The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[BlackYear]

I thought it rather odd that they would be closed for renovations when they have only been open for a little over one year. Also, if they are "renovating", then why has there been so little (in fact no) activity on site since I noticed the sign. Where are all the contractors?


Contractors are out building 2 & 4 story wooden block apartments. Has it even been a year since they opened? If I recall from the T&T article when they did open, Smitty's Head Office indicated that opening "again" in Moncton was a temporary project to test the market. Which is why they allocated minimal money in the old St-Hubert building.

Smitty's in Moncton = 2 fails.

Denny's, take note.

[BlackYear]

Good grief! I just Googled "Smitty's Moncton" to search for the T&T article. My comment above already hit Google's #10 search results.

[BlackYear]

I don't see any need to realign Westmorland street. The Rogers building is also aligned correctly, it's just the Rogers parking lot which is causing the problem.

And speaking of problems, the Oulton's building and parking lot should be rezoned.

[MonctonRad]

Good grief! I just Googled "Smitty's Moncton" to search for the T&T article. My comment above already hit Google's #10 search results.

Well, I just googled "Smitty's Moncton" and this comment was #9 on the list. :haha:

The Smitty's opened in June 2009. It is interesting that you said that Smitty's was only "testing" the market and invested only a minimal amount of money in converting the old St. Hubert's location. I can't recall any money being spent in marketing this restaurant in the last year........

Perhaps they "planned to fail".

Of course we don't know for sure that the restaurant is closed. Perhaps they are just waiting for contractors to become available. Still, the situation seems suspicious.

[MonctonRad]

Consultant's report into Moncton High looms
Last Updated: Monday, October 25, 2010 | 6:49 AM AT
CBC News

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/topstories/2010/09/30/tp-nb-moncton-high.jpg
A consultant's report will be released into the future of Moncton High School later this week. (CBC)

An architectural consultant will be releasing a report into the future of the aging Moncton High School later this week.

The 75-year-old school will be emptied of students by mid-November after School District 2 decided it should be closed for the remainder of the school year for health and safety issues.

Even before the sudden closure, the school district had hired CS&P Architects to explore options for the city's largest high school considering the many health and safety issues facing the building.

Maureen O'Shaunessy, the lead consultant on the project, said the current issues with the school will have an impact on how they present their ideas to the public.

O'Shaunessy said she doesn't think it's made a big difference in how they think they should move forward.

But she said it will make a big difference to how they suggest the recommendation gets implemented.

"We'll put some options on the table, we'll talk about them," O'Shaunessy said.

"They will form the basis of the recommendation that we'll present to the [District Education Council]. And I hope we have the opportunity to see that it moves forward, and moves forward in a timely way."

The consultants will take input from this week's final public meeting and then present their recommendation to the District Education Council next month.

Dealing with upheaval
Remi Levesque, the head of the history and French departments at Moncton High, has been teaching at the high school for 17 years.

While staff and students are dealing with upheaval and uncertainty now, Levesque said he's looking forward to the future.

"I think in a couple of months, I think things will be a lot easier, and we hope that the future will, you know, just be much better for everybody," Levesque said.

Moncton High School was shut down because of health and safety concerns including mould and structural problems. The 1,300 students are being moved to various schools throughout Moncton in two phases.

Grade 11 and 12 students will be sent to Edith Cavell school at the end of October. On Nov. 15, Grade 9 and 10 students will move into the new Northrop Frye School.

Education Minister Jody Carr toured Moncton High on Friday and called the school's conditions unacceptable.

Reading between the lines, it would appear that the consultants are going to recommend in favour of remediation of the existing structure rather than replacement.



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/10/25/nb-moncton-high-architecture-report-622.html#ixzz13KyyGm98

[David_99]

I don't see any need to realign Westmorland street. The Rogers building is also aligned correctly, it's just the Rogers parking lot which is causing the problem.

I spent my break allocating every car in the Roger's lot a new spot. Just need to tear down the Creek and that little IOOB pub. They get to keep their surface parking and you could still fit a couple buildings twice the size of Assumption (with underground parking) in the lot with room to spare.

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/6447/westmorland2.jpg

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

Nice job David. Perhaps you should forward this to city hall for their perusal. This makes a lot more sense in terms of providing parking space for Rogers and also makes the remainder of the Beaver Lumber property much more useable. :tup:

[NBNYer]

I spent my break allocating every car in the Roger's lot a new spot. Just need to tear down the Creek and that little IOOB pub. They get to keep their surface parking and you could still fit a couple buildings twice the size of Assumption (with underground parking) in the lot with room to spare.


Placing the parking directly adjacent to the building is definitely a more efficient use of space. Although, I would probably place that blue building you drew lined up with Assumption in order not to create that same situation as with the Rogers building.

[David_99]

Placing the parking directly adjacent to the building is definitely a more efficient use of space. Although, I would probably place that blue building you drew lined up with Assumption in order not to create that same situation as with the Rogers building.

True enough! Here's a quick, possible layout that may work using existing buildings in Moncton as reference including ALC, Heritage and the top of Blue Cross.

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/5227/westmorland3.jpg

[kwajo]

I have to tell you, even with the excellent tweaking done by members of this forum, this is still a very disappointing development for Moncton, as it does very little to give your downtown a sense of urbanity. Surface parking lots and large footprint buildings should be discouraged in your core, and in this day in age to see an opportunity to grow density passed-by, is a real shame.

Just my 2 cents.

[mylesmalley]

Kwajo, unforunately the only way to completely fix that lot is with a wrecking ball.

[MonctonRad]

Kwajo, unforunately the only way to completely fix that lot is with a wrecking ball.

Agreed.........every time I look at the Rogers contact centre, I get the impression that this building was meant to be disposable or temporary. Like I said before, it belongs in the Emmerson Business Park and not downtown.

I guess we can pretend that the Rogers building is just a "placeholder", designed to occupy this lot until something better comes along.

I still have high hopes for Moncton south of Main Street. It is a land of opportunity and is just waiting for the right type of development to spur an urban renaissance.

The Blue Cross expansion has helped and the new lawcourts will be impressive. If this new "mixed use" development on what's left of the Beaver Lumber property is of good quality, then we might be getting close to the tipping point. :tup:

And of course, we still don't know where the downtown events centre will go. :)

[jenike]

Does anyone know what is the deal with the corner lot that was cleared at the opening of McAllister Park in Riverview? I just noticed that all the trees were cleared off the land 2 days ago.

[mylesmalley]

:previous: No idea. I really need to take a spin around Riverview. Looks like there are a lot of neat things going up.

Any idea what's happening to the Aliant Tower? They have the first 30 ft or so scaffolded.

[pierremoncton]

Any idea what's happening to the Aliant Tower? They have the first 30 ft or so scaffolded.

There was an article in the T&T recently saying that it's nothing more than surface touch-ups.

[mylesmalley]

:haha:

I wouldn't expect them to try to demolish it from the bottom up!

[MonctonRad]

Does anyone know what is the deal with the corner lot that was cleared at the opening of McAllister Park in Riverview? I just noticed that all the trees were cleared off the land 2 days ago.

There was an article about this on CBC radio this morning. It will be a new 118 unit apartment development. CBC was involved because the loss of the trees has provoked a severe case of NIMBYism in the (high end) McAllister Park residents.

If the trees have already been cleared, then this is a bit like closing the barn door after the horses have left. Also, the land was zoned R3 in any event........

[NBNYer]

There was an article about this on CBC radio this morning. It will be a new 118 unit apartment development. CBC was involved because the loss of the trees has provoked a severe case of NIMBYism in the (high end) McAllister Park residents.

If the trees have already been cleared, then this is a bit like closing the barn door after the horses have left. Also, the land was zoned R3 in any event........

Wow. 118 units, that's huge. How many buildings?

[MonctonRad]

Wow. 118 units, that's huge. How many buildings?

Sorry, thats all I know right now. There's going to be a public meeting at Riverview town hall this evening so that the irate citizenry can confront the developer. I presume that additional information will be forthcoming at that time.

[mctnguy]

Looks like the Smitty's on Mountain Road is gone for good. There is a very large "For Lease" sign in the sign pillar (or whatever it's called) where the Smitty's logo used to be. :(

[MonctonRad]

:previous:
re: Smitty's Moncton.......

:dead:

also.............

Jaguar exhibit (at Magnetic Hill Zoo) wins national award
Published Wednesday October 27th, 2010
A1TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

The Magnetic Hill Zoo has won a national award at the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums in Montreal.

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=613028&size=500x0
GREG AGNEW/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT
The Magnetic Hill Zoo recently won a National award at the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums in Montreal. The Animal Enrichment Award was awarded to the Magnetic Hill Zoo for Jaguar Junction. Here, Azul, the male ponders zookeeper Bernie Gallant at one of several panes of tempered glass that lets people have a better view .

The Animal Enrichment Award was awarded to the zoo for its Jaguar Junction.

The award is presented to zoos and aquariums that have achieved significant progress in the design and management of exhibit areas that enrich the lives of animals.

Azul and Morena, the zoo's male and female jaguars, moved in last spring and the exhibit had its official opening this summer.

"We are very happy with the new improvements of the Jaguar Junction. It is a much larger, more natural area that provides enrichment for the animals," zoo manager Bruce Dougan said yesterday.

"I would like to thank CAZA for recognizing our hard work and dedication to ensuring our animals' needs are respected."

The new Jaguar Junction exhibit is landscaped with a variety of terrain and a view of the fallow deer exhibit that ensures the animals' visual needs are met.

The area allows for food gathering and has enrichment objects for the animals. The Friends of the Zoo provided the funds to renovate the Jaguar exhibit, about $250,000.

The Zoo is an important part of the tourism infrastructure in greater Moncton. It is the fourth ranked zoo in Canada (well behind the top three I know, but still the "best of the rest"). They refurbish one exhibit every year. $250k for a new jaguar exhibit is quite impressive!

[David_99]

:previous:
re: Smitty's Moncton.......
:dead:

Well they didn't really help themselves. I can eat "breakfast food" any time of day, 3 meals a day. So I was very excited when I heard Smitty's had come to town. I always loved the Smitty's in PEI and Cape Breton, so my expectations were high. The two times I went to the Moncton one, however, I had bad service & bad food. Oh well, I guess I'll stick to the classier places!

[theshark]

I mean If you want to build a reputable establishment, it will take more than just changing the signs and keeping the remnance of the previous franchise. If you are not ready to invest and revamp your building, well you might not be ready to serve your customers properly.

Just the sight of the old St-Hubert building with just the signs switched always turned me off.

[C_Boy]

The Bulldog Interactive Fitness spot not far from the Smity's also met the same faith. Everything is gone and they were painting the walls tonight on my way home.

[mylesmalley]

I've never eaten at the one in Moncton. The location in Fredericton is good, but honestly, I don't really see what all the fuss is about.

There's really no other place in the entire city serves all-day breakfast?

[NBNYer]

There's really no other place in the entire city serves all-day breakfast?

Doesn't Hynes on Mountain do that?

[MonctonRad]

I don't really see what all the fuss is about.

There's really no other place in the entire city serves all-day breakfast?

It is a tempest in a teapot really. :haha:

I'm sorry to see Smitty's go. It would have fulfilled a purpose and should have been successful. I chalk it up to poor management, lack of promotion and lack of corporate support. :hell:

There are lots of places in town that fulfill a similar purpose. Geez, there are three Cora's for cripes sake (Main St., Mapleton Rd. and Uptown Dieppe). Hynes on Mountain Rd. and the Homestead Restaurant in Riverview also come to mind. I'm sure there are others.......

Oh well, Denny's is expanding in Canada............perhaps they would consider Moncton. :yes:

[Nashe]

There are lots of places in town that fulfill a similar purpose. Geez, there are three Cora's for cripes sake (Main St., Mapleton Rd. and Uptown Dieppe). Hynes on Mountain Rd. and the Homestead Restaurant in Riverview also come to mind. I'm sure there are others......."Jean's" (St. George and Mountain Road) also do breakfast all day, IIRC. Pretty good ones, too.

[David_99]

I've never eaten at the one in Moncton. The location in Fredericton is good, but honestly, I don't really see what all the fuss is about.

There's really no other place in the entire city serves all-day breakfast?

The Sydney Smitty's atmosphere is more like Cora's (without the $40 bill... plus tip) :D

[MonctonRad]

My apologies re: the proposed apartment development next to McAllister Park in Riverview.

I misheard the report on CBC Radio (give me a break, it was 7AM!!). It will be a three storey 18 unit (not 118 unit) building.:haha:

I'll post the full article from the T&T later........

[mylesmalley]

Really great turnout at the Atlantic Dream Festival presentation this afternoon! Anyone else make it out?

[Phil_5]

Indeed, what a great event.
It was very inspiring and I have hope that this festival will become a successful annual event. I was also surprised by the amount of people that made it to the conference. :tup:

[MonctonRad]

:previous:
re: the above.....

Start dreaming, Metro
Published Thursday October 28th, 2010

Sir Richard Branson, Clara Hughes and more to speak today
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

The Atlantic Dream Festival kicks off today and exhibitors were hard at work yesterday getting their displays ready for the trade show event. André Hickey of the Moncton Flight College readies one of their planes which will be on display. The Atlantic Dream Festival kicks off this morning in spectacular style and carries on at the Moncton Coliseum complex through Saturday.

The event is billed as an inspirational call to the people of Atlantic Canada to follow their passions and to realize their full potential in whatever lifestyle they aspire to, and one of the world's great dreamers - great because he has made his dreams come true - will speak at today's kick-off event.

But Sir Richard Branson is one of the world's great entrepreneurs, the billionaire creator of the Virgin brand and owner of more than 360 companies who is perhaps just as well known as an adventurer in the air, on the sea and even in space.

He will be in good company today, as he is joined by Olympian Clara Hughes, businessman Kevin O'Leary and New Brunswick's own Frank McKenna, all great achievers who have made their dreams come true.

Branson was expected to arrive overnight at the Greater Moncton International Airport and wrap up today's three-hour kickoff event with a keynote address.

The tickets for the speakers event featuring Branson are almost all gone but Brad LeBlanc of the Momentum Group, organizers of the show, said last night there should still be some available at the door today.

The Atlantic Dream Festival is comprised of two parts and even if the speakers event completely sells out, the public will be able to take in the Dream Show over the weekend, which boast an impressive array of other top inspirational speakers. (Your ticket to the Branson keynote address gets you all access admission to the Dream Show).

More than 250 booths from various sectors of business, education, finance and lifestyles will be featured in displays and workshops by banks, universities, custom home developers, technology manufacturers, and businesses involved in travel, lifestyle, health, and aesthetics.

The consumer show presents an opportunity for visitors to glean ideas on realizing their own individual dreams and personal goals in every aspect of their work, play, and lifestyle choices.

It also provides a valuable network among exhibitors who can interact with one another, share ideas and explore the marketplace.

Also watch for the special unveiling of a brand new SLS AMG from Mercedes-Benz.

Speakers at the Dream Show will include Mark Cohon, commissioner of the Canadian Football League, who will appear at 2:45 p.m. Oct. 28 to speak on his "perfect job" and why he likes Atlantic Canada.

Other speakers include TV anchor Steve Murphy, marketing expert and BlackBerry aficionado Richard St. John, Simply For Life developer Bruce Sweeney, former marketing director for Tim Hortons and the inventor of the Roll Up The Rim campaign Ron Buist, motivational speaker Shevaun Voisin of How to Grow Companies.

The speakers event gets under way at 11 a.m. and the Dream Show opens immediately following Sir Richard Branson's appearance.

The Dream Show is open today from 2-6 p.m., tomorrow from noon to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Too bad I missed it but I had to work. :(

[jenike]

I was there and would have the following comments.

1. Clara Hughes was fantastic. Very engaging speaker.
2. Kevin O'Leary was also very good.
3. Frank McKenna is a terrible interviewer. I would have rather heard him talk as a presenter than whatever it was they asked him to do.
4. Richard Branson was kind of disappointing. The interview was not good at all. Most of the people at the back on the floor couldn't hear any of it (but really they didn't miss much). Once he answered people's questions, it was much better and he seemed more at ease.

The quality of the video was terrible. I was pretty close to the screen and couldn't make it out half the time and the way they just randomly cut in corporate logos was annoying. The audio was also terrible. Richard Branson had to ask twice for a new mic and there was often interference during the interview when they would transition from video to mic. Several occassions people were trying to speak and their mics wouldn't work.

Now, this is just my opinion here, but why the heck was Brad on the stage as a major presenter for 30 minutes? The other 3 have accomplished soo much and I wanted to learn from their experiences. Brad simply said the same things over and over again. Basically it was people have to believe in their dreams and it takes hard work to be successful. Considering the huge number of entrepreneurs and accomplished business people in the audience, I'm pretty sure they know that. A 21 year old self promoting how he didn't give up during obstacles, saying how little money he has, indicating how much he paid to have Sir Richard Branson speak, and repeat that he had to work until 4:00am last night is hardly material for a slot that should have been given to a headline speaker.

Just my thoughts. I think the concept is fantastic, but I think the quality of the delivery was not. Would I pay to go again next year? I'm not sure I thought it was worth $250.00 for floor seats.

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

There's no question that Brad LeBlanc is a shameless self promoter, but he is young and inexperienced. Hopefully he will develop wisdom and humility as he matures.

There is also no question that he has pulled off quite a coup here and he should be congratulated none-the-less.

The coliseum has terrible acoustic and therefore might not have been the best forum for this event. If they had put it instead at the casino, they still could have packed over 2,000 into the presentation. It would have been less than half the attendance than at the coliseum but it would have been a much nicer venue and with a quality sound system to boot.

These are things that can be tweaked next year if this becomes a recurring event. For the time being, this was should be considered a solid first attempt. :tup:

[Lrdevlop]

I was there and would have the following comments.

1. Clara Hughes was fantastic. Very engaging speaker.
2. Kevin O'Leary was also very good.
3. Frank McKenna is a terrible interviewer. I would have rather heard him talk as a presenter than whatever it was they asked him to do.
4. Richard Branson was kind of disappointing. The interview was not good at all. Most of the people at the back on the floor couldn't hear any of it (but really they didn't miss much). Once he answered people's questions, it was much better and he seemed more at ease.

The quality of the video was terrible. I was pretty close to the screen and couldn't make it out half the time and the way they just randomly cut in corporate logos was annoying. The audio was also terrible. Richard Branson had to ask twice for a new mic and there was often interference during the interview when they would transition from video to mic. Several occassions people were trying to speak and their mics wouldn't work.

Now, this is just my opinion here, but why the heck was Brad on the stage as a major presenter for 30 minutes? The other 3 have accomplished soo much and I wanted to learn from their experiences. Brad simply said the same things over and over again. Basically it was people have to believe in their dreams and it takes hard work to be successful. Considering the huge number of entrepreneurs and accomplished business people in the audience, I'm pretty sure they know that. A 21 year old self promoting how he didn't give up during obstacles, saying how little money he has, indicating how much he paid to have Sir Richard Branson speak, and repeat that he had to work until 4:00am last night is hardly material for a slot that should have been given to a headline speaker.

Just my thoughts. I think the concept is fantastic, but I think the quality of the delivery was not. Would I pay to go again next year? I'm not sure I thought it was worth $250.00 for floor seats.


I agree with your thoughts... The interview was not verry good nor the acoustic but it was still verry inspirational! I don't regret it!

[MonctonRad]

Save parts of Moncton High: report
Last Updated: Friday, October 29, 2010 | 6:21 AM AT
CBC News

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/topstories/2010/09/30/tp-nb-moncton-high2.jpg
A new consultant's report says elements of Moncton High can be salvaged, while the rest should be rebuilt. (CBC)

An architectural consultant is recommending parts of Moncton High be preserved, while rebuilding the rest of the aging school.

Maureen O'Shaunessy of CS&P Architects told a public meeting on Thursday night that Moncton High should keep its auditorium, tower and Church Street façade.

She said the remaining elements of the 75-year-old school should be rebuilt. The consultant's report comes at a time of urgency for the school, which was shut down early October for health and safety concerns. The 1,300 students were forced to spread out to a series of other city schools for the remainder of the school year. School District 2 undertook more than 240 different repairs done in the previous 18 months before the closure.

Most of the more than 100 people at the Thursday meeting seemed to think the recommendation was a good marriage between retaining some of the heritage of the school and bringing the functionality and safety of the building up to date.

O'Shaunessy said the consultants are confident in the long-awaited recommendation.

"I think we've hit the right note and we have found the right thing that will satisfy people and make Moncton High a great place again," O'Shaunessy said.

O'Shaunessy's team will now prepare the final report and present it to the District Education Council in two weeks.

An earlier report from CS&P Architects said it could cost $48 million to bring Moncton High up to the building code, which is roughly double the cost of building a new school.

Upcoming budget

Harry Doyle, chairman of the District 2 Education Council, said Thursday night that he'll do everything he can to move it forward as fast as he can.

Then, the rest is up to the provincial government, which is scheduled to deliver a capital budget in early December.

Anne-Marie Picone-Ford, who represents the Concerned Parents for Moncton High, said she is relieved a recommendation is on the table, and thinks it's a great balance.

"Our next step is putting pressure, making sure that the [District Education Council] does this," Picone-Ford said.

"I know that they have said they are going to make it a priority, so it's going to get to the government very quickly. And now it's our will to get to the government and really pressure to get this decision made and get things moving."

Michelle Richards, whose son is a Grade 11 Moncton High student, also said she wants to see the recommendation put into action very soon by the district education council and the provincial government.

"They need to take this in their hand and they need to say, 'We need to put this on the table right away, this is the first thing, our priority,'" Richards said.

"Let's work with this and get this school back up and running in 2012, September, not January, 2013."

This is an excellent plan but if this report is adopted, there is no way that Moncton High will be back up and running next September. They had better start making new contingency plans...........



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/10/29/nb-moncton-high-consultant-recommendation-544.html#ixzz13kFexm55

[curious]

just wondering if anyone knows what is being built at the dieppe mall and if anything is being done at mapleton power center

[MonctonRad]

just wondering if anyone knows what is being built at the dieppe mall and if anything is being done at mapleton power center

re: Champlain Place - the new expansion is for Linen Chest, a Quebec based bath, kitchen and home decor chain.

re: the Mapleton Power Centre:

:dead:

also - they are putting in the foundation for the new medical/dental building at the corner of Lady Ada and Mapleton.

finally, they are also putting in the foundation for a new mixed use building in uptown Dieppe, behind the Co-op supermarket. :tup:

[MonctonRad]

from "The Sleuth" - Dynamic Fitness and lululemon hit Orange Lane.

Hot Stuff, fitness freak and spy extraordinaire, is wildly enthusiastic about a new arrival that'll spice up Orange Lane's current 'Thai One On' ambiance of beer and spicy Asian cuisine.

Dynamic Fitness, a franchise in partnership with lululemon athletica, occupied the former Great Canadian Pub at 19 Orange Friday with Triona Harrop herself presiding.

Ms. Harrop co-founded the company with husband and Olympic gold medalist Dave MacEachern and she will be conducting some of the classes in hot yoga, regular yoga and Pilates.

In addition to a lululemon athletica boutique (guess they liked the experiment at Highfield Square last year) the business features a state-of-the-art hot yoga studio with a constantly moist, 105-degree climate - one of only five of its kind in Canada.

Looks like a great way to work off the fish 'n chips and a tall mug of S.O.B. brew from the Pump House Brewery next door.

[NBNYer]

finally, they are also putting in the foundation for a new mixed use building in uptown Dieppe, behind the Co-op supermarket. :tup:

Good to see some movement on that uptown development. Looks like they are selling some units. I think this development has the potential to become a great place to live/work/shop.

Popular national chains like lululemon setting up shop in downtown is great news as well. Will certainly pull shoppers in that area. Good news all around!:tup:

[MonctonRad]

Mount A earns top marks
Published Saturday October 30th, 2010

Globe and Mail's University report card gives Sackville institution top grades
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

SACKVILLE - It's high marks for Mount Allison University once again as the Globe and Mail's ninth-annual University Report Card gave the Sackville institution top grades based on the opinions of 35,000 Canadian undergraduate students.

It was straight A's for key areas such as quality of education, student-faculty interaction, class size, atmosphere, most satisfied students, quality of teaching, environmental commitment, as well as for its buildings and facilities.

"We are extremely proud of the high marks we received," said Mount A president and vice-chancellor Dr. Robert Campbell. "We strive to provide academic excellence within an intimate community experience on a fantastic campus, and we are gratified these results demonstrate that we are delivering on our objectives."

The high marks in atmosphere and food services "show that this is really a terrific place to come for an education."

It's good to see Mt A doing well with the Globe & Mail rankings as well as the McLean's rankings. This serves as a form of validation.....:tup:

[Jerry556]

Well, i heard from a source that valmonds development beside staples on main st plans to open in 2012, and are starting construction in the spring. not shur about the other one near vaugh harvey

[MonctonRad]

Well, i heard from a source that valmonds development beside staples on main st plans to open in 2012, and are starting construction in the spring. not shur about the other one near vaugh harvey

Good to hear! :tup:

I'm not surprised by the time frame........when city council approved this development, they did so with the provision that construction begin by a certain date (? two years), Valmond Robichaud therefore was running out of time.

His second condo/apt. development near Vaughan Harvey is not under the same time constraints, so I suspect that lot will remain vacant for a couple more years.

With this condo complex next to Staples and the new bank on the Superstore property, East Main Street will really be starting to fill in. :tup:

[JasonL-Moncton]

from "The Sleuth" - Dynamic Fitness and lululemon hit Orange Lane.

Dynamic Fitness, a franchise in partnership with lululemon athletica, occupied the former Great Canadian Pub at 19 Orange Friday with Triona Harrop herself presiding.

Ms. Harrop co-founded the company with husband and Olympic gold medalist Dave MacEachern and she will be conducting some of the classes in hot yoga, regular yoga and Pilates.

In addition to a lululemon athletica boutique (guess they liked the experiment at Highfield Square last year) the business features a state-of-the-art hot yoga studio with a constantly moist, 105-degree climate - one of only five of its kind in Canada.

Looks like a great way to work off the fish 'n chips and a tall mug of S.O.B. brew from the Pump House Brewery next door.

I know a LOT of gals that are gonna be really happy about the news of Lululemon coming to Moncton (it's expensive though).

JL

[MonctonRad]

Colour for the page - from today's T&T

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=617274&size=900x0

[MonctonRad]

Citizens help save downtown trees
Cathy Lebreton - News Staff Nov 02, 2010 06:08:46 AM
News 91.9

MONCTON, NB - Two trees at the corner of St. George and Archibald Streets have been granted a stay of execution, thanks to the efforts of concerned citizens and a city arborist.

Residents staged a small protest yesterday when workers showed up to cut the twin red oaks down.

Dozens of concerned citizens packed city hall last night to urge council to intervene.

They cheered and clapped when city arborist Dan Hicks informed them that the developer has been asked to cease operations until it can be determined whether the trees are on public or private property.

He explains, if a formal survey shows the trees are partly on city owned property, then the city will have some legal foothold to discuss their fate with the developer.

Hicks says the trees, which he estimates are about 80 years old, are healthy.

He says at one time, St. George Street was lined with stately mature trees, but many of them were lost over the years to Dutch Elm disease.

Does anyone know what the development is on St. George St. that is imperilling these two oak trees?

[pierremoncton]

They cheered and clapped when city arborist Dan Hicks informed them that the developer has been asked to cease operations until it can be determined whether the trees are on public or private property.

He explains, if a formal survey shows the trees are partly on city owned property, then the city will have some legal foothold to discuss their fate with the developer.


If the GeoNB Map Viewer is accurate, these trees seem to be part of that parcel.

The city should adopt a tree-cutting bylaw, which exists in other cities. It would've been unfortunate to have lost the two trees behind the new apartment building at Robinson/Victoria. I'd like to know the age of these two; they're about 6 stories tall.

[JasonL-Moncton]

I'm really glad people protested this...developers really piss me off, they go in an cut down every freakin' tree without realizing that the value of the property will increase at the very least aesthetically if not financially with full growth trees.

Bravo to the residents...

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

The trees are safe.........

According to the T&T, Killam Properties owns the land in question and has no immediate plans for it's development. They are quite happy to follow the community's wishes regarding the fate of these trees.

I agree with pierre, the city should have some form of bylaw protecting mature trees from unnecessary removal.

It takes a tree 25-40 years to mature and reach a decent height. A decision to cut down an asset such as this should not be made lightly.

If the developer of that apartment building in Riverview next to MacAllister Park had seen fit to leave a buffer of trees at the back of his property rather than cut everything down, I'm sure there would have been less of a brou-ha-ha.

Trees have an inherent aesthetic appeal and should be protected when possible. :yes:

[pierremoncton]

Interestingly enough:


Moncton considers new rules on removing trees


Moncton is looking for ways to save more trees after several incidents of residents in the city discovered that developers either had or planned to cut down some mature trees.

[...]

Dan Hicks, the city's supervisor of parks and grounds, said it may be easier to protect trees in the future.

He said he's working on a plan to force developers to get permits before they are allowed to cut down trees.

"There would have to be an assessment of the trees on the site before hand and if there are trees of significance then plans would have to be made to work around them," Hicks said.

Hicks said such a plan would raise the cost of building in the community, so it can only be done if there's enough public support for such a move.

[...]


Source: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/11/03/nb-moncton-trees-policy-148.html

[MonctonRad]

The Ponderosa Restaurant on Mountain Road is closing down.

This is a minor footnote to be sure, but it is interesting to note that this was the last restaurant in a chain that at one point had 150 franchises across Canada. As such, the passing of the Moncton Ponderosa is actually a small piece of corporate history and should be noted.

I only ever ate there twice in the 21 years I have lived in Moncton and always found the business model a bit odd (semi-cafeteria sit down style restaurant), so the closure doesn't make any difference to me.

The loss of Ponderosa however does mean that there will be several prominent vacancies along a a short section of Mountain Road (Smitty's, Bulldog Interactive Fitness and Ponderosa). This fact is disconcerting and could have some effect on adjacent businesses.........

[Steelcowboy]

When's Ponderosa closing?....that really sucks, that was the only buffet I liked in town :( that sucks! What's going on with Moncton, at 1st it sounded so promising with new businesses coming in, now there are more closing or pulling out than opening....Smitty's, Ponderosa, Westjet (the one and only flight here is at a brutal time for departure and a late arrival). Ya maybe these linen and craft stores opening up is good news for some but I roll my eyes...BIG DEAL. UGH :( sorry but along with my truck breaking down, I just found out my fav buffet restaurant is closing down. :(

I would love to see Denny's here :) I hope Westjet adds flights. Otherwise I go back to Air Canada :yuck: they have way better flights to Toronto though.

[JasonL-Moncton]

Steelcowboy...seriously? Ponderosa was your favorite buffet? Really? (blech)

Ponderosa has been their for 35 years, had (at one point) 150 restaurants and haven't changed their business model once...it's the same restaurant as when I was a kid. Successful businesses change with the times...heck A&W used to have drive-in restaurants, with servers on rollerskates...they don't anymore, but are still here and are still successful. IMHO, Ponderosa killed itself.

JL

[mylesmalley]

Not sure which Moncton you're referring to, SteelCowboy...
A few restaurants closing is hardly a sign of a downturn in the economy. There are expansions going on at two industrial parks, expansion at Champlain, a big expansion at Crandall U, tonnes of new apartment construction, new office buildings along Mapleton and Mountain Road, retail developments in Riverview, infill projects like the Peace Centre downtown... I don't think we're in any trouble.

[David_99]

:previous:

Exactly. I think if anything, it shows that Moncton is growing and has more choices now then ever before. People aren't going to put up with less quality if they can get better down the road. Montana's + Keg + City Grill - Ponderosa = Good News.

[Steelcowboy]

I wasn't saying nothing is happening in Moncton...I just hate seeing places close shop or downsize in service. I'm certainly excited with all the projects in town and seeing i'll be living in Moncton for a very looong time, i'm excited when I hear GOOD announcements...Ponderosa wasn't the best by any means...but it was better at times than just Chinese buffets. When I lived in Edmonton they used to have a buffet there called Buffet World, there were 5 different types of buffet tables..Italian, Ukrainian, Chinese, Japanese and American (steak, ribs, hot dogs etc etc.) Anyhow, I hope we see a few more positive changes to the area.

[curious]

re: Champlain Place - the new expansion is for Linen Chest, a Quebec based bath, kitchen and home decor chain.

re: the Mapleton Power Centre:

:dead:

also - they are putting in the foundation for the new medical/dental building at the corner of Lady Ada and Mapleton.

finally, they are also putting in the foundation for a new mixed use building in uptown Dieppe, behind the Co-op supermarket. :tup:


OH NO, I hope they can salvage the mapleton power centre. It would be a waste of money and def. an eye sore. My friends keep asking what the heck is going on with it. I feel like calling for rental inquires and see what they tell me :rolleyes:

[BlackYear]

Ponderosa closing doesn't come to any surprise to me. The only shock is, how in the hell did this place even survived all this time!

I went to Ponderosa once about 18 years ago, and even back then I thought it was a dive. Each day passing by this place, I always wondered, who in the hell eats there?

Denny's really? That's just another grease ball dining place. No thanks.

[BlackYear]

Funny how I look at this photo and hardly anything has changed in 30 years.

Colour for the page - from today's T&T

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=617274&size=900x0

[theshark]

Weird are you looking at the same picture as me?? I see lots of change...and more to come!!!!

[MonctonRad]

double post

[MonctonRad]

Weird are you looking at the same picture as me?? I see lots of change...and more to come!!!!

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=617274&size=900x0

I agree. The skyline of Moncton is dominated (and somewhat distorted by) Assomption Place, the Notre Dame de l'Assomption Cathedral and the Aliant Tower. They have been present for some time and unfairly give the impression of an unchanging skyline.

If you ignore the above, I can see several important additions in this photo that have occurred in the last 25 years.

- The Blue Cross Centre
- Moncton City Hall Complex
- The new Moncton courthouse
- The tower crane for the new Peace Centre.
- The Marriott Hotel

There will soon be a new mixed use residential complex on Assomption Blvd. next to the courthouse and (hopefully) a new downtown arena/events centre.

Things downtown aren't static. Slow yes, but not static. :tup:

[BlackYear]

I guess my point was more towards the skyline, as per the T&T.

If you compare this photo from Google street view taken last year, to any photo from 30 years ago in the same spot, there no much improvement in the skyline category above the blue line.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/blacquiere/Moncton/skyline2.jpg

[mylesmalley]

That will come. There's really no incentive to build up while there's so much land available downtown. The last five years (and especially the last two) have shown that there is a growing interest in filling in those wasted lots downtown. Admittedly the asphalt ocean south of Main has been slower to fill than we'd all like, but lets not forget about the huge growth between Main and St George.

Once land becomes more scarce, demand will push projects upwards. In a way, it might actually work well for us with the land south of Main being so slow to develop. When we get to that point, there probably won't be much of anything left in the core that isn't built up. Even 4-5 story buildings add huge density which make it a lot easier to justify the bigger mixed use projects we'd all like to see. All that big construction could be concentrated right by the water.

[mylesmalley]

I'm obsessed with maps...

Green are buildings that have gone up in the last 5 years or so. I'm sure I'm missing a few. There are a few U/C projects there as well. With the exception of the bus terminal and sobeys, all of these buildings are between 3 and 5 floors.

Orange are places with a good chance of development. The two at the far right and left are the Valmond Robichaud proposed condos. The one next to the courthouse is a mixed use development. The one next to the new Peace Centre would be a multi level parking structure.

http://www.mylesmalley.ca/projects/downtown_map.png
Map from Bing

[JasonL-Moncton]

Myles you forgot the new building on the corner of Vaughn Harvey and Main across from Sobey's.

[JasonL-Moncton]

Anyone know what page that picture of that Huge old building that was torn down to make way for Highfield Square is? I wanted to show someone...

JL

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

I'm much too lazy to search through nearly 400 pages of posts to look for this but I know that the image came from the McCord Museum in Montreal, which maintains a large inventory of historical photographs so I just looked there instead! :haha:

I believe that the building in question was the old Intercolonial Railway Headquarters. This is what it looked like:

http://eich.wsg.mcgill.ca/largeimages/v3398.jpg

In behind the ICR headquarters was the handsome old Victorian style train station:

http://eich.wsg.mcgill.ca/largeimages/v3397.jpg

Every time I come across images like this it makes me both angry and sad to realize just how much of our architectural heritage is gone.......:(

And this is from a pro-development individual!

You must save the best of the past while at the same time marching bravely into the future...............

Buildings like this should be saved if at all possible. At the same time it should still be possible to build meaningful and substantial new buildings in the city in order to enhance ongoing growth and prosperity within the community. These two goals should not be mutually exclusive!

This is why Moncton High, the Assomption Cathedral and the YWCA building should be saved. They are important links to our past. There are lots of other places in the downtown that can be redeveloped. :yes:

[joeyedm]

it makes me want to vomit to see what MOncton lost during the whole "urban renewal" phase.

[BlackYear]

Here's a crazy insane idea.

Flatten the current Moncton VIA rail station below. Shouldn't take more than an hour with bulldozer.

Rebuild a replica train station as the above photo. All new construction with the flair and style of the late 1890's. You can easily expand the design with a newly attached left & right wing.

Add a beautiful restaurant, coffee shop, gift shop, mini museum, second or third floor patio decks overlooking Petitcodiac river, Riverview, downtown Moncton. Imagine relaxing on one of these decks having a coffee & reading your newspaper or iPad on the open free Wi-Fi while waiting for the train.

Yes, a crazy idea I know.

Imaging a newly rebuilt replica train station as above fully lite up at night time.

Imagine all of the staff working there in their late 1890's attire. Put a little class and finesse into the place. Imagine being dropped off by taxi at the main door under the old fashion canopy and walking into the station, and the first thing you see is a massive chandelier hanging from the old colonial ceiling with the smell of fresh coffee and pastries in the air.

Imagine all of the downtown workers in the area heading down to the train station for lunch and hoping to catch and see a train go by.

Ah, that's just crazy talk. Tourist would never fall for it.

Yeah, the box below seems to be working well. Leave it alone I guess!

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/blacquiere/Moncton/via02.jpg

[MonctonRad]

Budyser, if you run for mayor, you'd have my vote! :tup:

Not that I think that George LeBlanc is doing a bad job. He's certainly a lot better than Peter Kelly in Halifax. :haha:

[pierremoncton]

Another view (from page 158):

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/tibrcr/11-1.jpg

And another one (taken from a nice slideshow at http://homepage.mac.com/vintagephoto/newbrunswick/PhotoAlbum24.html):

http://homepage.mac.com/vintagephoto/.Pictures/NBPix/Moncton/ev0690.jpg

There's also a bunch of pictures on this site: http://www.acadian-roots.com/moncton.html

I'm not embedding them because they're huge, but this one shows the Intercolonial building from the air (labeled O): http://www.acadian-roots.com/IMAGES/1950_Image3_a.jpg

There are three other aerial views on that site that are really interesting, in part for the mature trees that lined St George St and other streets (as was mentioned in the recent T&T article).

Let's not forget that we still have some nice buildings around: Aberdeen, the three churches at Church/Queen, Marven's, Canada Post and the old hospital at King/St George. I'm leaving out Eaton's purposely because it's an eyesore to me.

[Dmajackson]

Budyser, if you run for mayor, you'd have my vote! :tup:

Not that I think that George LeBlanc is doing a bad job. He's certainly a lot better than Peter Kelly in Halifax. :haha:

Meh could be worse ... development hating Howard Epstein is rumoured to be running in 2012. At least if the doomsday people are right he will only have one month to mess everything up. :haha:

[mylesmalley]

Thanks for those photos...quite a history lesson.

It's absolutely amazing how a (relatively) young city like Moncton can change so dramatically in less than a century. A lot of landmarks are visible. A lot are gone, but if you know what you're looking for, you can still see their effects on future build patterns and land use.

Unfortunately, we have lost some real gems. The ICR and old train stations among them. But lets not forget that a lot of the stuff that's no longer there really wasn't worth keeping around. It's a shame to see a lot of the parking lots downtown used to have proper buildings in them, though.

And some things are definitely for the better. While I strongly support a downtown passenger station, does anyone really think the city is lesser for not having a full-fledged downtown freight yard? Or an incinerator next to the river? Even a sugar refinery, for that matter.

Cities are as organic as the people who build them. They change and grow and shrink. Old stuff gets torn down, hopefully to be replaced by new, better stuff. It's taken a long time for downtown to recover from the 80s/90s, but I think as my post from yesterday points out, there's no questioning that things are getting better.

I look forward to what the next few years bring with them. I'm sure we'll be blighted by a few more Rogers' and certainly more vinyl than we'd all care to see, but there'll certainly be a few Dominion blocks and Blue Cross Centres in the mix too!

[StormShadow]

Another view (from page 158):
There's also a bunch of pictures on this site: http://www.acadian-roots.com/moncton.html

I'm not embedding them because they're huge, but this one shows the Intercolonial building from the air (labeled M): http://www.acadian-roots.com/IMAGES/1950_Image3_a.jpg

There are three other aerial views on that site that are really interesting, in part for the mature trees that lined St George St and other streets (as was mentioned in the recent T&T article).

Nice find. If you look really hard at the huge aerial photo, lower right hand corner along Main St (now West Main) you can see a 2nd subway. I believe the rail path that crosses over Main would become Vaughn Harvey. I think the rail path ran north, then west along St.George. Also, I do remember as a child in the late 70's, the concrete retaining walls for that subway still being there- but no rails or bridge crossing over. The removal of these concrete walls and rebuilding of West Main could have been part of a Vaughn Harvey extension.

[MonctonRad]

Nice find. If you look really hard at the huge aerial photo, lower right hand corner along Main St (now West Main) you can see a 2nd subway. I believe the rail path that crosses over Main would become Vaughn Harvey. I think the rail path ran north, then west along St.George. Also, I do remember as a child in the late 70's, the concrete retaining walls for that subway still being there- but no rails or bridge crossing over. The removal of these concrete walls and rebuilding of West Main could have been part of a Vaughn Harvey extension.

I didn't grow up in Moncton and can't remember the ICR or the original train station. My father worked for CNR however and we travelled frequently by passenger train so I can remember the (current) train station in Moncton being a darn sight more busy than it is now, sometimes with three passenger trains converging at the station at the same time (From PEI and from Saint John meeting the Ocean Limited).

I miss the bustle of the train station but I agree with Myles that the downtown is no place for a rail yard. StormShadow is correct, there was a rail spur that headed northwest from the downtown rail yard to the CNR Shops. This spur became the right-of-way for Vaughan Harvey Boulevard.

This lands functions much better as a four lane limited access route to the downtown than as a rail spur. Not all change is bad. :)

[mylesmalley]

Vaughan Harvey was once the line that ran to the CN Shops. However there was also a spur that branched off, crossed St George, and followed the path of the new trail the city has been working on. It connected with Franklin Yard, which used to be in behind the old GM building, on the other side of Pacific Avenue from the Shops. That spur continued until it joined up with the line that runs out to Gordon Yard where Killam Drive crosses Wheeler.

[JasonL-Moncton]

Thanks for finding the pics guys...they are fantastic.

Budsyer...love, love, love the train station idea.

It sickens me to see that ICR building gone...so sad.

Yes...not having the rail yard downtown is good...but stop destroying the 'character' buildings in the city.

JL

[MonctonRad]

- Something in the T&T today about Dieppe city council approving a $1.1M tender for excavation and foundation work for a new city operations centre on Ruffin Drive off of Dieppe Blvd. The bulk of the work on this facility has not yet been tendered and will be performed in 2011.

- Also, there was an interesting item on CBC radio this morning about a delegation from the GMIA visiting an important air cargo facility in Belgium, trying to drum up new business for the airport. It sounds like the airport authority is planning on placing increased emphasis on the importance of air cargo to future growth at the airport. This is probably wise. It's more likely that there could be exponential growth in the cargo side of the airport business rather than in passenger traffic (which will follow a more gradual increase).

[David_99]

Thanks for finding the pics guys...they are fantastic. It sickens me to see that ICR building gone...so sad.


Had a few spare minutes between looking for a job, thought I'd do a before and after, thanks to Google Street View.
The angles aren't prefect, but you get the idea. Sorry about the width. If you can't see the whole pic and you're on a PC, just click "Ctrl" & "-" to zoom out.

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/6868/41068264.jpg

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/250/alman.jpg

http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/9950/botsford.jpg

http://img574.imageshack.us/img574/7790/gunningsville.jpg

http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/1151/westmain.jpg

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/4320/eastmain.jpg

[mmmatt]

Ponderosa closing doesn't come to any surprise to me. The only shock is, how in the hell did this place even survived all this time!

I went to Ponderosa once about 18 years ago, and even back then I thought it was a dive. Each day passing by this place, I always wondered, who in the hell eats there?

Denny's really? That's just another grease ball dining place. No thanks.

My thoughts exactly...seriously...I went in once about three years ago just to check it out and we turned around and left before even getting past the entrance! The menu boards looked like they were from 1965!!

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

re: post #1 above - Good work David, this really helps you realize how things have changed in the last 125 years or so. I especially appreciate the perspectives of Main Street. I miss the awnings. :(

re: post #2 above - mmmatt, you're alive!!

:banana: :banana: :banana:

[pierremoncton]

Had a few spare minutes between looking for a job, thought I'd do a before and after, thanks to Google Street View.


Great job.

[David_99]

Great job.

Thanks. I just noticed on the last picture, the building on the left. I didn't realize the old Dooley's / "Fitness" building is the same structure as the old Caledonia building, just paneled the hell out of it. They even put panel siding over the old "Caledonia Building 1892" sign up top. Now that's a shame.

[riverviewdood]

cool pictures david....

I have one thing to say about ponderosa: MSG

haha

[JasonL-Moncton]

Good Job David! Those are awesome!

Yah the Dooley's building is sad...

[Dmajackson]

Hmmm ... I wonder if the people in the minivan in the last photo know they're being googled. ;)

Moncton has some nice heritage buildings. If you want we can ship our Heritage folks over there to stop development in the name of "19th century lifestyle". :P

[David_99]

Hmmm ... I wonder if the people in the minivan in the last photo know they're being googled. ;)

Maybe they're the ancestors of the little girl and baby in the right picture!

[JasonL-Moncton]

Maybe they're the ancestors of the little girl and baby in the right picture!

Now that would just be creepy...:yes:

[MonctonRad]

Now that would just be creepy...:yes:

It would be less creepy if they were the descendants of the little girl and the baby in the right picture..........

It would after all get rid of that old "time paradox" problem!

:haha: :jester: :notacrook:

[BlackYear]

Now that would just be creepy...:yes:

Not creepy, but rather the most amazing coolest thing ever!

Great job on the photos David.

One thing that hasn't changed in a century, looks like Moncton Main street was dead 100 years ago, and it still dead today. :haha:

Not really a laughing matter, but kinda is.

[MonctonRad]

New housing construction strong in Dieppe
Published Thursday November 11th, 2010
BY YVON GAUVIN
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

The residential sector continues to lead the way in new construction in Dieppe with 56 of the 64 building permits issued by the city's inspection department in October earmarked for residential units. The 56 permits are worth $4.89 million in construction value, according to the inspection department.

The value for all of the permits issued last month is $5,724,997 and includes 44 new units.

This is good news for Dieppe, Deputy-Mayor J.L. Paul LeBlanc said at Monday night's city council meeting after hearing the numbers. It shows Dieppe is stuck in the growth mode, he offered.

However, some councillors raised the question of split between residential and commercial. Ideally, there should be a 60/40 split with 60 per cent of the permits for residential units, they said. At the moment, the permits continue to favour residential construction, they said. More effort will be needed to encourage additional commercial development, the councillors said.

Last month, seven permits for work totalling $537,000 were issued in the commercial sector and one permit worth $298,000 issued in the industrial sector.

The total number of permits issued to date in 2010 is 584 worth $67,794,729 and creating 581 new units. A comparison with the same period in 2009 shows a marked increase. The 2009 figures show 562 permits issued for 442 units and a total worth of $61,654,714.

Among the permits issued last month was one for $475,200 issued to Metropolitan Homes to build a six-unit apartment building with a garage on Damien Street.

A second permit worth $392,080 was issued to Serge Gauvin Entreprises to build a four-unit apartment building with garage on Lionel Street. A third permit worth $350,000 was issued to Cadillac Fairview for 12,422 sqare feet of space to house Linen Chest.

A fourth permit worth $298,740 was issued to 512900 NB Inc. to erect an 5,340 square foot industrial building on the east end of Champlain Street.

[MonctonRad]

Excerpted from an October 2010 update on the MID website......

Moncton Industrial Park West – a familiar name for a brand new development!

The entire area currently being developed will open up some 120 acres creating a variety of sites for new business opportunity. Phase One of the development is actually being done in two parts. Part one will open up the first half of the lots and part two, the balance. But the parts are being carried out somewhat seamlessly in that even before part one was complete, work began on part two.

Now that we are in to October, the underground services (sewer and water) and the road base are complete for part one while most of the underground is now complete for part two. Another aspect of this work is the building of stormwater detention facilities. These are essentially large “dry” ponds that allowed for stormwater runoff to accumulate in the pond rather than overload the municipal system. The aim is for a net zero impact. Both part one and part two will have two of these facilities.

The land is adjacent to the existing park on its west side connected by Delong Drive over the CN tracks. But for Phase One, entry will be from Berry Mills Road on the newly constructed extension of Horsman Road. To further facilitate such entry, the north side of Horsman Road has been realigned to meet at Berry Mills Road in a straight on intersection along with new traffic lights. In addition, a turning lane on the south side will further facilitate direct entry from Berry Mills Road right into the park.

When Spring arrives next year, work will begin with the curbing and paving so by this time next year, the entire Phase One will be complete and open.

In the meantime, the lots in part one will be available for sale and development by the end of October so interested parties don’t have to wait for the full job to be complete. In fact, we already have our first commitment and the project is being readied for groundbreaking in the very near future, keep an eye out for news.

From the air, Phase One looks like a large racetrack. When complete, it certainly could be such a track but we trust drivers will treat it like any other city street. The shape is simply the most efficient way of opening this north section of the new park lands. In future, the main entry, Horsman Road, is intended to continue south to connect to Delong Drive and begin opening up the balance of the park land. But that will be some time down the road. We have also allowed for a second access street, Cooke Drive, to further enable the opening of the additional lands.

But this new park is more than just roads, we have a distinct vision for this park, a vision to make it a little different from what went before. Those detention facilities are an example of that vision as we take steps to lessen the environmental impact. We will also be enlisting the businesses that locate in the park to take up this challenge and employ environmental benefits in their landscaping, their lighting and in their building materials. We want Moncton Industrial Park West to be a showpiece for Moncton’s industrial parks and a showpiece for those new businesses.

[Steelcowboy]

I heard a rumour at work that a rail spur will also go into this new industrial park...anyone else heard anything about this? I certainly hope so, more work for us :)

[stephan.richard]

A good use ofor the old Ponderossa location would be a prime location for a Hooters restaurant in Moncton.... What would be your opinion and i hope thet they can get the Mapleton Power center up and running..

[mylesmalley]

I heard a rumour at work that a rail spur will also go into this new industrial park...anyone else heard anything about this? I certainly hope so, more work for us :)

If you look at the lot plans for the complete expansion, you'll notice there's a short spur going into the second phase of the development.

[Steelcowboy]

After I posted that thread I looked at the website and I noticed it. This should be good for the region :) hopefully more rail usage and even cargo plane usage as well, i'd love to see some big cargo planes come in...planes heading to or from Europe :)

[Steelcowboy]

A good use ofor the old Ponderossa location would be a prime location for a Hooters restaurant in Moncton.... What would be your opinion and i hope thet they can get the Mapleton Power center up and running..

Hooters opened up in London..it was a total failure, bad location was one reason. The food wasn't the greatest either. Chances are it will open up as another Chinese restaurant :( too many already in that short vicinity. Opening up a Kelsey's, Tony Roma's, Jack Astor's, Crabby Joe's wouldn't be a bad idea neither would TACO TIME :P

[MonctonRad]

Mount Allison top undergraduate school in Canada (Again)
Published Friday November 12th, 2010

Sackville institution wins prestigious award for the 14th time in 20 years
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

SACKVILLE - Mount Allison University has again been named the top undergraduate school in Canada by Maclean's magazine in its 20th annual University Rankings Issue.

Mount Allison has been ranked Canada's No. 1 undergraduate university by Maclean's a record 14 times in the past 20 years and has never placed lower than second. The university has placed first for the past four years in a row and no other university has led its category so many times.

"At Mount Allison, we strive to offer the most enriching and engaging experience for our students in a sustainable fashion. We are pleased that the Maclean's assessment once again validates our approach," Mount Allison president and vice-chancellor Dr. Robert Campbell said in a news release.

Mount Allison received top or high marks in many categories in the 2010 Maclean's rankings, including "Student Awards," "Student/Faculty Ratio," "Awards Per Full-Time Faculty," "Library Expenses," and "Library Holdings Per Student."

In the reputational survey, which asked over 11,000 CEOs, experts, educators and community leaders from across the nation for their views on quality, innovation and leadership at Canadian universities, Mount Allison improved two spots from last year, ranking second overall in its category for "Best Overall" and placing in the top five for "Most Innovative," and "Leaders of Tomorrow." Mount Allison was ranked as having the "Highest Quality" in its category.

Maclean's also published responses to surveys of students, such as the Canadian University Survey Consortium (CUSC), which lists 34 institutions representing 12,000 students. In the 2009 survey 98 per cent of Mount Allison students surveyed said they were satisfied with the quality of teaching, while 94 per cent indicated that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their decision to attend the university.

Campbell, who is also president of the Atlantic Association of Universities (AAU), commends the continued strong performance of east coast universities.

"Year after year the Atlantic Canadian institutions demonstrate that they offer unique and compelling options for students," said Campbell.

St. Thomas University in Fredericton went from number 14 last year to number 16 in the Primary Undergraduate category. L'Université de Moncton fell to number 20 from last year's number 19 ranking in the Primary Undergraduate category. The University of New Brunswick held its number six position in the Comprehensive category, which was topped by Simon Fraser University.