing Bay department store
- Empire 4 theatre complex including IMAX
- renovated Terminal Plaza complex with office and possibly hotel space.
- parking garage
- downtown city transit terminal

A complex like this would allow for tremendous convergence.
Sobeys already owns all this land........:tup:

[JHikka]

I think a redevelopment of Highfield Square could easily include:
- an arena with 9-10,000 seats
- convention facilities
- retail space including the existing Bay department store
- Empire 4 theatre complex including IMAX
- renovated Terminal Plaza complex with office and possibly hotel space.
- parking garage
- downtown city transit terminal

Perhaps i've been misjudging the size of Highfield, but would it honestly hold that many facilities? A 10K seat arena would take up a fair bit of that Mall, I would think.

[MonctonRad]

Perhaps i've been misjudging the size of Highfield, but would it honestly hold that many facilities? A 10K seat arena would take up a fair bit of that Mall, I would think.

I agree with you completely but we are talking about more than just the existing footprint of the mall.

For example, a couple of the posters here have suggested putting a parking garage on the other side of the railway tracks, connected to the new arena via a pedway. The existing parking area to the east of the Bay could also be converted to a parking garage. This would free up all of the parking lot between the existing mall and the rail right of way for arena construction. Some of the existing mall (and the Bay store) could be preserved for retail and restaurants (this would preserve/promote an active retail presence on Main St.)

There is a lot of space also available to the west of the existing mall, behind Terminal Plaza that could be used for a variety of purposes (convention space, IMAX, transit terminal across from VIA station etc.) Also, when we are talking about hotel/office space, we mean refurbishing/reconverting the Terminal Office complex.

All of this is Sobeys property. I think everything would fit.

Below is a proposal by Josh which roughly shows what I mean.....

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c337/josh_cat_eyes/Picture4-1.png

[JimiThing]

Perhaps i've been misjudging the size of Highfield, but would it honestly hold that many facilities? A 10K seat arena would take up a fair bit of that Mall, I would think.

Here is a photo I put together showing the existing Highfield Square in Blue and an actual 12,000 Seat stadium pasted on top.
I find this depicts the size of the existing structure very well.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/tibrcr/StadiumRender.jpg

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

Excellent Jimi, if your dimensions are accurate, this just helps to prove that there is lots of space to play around with at Highfield Square. :tup:

[JHikka]

I stand corrected it seems. Good luck.

[MonctonRad]

Mapleton bridge expansion to continue
Published Friday January 22nd, 2010

Province says completion date for bridge widening is Sept. 30
By Craig Babstock
Times & Transcript Staff

Motorists on Wheeler Boulevard and Mapleton Road will notice progress on the Mapleton bridge expansion within the next few weeks.

"The concrete beams are currently being fabricated in Saint John and will be erected in roughly three weeks," says Andrew Holland, director of communications for New Brunswick's Department of Transportation.

"That will be followed by the start-up of deck work which will continue through the spring. The completion date is Sept. 30 and it will be open to traffic at that time."

Holland says the province awarded the tender for the bridge work to Modern Construction and work began last June. Three piers and two abutments are already in place.

The total cost of the bridge work is $2.5 million.

The expansion of the bridge is part of a bigger project that involves the widening and upgrading of Mapleton Road from Highway 2 (the Trans-Canada Highway) to Carson Drive. Because of heavy traffic in that area due to the concentration of retail stores, the city decided to widen Mapleton Road and that work took place over the past couple of years.

From Trinity to the TCH, it's now four lanes with turn lanes, while from Trinity to Carson Drive is five lanes plus turn lanes. The bridge will go from three lanes to six once it's complete.

The city has finished most of its work and is now waiting for the bridge to be done. Sometime between July and September, depending on the provincial work, the city will pave the connections to the bridge, then do a final layer of asphalt from the TCH to Carson Drive, according to Alcide Richard, director of design and construction for the city's engineering department.

"When it's all finished it should be able to handle a lot more volume," says Richard, adding that while it will still be busy during the Christmas shopping season, the peak traffic at that time of year will be much better than what motorists are used to.

The bridge work has been on hold for a while at the request of the city. One lane of bridge traffic will have to be closed for a time to allow the joining of the new section of bridge with the old and the city didn't want the bridge reduced to two lanes during the busy holiday shopping season.

When the new section of bridge is eventually attached to the old, there will be some traffic slowdowns because of the lane closure, but Richard described that as "short-term pain for long-term gain."

He says the Mapleton Road area is expected to keep developing over the next few years with even more businesses opening there and the planning for the road and bridge work took that into consideration.

"We've built this for the future," he says.

Personal comment - It will be interesting to see if commercial development on Mapleton Road ramps up this summer or not.
I think we will see some work on the Mapleton Power Centre this year. Whether we see Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond or The Brick however is yet to be seen. I'm sure the lingering recession will still have an effect on development. Across the road at the McManaman's complex, I see that they are now offering a building pad for lease. There is also room for development between McManaman and Costco. Things could get interesting....

[MonctonRad]

Abridged from the Moncton T&T

Intersection improvements planned
Published Saturday January 23rd, 2010

Province, city plan work for busy intersections
By Craig Babstock
Times & Transcript Staff

Two chaotic Moncton intersections are scheduled for major improvements this summer.

The improvements are scheduled for the intersection of Berry Mills Road and Horsman Road and also where St. George Boulevard meets the on- and off-ramps of Wheeler Boulevard at the entrance to Bernice MacNaughton High School.

The Berry Mills and Horsman intersection has become increasingly busy over the past few years because of development in the north end. Many motorists take Horsman to Berry Mills in order to get to downtown Moncton.

Richard says Horsman is going to be re-aligned so it meets Berry Mills at a 90-degree angle. More lanes will be added to Berry Mills to allow proper turn lanes into Horsman.

Also, there will be two left turn lanes coming out of Horsman, leading into two lanes on Berry Mills heading into Moncton, increasing the flow of cars. Opposite Horsman will be a new entrance into the Moncton Industrial Park, facilitating further development.

A traffic light will be put in place to make sure all the vehicles flow in an orderly fashion.

"This is a great solution," says Collins. "It will allow traffic to move more freely from the north end to get to Wheeler Boulevard, downtown and Riverview."

St. George Boulevard is a busy four-lane road and it's particularly hectic around the entrance to MacNaughton, which is right next to the on-ramp to Wheeler. Richard says that entrance to the school was supposed to be a temporary solution, with a permanent entrance constructed through Centennial Place, but residents objected, so the temporary entrance became permanent.

Currently, people heading north on Wheeler exit onto St. George and are supposed to merge into east-bound traffic. However it doesn't always work that way for the many motorists heading into the school. Richard says many do an illegal left turn out of the off-ramp, then zigzag across traffic to get to the school.

"They were making an 'S' movement at peak hours," he says.

The plan is to re-align the off-ramp onto St. George so it's facing the school entrance and put a traffic light in place, allowing people to leave Wheeler and safely get to the school.

"It's always been an issue there and I'm glad we're addressing it," says Collins, adding that the Department of Supply and Service is also planning improvements to the entrance road to the school.

Personal note.......this is more than I was expecting! I knew about the realignment and signalization of the Horsman/Berry Mills intersection and of the new entrance to MID but the addition of two left turning lanes from Horsman onto Berry Mills and two inbound lanes on Berry Mills are quite a pleasant surprise!!

With all this coming to fruition, I have no doubt that the next highway in the Moncton area to see an explosion in commercial growth will be Berry Mills Road. It is the first entrance to the city from the TCH eastbound and lies immediately behind all the growing subdivisions in the northwest end of the city.

There are already rumours of a strip mall (including a Tim Horton's) on the northeast corner of the Berry Mills/Horsman intersection. With the expansion of MID and the new access point to the industrial park, I'm sure there will be much more to follow! :tup:

[mylesmalley]

I'm glad to see a completion date for the Mapleton project. It'll make a huge difference in the North End. I can only wonder how much potential development was missed out on while the city and province dragged their feet for years. Certainly if the mall had been started a year before, I'd be done, open, and generating revenue for the city and it's owner.

As for Horesman/Berry Mills. Very glad to hear this as well. However that whole two turn lane thing sounds like T&T fantasy planning to me. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm aware of only three intersections with more than one turn lane going in the same direction:

-Route 15 ramp eastbound onto Mountain Road
-Amirault st onto Champlain westbound
-Assumption Blvd onto the Gunningsvill Bridge, southbound.

All very busy intersections. Even with an expanded industrial park, I can't see that place getting nearly as busy as the other three any time soon.

Moreover, is that implying that the city plans on widening Berry Mills? It's three lanes from Colishaw to Wheeler. Maybe going to continue that to the new industrial park?

[MonctonRad]

As for Horesman/Berry Mills. Very glad to hear this as well. However that whole two turn lane thing sounds like T&T fantasy planning to me.

Moreover, is that implying that the city plans on widening Berry Mills? It's three lanes from Colishaw to Wheeler. Maybe going to continue that to the new industrial park?

I don't think it's T&T fantasy planning (although we can be accused of that here on our forum! :haha: )

I didn't copy and paste the entire newspaper article but it sounded like the information was coming directly from the DOT and also from an interview with Chris Collins. I think this is in fact the actual plan!

Right now, in the mornings, left turning traffic on Horsman can be quite backed up. In addition, inbound traffic on Berry Mills during the morning rush can become backed up at the traffic lights at the Edinburgh Drive intersection as far back as Horsman Rd. This is a distance of about 1 km!!

Perhaps we are witnessing a case of unusual forward planning on the part of the city and the province. Maybe they expect big things from the MID expansion. Maybe they expect a commercial boom on Berry Mills. Perhaps they just want to encourage people to use Berry Mills rather than Mountain Rd.

In any event, I think that this is really going to happen! This will make a big difference in the northwest end. :tup:

[BlackYear]

There are already rumours of a strip mall (including a Tim Horton's) on the northeast corner of the Berry Mills/Horsman intersection. With the expansion of MID and the new access point to the industrial park, I'm sure there will be much more to follow! :tup: [/COLOR][/I]

Once the infrastructure on this corner is complete, it wouldn't surprise me to see a Tim Horton at this corner. It wouldn't surprise me to also see an Irving Mainway truck stop/restaurant across the street as well.

These two would definitely start the industrial/commercial boom in this area.

I also believe that they should consider making Berry Mills road from the Edinburgh corner to the highway a four lane. A four lane without a central divider. Rather a four lane with a fifth central lane for left/right turns for future development long this stretch or road.

[JHikka]

I also believe that they should consider making Berry Mills road from the Edinburgh corner to the highway a four lane. A four lane without a central divider. Rather a four lane with a fifth central lane for left/right turns for future development long this stretch or road.

Four lanes sounds like a good idea, although I really dislike the fifth middle lane for turning either way. They've always seemed semi-dangerous and a bad idea to me.

[love*moncton]

A downtown IMAX as part of a redevelopment of Highfield Square to include an arena/events centre is not out of the question.........

Highfield is owned by Crosby REIT
Crosby REIT is a Sobey's company
Sobeys owns Empire Theatres.
Empire Theatres already has an IMAX in Halifax.

If the Crystal Palace Cinemas were renovated for stadium seating and the number of theatres in the complex reduced to 4-6, Empire might look to regain capacity with a new theatre complex in downtown or in Riverview.

An Empire Four complex at Highfield including an IMAX could easily become part of a major redevelopment here.

I think a redevelopment of Highfield Square could easily include:
- an arena with 9-10,000 seats
- convention facilities
- retail space including the existing Bay department store
- Empire 4 theatre complex including IMAX
- renovated Terminal Plaza complex with office and possibly hotel space.
- parking garage
- downtown city transit terminal

A complex like this would allow for tremendous convergence.
Sobeys already owns all this land........:tup:



Sobeys does not own the land. Only the buildings. Land is leased.

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

Welcome to the forum love*moncton!

I stand corrected. If Sobey's/Empire/Crosby doesn't own all this land then who does? The only other possibility I can think of is CNR.

[mylesmalley]

I think CN still owns the land, and it's on a 99 year lease.


and welcome Love*Moncton!

[MonctonRad]

If this land is owned by CNR, it doesn't really complicate matters very much anyway................at least you don't have to worry about assembling a large parcel of land for the development from multiple different landowners!

I think CN would be a good corporate citizen over all this, especially if they stand to make more profits from an extended or renegotiated lease. :tup: