The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[mmmatt]

Despite temptations to head south, retailers say their customers are remaining loyal

By Dwayne Tingley
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Friday December 14th, 2007
Appeared on page A1

Canada's loonie may be swimming in some high water these days, but retailers in southeastern new Brunswick have ducked the trend of many shoppers to fly south this Christmas season.

The Canadian and American dollars are on par, but merchants have been hyping the importance of shopping at home. Their message has made an impact.

Heather Gilbert-Patterson, manager of the Crofter Gifts and Flower Shop on Bridge Street in Sackville, said yesterday her customers are proud to buy locally.

"They take great delight in telling me about their shopping habits," Gilbert-Patterson said.

"They tell me that they come to our shop first then look around Sackville and if they can't find what they are looking for, they move on somewhere else.

"They don't want to go out of the province or to the States unless they are looking for a unique gift."

Gilbert-Patterson has operated the Crofter for nine years, but the store has been a fixture in downtown Sackville for more than 40. This year. home decor items are the big sellers.

"Christmas ornaments are always popular, but people are looking for things to place in their homes," she said. "We're selling more pottery now. It's all Canadian and most of it is from the Maritimes. As merchants, we like to shop at home, too."

Mike Carbyn, a retired social worker who runs his own antique shop on High Street in Moncton, has also seen an increase in business this Christmas.

"People might talk about going south to do some shopping, but your long-time customers stay with you," Carbyn said.

"Repeat customers are the bread and butter of the retail industry. When it's all said and done, most customers want to support their neighbours, the people they've been dealing with for years and years."

The antique business is enjoying its best Christmas season in three years, despite the low American dollar.

"What's hot this year? Antique toys. The wind-up toys from the 1920s and '30s are huge sellers and so is lighting from the '20s. Any sort of collectable is moving well at this time of year.

"There are also a lot of people refurbishing their homes with older lighting fixtures. That's the trend this year."

At Bungay's Bike and Snowboard Shop on Mountain Road in Moncton, business is booming.

"We're swamped," said Reg Bungay, who has run the store for 35 years. "We're going crazy in here.

"We had to adjust our prices to compensate for the low American dollar but, since then, it's been crazy. We can't keep the snowboards in stock. So far this season, we've sold 400 snowboards and it's not enough. We've got to get more in stock."

Bungay said shoppers should realize some of the perils of buying products in the United States.

"If," he explained, "you buy in the States, (the product) may not have a warranty. If you need it fixed and you buy here, bring it back here. It sure beats trying to ship the product back and forth from the States and then there's no guarantee it is going to be under warranty."

Consumers are also buying bicycles this Christmas. Bungay's has sold more than 100 bikes this season, that's a slight increase over last year.

"I hope everyone can do all of their shopping near home this year," Bungay said.

[mmmatt]

Province to turn to public-private partnership for new north-end school; cash for Moncton High renovations also reportedly in budget

By Aloma Jardine
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Friday December 14th, 2007
Appeared on page A1

Metro Moncton schools did not fare so well in last year's capital budget, but Education Minister Kelly Lamrock is making up for it this year.

In an interview with the Times & Transcript yesterday, Lamrock says he'll be announcing two public-private partnership projects for the region during his budget estimates today -- one of them for the construction of the long-awaited north-end school.

The new school is desperately needed to relieve overcrowding at existing schools, in particular Evergreen Park.

Lamrock says moving to public-private partnerships is the best way for the province to get needed infrastructure in place quickly.

He says areas like Moncton's north end have grown faster than predicted and if the province tried to tackle the infrastructure needs that has created through traditional funding methods, it wouldn't be able to keep up.

"That is why we're looking at P3s," he says. "We're actually getting schools built, and it allows us to do it in a more affordable way."

It also looks like there might be money in the budget to begin extensive renovations at Moncton High School.

Moncton East MLA Chris Collins says he will be ecstatic if the funding comes through.

"I'm hoping it is there. I'm getting some positive vibes on it," he says.

Lamrock isn't dropping any hints about the fate of Moncton High, saying only that he is fully aware of the situation at the school.

"Chris Collins has been awfully aggressive in dragging me down there," he says, laughing.

Collins says he received a huge stack of information the day before his election detailing the conditions at the school: poor ventilation and air quality, a leaky roof, mold issues, problems with the heating system, no sprinklers, unsanitary washrooms, drinking fountains that don't work, an electrical system that is woefully outdated.

"I was appalled," he says. "I've had the minister of education there twice, he shares my concerns, and I have worked very hard with my colleagues in the House and my cabinet colleagues to try to raise this as an issue."

Although there was some discussion around starting over with a new building because of the extent and cost of the needed repairs, Collins says he favours keeping the current building.

"It is a very historic building, an important piece of infrastructure in the downtown core of Moncton," he says. "I think it will pretty much need to be gutted and rebuilt within that framework, but it is a beautiful building and it is so worth saving."

If funding does come through, it will likely be as phase one of a multi-year project as renovations are expected to cost in the realm of $10 million.

"I can't ask for it to be built in one year," Collins says. "But to get the ball rolling would be -- I will be jumping up and down on the right hand side of the House."

Lamrock remained close-lipped on where the new north-end school will be built, explaining the province had been close to closing a deal, but it fell through. He says they have found another location and are in the process of negotiations, but a deal has not yet been finalized and he won't make the announcement until it has been.

Neither would he reveal what the second public-private partnership project for the region is, though he did say it involves an English-language school.

Riverview needs a new K-8 school, but that project is likely a few years down the road.

Birchmount School also needs extensive renovations, but Lamrock says the private-public partnership model works best for new schools.

"We've not found a way for it to work for renovations," he says. "We really want to look at this for new schools. We have lots of aging infrastructure."

A more likely possibility is a replacement for Eleanor W. Graham Middle School in Richibucto, a project that also got bumped from the capital budget last year.

While the news for Metro Moncton's English-language schools seems bright, Lamrock was less encouraging about a request for an expansion of École Sainte-Thérèse in Dieppe to accommodate the growing elementary school population.

"In the long term we certainly have to do that but, in many ways, I think we would strain the capacity given how big the infrastructure needs are province-wide," he says.

"It wasn't that long ago that schools were built in Dieppe, then we had problems in Moncton, and now we've outgrown schools in Dieppe, but we have to balance that with communities that have been waiting eight or nine years."

[mmmatt]

Moncton airport CEO wonders who will foot bill for changes to runway safety areas


The Greater Moncton International Airport, with a view of both runways looking southeast from over Highway 15.

By Eric Lewis
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Friday December 14th, 2007
Appeared on page A4

Possible changes to Canadian airport runways in the future could prove "very costly" for the Greater Moncton International Airport if they were to come into effect, says airport president and CEO Rob Robichaud.

In a report released Wednesday, the Transportation Safety Board made several recommendations to Transport Canada and the world's regulatory bodies to improve airplane landing safety. The report comes in the aftermath of Air France Flight 358 skidding off a runway at Toronto's Pearson International Airport on Aug. 2, 2005, during torrential rain.

Remarkably, no one was hurt in the crash, but the safety board studied the case to determine what caused the crash so it could make recommendations that might keep a similar accident from happening again.

One of the key recommendations was for Transport Canada to require 300-metre runway end safety areas (RESAs) instead of the current 90-metre RESAs on all Code 4 runways (1,800 metres and longer). An alternative would be to install an engineering material arresting system (EMAS), a thick foam that can slow aircraft when it reaches the end of the runway, or perhaps simply extending the runways.

Both of GMIA's two runways are Code 4 runways, the shorter of the two being 1,874 metres, so they would be affected by these potential changes.Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon said in a press release that Transport Canada was in the process of reviewing the report, but didn't say if or when any of the recommendations would be put into effect.

If 300-metre safety zones do become a requirement for Canadian airports, it would present a few problems for the Greater Moncton International Airport (GMIA), Robichaud said yesterday.

"It could have a severe impact on one of our runways because we really don't have the ability to put a 300-metre RESA in place because of the geography, and the closeness of Champlain (Street) to runway 06."

Runway 06/24 runs to the northeast, parallel to the nearby Veterans Highway. One end of the runway is only a short distance from Champlain Street, with a gully also separating the two.

"You couldn't put 300 metres of RESA on there," Robichaud continues. "So we would probably end up having to shorten the runway, which would not be necessarily a good thing, or even more expensive than that would be to extend it out to the other end to make up. But either one, whatever decision the is at the end of the day, it's going to be very costly. It'll be in the millions of dollars."

Robichaud then poses the question -- who will pay for these changes if the recommendations are adopted?

"At small airports, we can't afford that kind of unexpected type of capital investment."

If the change does come into effect, it will impact all four runway "buttons", the ends of each of the two runways at GMIA.

"That's the type of unexpected capital cost in my mind that if the government is going to impose this on us, then they should be willing to step to the plate and pay for it."

Transport Canada spokeperson Lucie Vignola said yesterday there will indeed be change coming in the future to improve safety, but as for what they will be and who will pay for them, "That's the type of detail that we will be consulting with industry on.

"Are we simply extending the runways? Are we looking at alternate means? And what are the costs of all that and the safety benefits of all that? That's something that we'll be doing in the coming year."

GMIA's Robichaud says he doesn't believe the other recommendations put forth by the Transportation Safety Board will likely affect the Moncton airport.

[mmmatt]

Members-only retail outlet is now open on Mountain Road



By Yvon Gauvin
Times & Transcript staff
Published Friday December 14th, 2007
Appeared on page C2

Home building, renovation and furniture shopping just got a whole lot more interesting.

DirectBuy, the members-only manufacturer-direct retail enterprise launched in the United States three decades ago, has opened its first New Brunswick full-service design showroom at 950 Mountain Rd, Moncton.

The 10,335-square-foot showroom and adjacent warehouse offers members access to thousands of brand-name products from 500 manufacturers and suppliers at their prices.

Many homeowners have seen the television advertisement where couples said they bought home renovation products from DirectBuy and saved big by buying direct from the manufacturer. That's what the franchise outlet is offering New Brunswickers, said the company.

Consumers save the cost of the retail store mark-up in exchange for a membership fee.

The company based in Merrillville, Ind., claims potential savings as high as 50 per cent off the retail price of products, thanks to its extensive manufacturer access, with 700 manufacturers in the U.S. and 500 in Canada on board. The company claims 140 centres across North America and still growing.

The membership fee to join the company is discussed only with the prospective member.

The owner-operators of the Moncton franchise are Cindy Law and Lynn Berry.

"Consumers in the area will be blown away by the wide array of merchandise and significant savings that we offer," said Berry. "Members will enjoy personalized service as they navigate through our extensive selection of brand-name, top-of-the-line merchandise."

The centre offers virtually everything for and around the home such as furnishings, home improvement, flooring, entertainment and outdoor products, accessories and much more as well as delivery and installation services.

"DirectBuy has offered its members unmatched savings, selection and service for the past 35 years, and we are excited to bring that tradition to our New Brunswick location," said Bart Fesperman, vice-president of sales and marketing for DirectBuy. "We offer the top home furnishings and home improvement brands at discounted prices that consumers will not find anywhere else. We're confident that families in the area will quickly benefit from this exciting concept."

To further assist with home renovations, the centre provides access to interior designers and product specialists in home furnishings, home improvement, flooring, accessories, and entertainment/outdoor, as well as the designs for home decor of Christopher Lowell.

Anyone interested in joining is encouraged to call 506-384-3009 to discuss membership, get a free insider's guide and set up an appointment to attend an open house at the centre.

There are existing outlets in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and in British Columbia as well as in most U.S. states.

Quick facts

* The company was founded in 1971 with its head office in Merrillville, Ind.

* There are currently 140 centres across North America and Moncton is first New Brunswick site.

* The store offers thousands of brand-name items at manufacturer prices; access to 700 manufacturers in U.S.; 500 in Canada; delivery and installation services; and home decor designs and renovation tips.

* There is a membership fee to join and there is 24- hour access through its website.

[mmmatt]

Moncton's vacancy rates reported at 4.3 per cent

Times & Transcript staff
Published Friday December 14th, 2007
Appeared on page C2

The demand for rental units seems to have kept pace with new housing construction in most major New Brunswick urban centres, says a rental market survey released yesterday by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

"Stable rental unit demand during the past year has led to declining vacancy rates" in six of seven urban centres in the province, said Claude Gautreau, senior market analyst with CMHC in New Brunswick. The exception was Fredericton where the vacancy rate increased by 1.7 per cent.

The vacancy rate in Moncton was reported at 4.3 per cent, down half of a percentage point for the year, and Saint John at 5.2 per cent.

Two-bedroom units make up more than half of the rental units in the province's three major cities.

The vacancy rate also declined in four smaller centres with the lowest rate in Miramichi at 1.2 per cent vacancy and the highest in Edmundston at 8.2 per cent.

The largest year-over-year decline was in Campbellton where the vacancy rate dropped 4.7 percentage points to settle at 4.9 per cent vacancy.

The overall vacancy rate for the province for the year dropped from 6.7 to 6.1 per cent.

[mmmatt]

So far this year, $128M worth of building permits have been issued in Moncton

Times & Transcript staff
Published Friday December 14th, 2007
Appeared on page C2

Strong investor confidence in Moncton's economic potential is helping fuel the continued growth in residential and commercial/industrial construction projects for the city.

Last month, the city issued 88 building permits for $14,150,000 worth of construction, bringing the total to date this year to 1,133 permits worth $128,789,000, just a little over eight per cent below last year's record $140,172,000 in construction including expansion of The Moncton Hospital, according to figures released yesterday by the City of Moncton Building Department.

Residential permit values rose by 6.4 per cent last month over November 2006.

"The November 2007 building permits indicates the housing market continues to grow in the City of Moncton, a sign of buyer confidence in the economy. " said Kevin Silliker, Business Development Officer with the city.

"Commercial and industrial projects have increased in value by 22.5 per cent over last year showing continued strong investment from the private sector. Other projects are moving forward so it's expected our builders and developers will continue to put up growth numbers," he added.

Of the 88 permits issued last month, 31 were for commercial and industrial construction worth $7,696,000, bringing the year-to-date estimated worth at $56,466,000.

Last year's total for the same time period was $46,091,000 in construction.

Major projects granted permits last month include $1,500,000 in interior work at the Keg Restaurant and Bar, Marriott Residence Inn; a 26,000 square foot greenhouse valued at $1,860,000 at 50 Lewisville Rd.; a warehouse valued at $1,092,500 for Bird Holdings Ltd., 50 MacNaughton Ave., and S5,000 in interior renovations by G.W.R. Holdings and Lawton's at 40 Mapleton Rd.

Quick facts

Following are value figures for construction permits issued by the City of Moncton. The first total represents November 2007 figures followed by November 2006 totals and percentage of change, and year-to-date for 2007 with comparison to 2006 building permits and difference in percentage:

Residential:

November: total value $4,593,000 compared to $4,316,000, up 6.4 per cent; Year-to-date: $59,762,000 compared to $55,356,000 last year, up 8 per cent;

Institutional and Government:

November: $1,861,000 compared to $29,669,000, no percentage listed; Year-to-date: $12,561,000 compared to $38,725,000, a drop of 67.6 per cent;

Commercial and industrial:

November: $7,696,000 compared to $1,851,000, an increase of 315.8 per cent; Year-to-date: $56,466,000 compared to $46,091,000, an increase of 22.5 per cent;

All construction:

November: $14,150,000 compared to $35,836,000, a drop of 60.5 percent;

Year-to-date: $128,789,000 compared to $140,172,000, a drop of 8.1 per cent.

[mylesmalley]

I think the important thing to take from these numbers is the impact the hospital expansion had. When you look at the numbers excluding that one large project, construction this year is quite a bit higher than last year.

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

I think the important thing to take from these numbers is the impact the hospital expansion had. When you look at the numbers excluding that one large project, construction this year is quite a bit higher than last year.

exactly right...Commercial construction is up from last year in a big way and so is residential...the only thing down is government...and next year that number will most likely be back up with major government projects like a new school in the north end, the justice center should be starting, as well as the stadium should be starting, the government also mentioned $1 million+ for each of the Moncton area hospitals as well.

[mylesmalley]

You always have to dig a little into statistics like that. A newspaper like the Transcript will put a spin on anything they can get there hands on. You'd think stats were pretty straightforward, but you can make any number say just about anything with a bit of effort

Also, good news about the new school. I wonder where they'll put it.

[mmmatt]

credit: copanational.org

If all goes as planned we could see some major changes in this area in the near future

Man I miss the summer...

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

You always have to dig a little into statistics like that. A newspaper like the Transcript will put a spin on anything they can get there hands on. You'd think stats were pretty straightforward, but you can make any number say just about anything with a bit of effort

Also, good news about the new school. I wonder where they'll put it.

Very true...you see that everyday when some stats come out...the TJ will spin it to sound like SJ is doing so well while Moncton is sucking ass, meanwhile in the T&T the opposite happens...

As far as the school I have no idea...I was looking at google maps to see, and the majority of free space visible on the map nesr that area is now new neighborhoods (pretty amazing the difference between 2005 and now)...

[mmmatt]

a little design I made while bored, enjoy!

[mmmatt]

Moncton High makeover begins

$500K for design work of school upgrade in N.B. budget; new north-end Moncton school to hold 650 students

By Aloma Jardine
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Saturday December 15th, 2007
Appeared on page A1

A new school for the north end and long-overdue repairs at Moncton High School were the two main plums for Metro Moncton in the 2008-2009 capital budget.

Education Minister Kelly Lamrock released details of his $41.6-million budget during estimates yesterday.

A new K-8 school in the north end, with the capacity to hold 650 students, will be built through a public-private partnership.

Lamrock says no timelines for construction have yet been established.

He says they are in the process of putting together the specs they want for the school so they can send the project out to tender.

"We are going to push it as fast as possible," he says. "We are a little into a new area. It depends on how quickly the tendering process goes, how quickly we get a satisfactory bid."

As much as the north end school has been a priority one project in District 2 for years, Lamrock says one of the projects he was happiest to announce yesterday was the beginning of a desperately needed large-scale renovation of Moncton High School.

The province is budgeting $500,000 this year for design work for the project, which is expected to cost $10 million to $12 million.

"It was a personal priority for me. Much like (the school) in Drummond, it is really to the point where it is sending the wrong message for what we want for our kids," Lamrock says.

Moncton High School principal Trent Munn says his staff was thrilled with the news.

"It certainly gives us new life, new energy," he says. "We've had a really good fall and certainly for our parents and community members and students and staff, we will have a clean, well-ventilated building with modern facilities inside while we keep that beautiful structure on the outside."

Lamrock says this is the first year of a multi-year plan for the school that he envisions could take up to five years.

"It is a big project so we can do it piece by piece and keep the school open while we renovate," he says.

With some speculation floating about that the province might be better off abandoning the school and building a new one elsewhere, Lamrock says he wanted to get the project started and leave no doubt of their intention to keep the historic property.

He says he wasn't convinced it would be any cheaper to build a new school, and finances aside, parents, teachers, students, and the community at large all expressed a desire to keep the current building.

Lamrock says one of the criteria he'll be looking at in the tenders for the new north end school is how quickly the contractor can deliver the school.

John Betts, the Tory MLA for Moncton Crescent, who has been a strong advocate for the new school, says the sooner the better.

"It has to happen and we can't wait until 2010 to do it," he says. "It is not a political thing, it is a physical reality. There are 300 more students at that school (Evergreen Park) than they can handle and there are new families looking to buy in that area who are told they can't go to that school so they go elsewhere and students on the other side of Mountain Road who are bused to Queen Elizabeth."

The previous government budgeted $700,000 toward site selection and design of the new school two years ago, with the intention of opening the school in September 2008, but the Liberal government spent the money on other projects and there was no cash in last year's budget for the project.

When the project failed to move forward last year, District 2 superintendent Karen Branscombe said the district, which administers English-language schools in southeastern New Brunswick, would likely have to move ahead with boundary changes, though it had promised parents to keep the status quo until a new school was in place.

The crowding issues were becoming too severe to leave things as they were any longer.

Yesterday's announcement that a school is definitely on the way may change that.

"We certainly will have to have more discussion with the department in terms of time frames," she says. "We need to know how far away this school really is."

But she says they likely will try to make do for a little while longer.

"We won't want to make any significant boundary changes until we open the school," she says.

Branscombe says she is glad to see the school will be a K-8 as it gives the district more flexibility in planning boundaries.

She says a 650-seat school is also likely big enough to accommodate all of their space issues.

Evergreen Park School was full the day it opened, and an addition had to be built, which was also quickly flooded with new students in the growing neighbourhood.

Lamrock says they'll make sure that doesn't happen with this school. He says a school built for 650 will cover the needs as things stand right now, "but before the shovel hits the ground, we'll do a final check," he says. "You don't want to be back five years later saying another school is a priority."

Lamrock says the school will be built with the province's new educational standards in mind. A visit to schools in Finland, which habitually scores far above other countries in every subject area on international tests, impressed upon him the need to design schools to reflect how you want teaching to be done.

"In Finland there are classrooms with walls where you can see into the hallways and there are books and computers and working tables there," he says.

"Their schools look like you would do the kind of teaching there that would give you better reading and writing scores."

Lamrock also announced a new middle school for 300 students will be built in Rexton to replace Eleanor W. Graham Middle School in Richibucto using the public-private partnership model.

Lamrock says there are several advantages to using this system to build new schools.

"One is you can start projects more quickly," he says, explaining the government doesn't need to come up with so much money in a single year.

It also allows the government to predict costs and spread them over 20 years and it transfers the risk involved in building and owning a school over to the private sector.

"If the experience is bad, we won't see as many of them, but we're going into it with the hope it will work and if it does we will see more of them," he says.

The province already has two schools in the province that were built using public private partnerships: Leo Hayes High School in Fredericton, and Evergreen Park School.

"So far it has been a successful partnership," Branscombe says. "We would look forward to the same happening with the new school as well."

Budget facts

District 1 - $3.1 million

* $2.4 million for an industrial arts shop at Ecole Sainte-Anne

* $300,000 for exterior windows at Ecole Amirault

* $100,000 for the heating system at Ecole Abbey-Landry

* $110,000 for repairs to the roof at Ecole Mathieu-Martin

* $23,000 for interior walls at Ecole Saint-Henri

* $125,000 for exterior windows at Ecole Sainte-Thérèse

* $50,000 for site improvements at Ecole Le Mascaret

* $30,000 for lockers at Ecole Arc-enciel

District 2 - $1.7 million plus north end school

* Construction of a new school in the north end through a public private partnership (cost yet to be determined)

* $500,000 for planning and design of renovations at Moncton High School

* $350,000 for a new drop off zone and upgrades at West Riverview School

* $385,000 for work exterior walls and new windows at Frank L. Bowser School

* $120,000 for work on exterior walls at Hillcrest School

* $350,000 for work on exterior walls and new windows at Hillsborough Elementary

* $42,000 for fire protection work at various schools

Millions in roadwork planned for 2008

Ryan, Mapleton Roads to receive plenty of work, Botsford Street will be widened to relieve rush-hour traffic

By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff Published Saturday December 15th, 2007
Appeared on page A4


With the City of Moncton's 2008 Capital Works Budget passed in principle, it's time to look at what road projects are being contemplated for the coming year.

Passed or not, readers should be aware unanticipated cost overruns with a major project can end up delaying any of these.

A good example is the long-awaited connection of Russ Howard Drive to Killam Drive. Originally slated to be done by now and the subject of public meetings in 2006, the project has now been pushed back to 2012 because money had to be freed up for the more critical Assomption Boulevard and Mapleton Road projects.

With that proviso in mind, here's a peek at where you'll find the flag people come spring.

As reported in the Times & Transcript earlier this week, Mapleton Road work will begin in 2008, with crews starting at Highway 2, the Trans-Canada Highway, and going as close to Trinity Drive as the first pot of money will take them.

City engineer Alcide Richard told council Thursday he hoped the work would end somewhere between Frampton Lane and Trinity.

In a coup for which Moncton mayor Lorne Mitton and Moncton North MLA Mike Murphy are being credited, the city has secured provincial funding of 80 per cent for eligible expenses on the project, rather than the usual 50 per cent on designated highway work. Eligible expenses, simplified somewhat, are those most directly connected to road building.

They don't include extras like land acquisitions, sidewalks, and traffic lights. The city has $5.5 million tucked away to get Mapleton going.

In other designated highway work, $300,000 is inked for widening and storm sewer work on Gorge Road from Atlantic Baptist University to Mountainwood subdivision. There's another $1.2 million on the horizon for Gorge Road, currently slotted for 2010.

Ryan Road will again be a hub of activity in 2008. There's $450,000 set aside for storm sewer work from Penrose to Horsman and road reconstruction from Hildegard to Horsman worth $950,000. A further $300,000 has been set aside for land acquisition to upgrade the intersection at Ryan and Horsman, which should see a realignment the following year.

Botsford Street between Wheeler Boulevard and Mountain Road will be widened, relieving rush hour congestion in the area and helping to make room for the fire trucks exiting the new fire station under construction at the junction of Botsford and King Street. The city has set aside $1.42 million for that project.

Royal Oaks Boulevard will be completed at a cost of $1.2 million, a project approved by city council in October.

St. George Boulevard has a lot of work on the way. A $100,000 sidewalk is planned for the boulevard from MacNaughton High School to Edinburgh Drive. Street resurfacing is planned from Greenwood to Milner, while St. George Street will see resurfacing from Vaughan Harvey to High Street. The combined cost is estimated at $525,000.

A similar amount has been earmarked to resurface Mountain Road from North Street to Connaught Avenue and $110,000 is in the budget to do the same to the full length of Brandon Street.

Residents of Rural Estates will be happy to hear $350,000 is in the 2008 budget for temporary repair of roads in the subdivision. The developer will pay back $180,000 of that to the city. Similarly, $644,000 worth of work is planned for Northwood Drive where the Hampton Inn is being built but the city is paying for it with the $644,000 it got for selling the land for the hotel.

Lastly, there are also varying amounts of money set aside for resurfacing projects on Douglas, High, Leslie, Lynwood, Maplehurst and Reilly.

[mmmatt]

New Sobeys anchors downtown retail hub

Supermarket signals first wave of big growth predicted all along Vaughan Harvey Boulevard



By ROD ALLEN
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF
Published Saturday December 15th, 2007
Appeared on page A1

Moncton's new Sobeys supermarket opens at noon tomorrow and is cause for celebration all by itself with three times the jobs and twice the shopping of the store it replaces.

But it is also the first major commercial development directly related to the completion of the new Gunningsville Bridge in 2006 and the link to Vaughan Harvey Boulevard this past summer.

The new store is thus a giant leap forward for growth in Moncton and Sobeys 'sister company' ECL Developments, owner of the new supermarket and neighbouring Highfield Square, is poised to be a big part of it.

Steve Cleroux, director of development for ECL, said in an interview yesterday the company has already fielded strong interest from a wave of retail companies about the adjoining 10,000 square feet of newly built and still empty retail space on the West Main Street-facing north flank of the new supermarket, which in turn faces the new Vaughan Harvey Extension to the bridge. The south flank is taken up by a new NB Liquor outlet scheduled to open in mid-February.

Cleroux said he can't identify those interests today but said the entire 10,000 square feet is available for lease and that negotiations are moving at a pace that suggests 'tenant build-outs' launching in the spring and grand openings in the summer of 2008.

Further, ECL also owns two open acres immediately south of the existing supermarket-NB Liquor-retail complex bordering the Via Rail tracks and that, too, is drawing strong interest.

Cleroux could not say what might happen in the existing Highfield Square mall facing West Main but the company's tentative plans for the mall's old Sobeys supermarket -- it closes tonight -- suggest plenty of action is foreseen for the mall as well. Cleroux said ECL will likely demolish the old store for extra parking space "although nothing is cast in stone.

"We're waiting to see what happens. Our leasing personnel are dealing with potential retailers as we speak (but) it's obvious that the (overall) site can't help but improve traffic flow and build customer base in the area."

All available land on either side of the Extension will be a tempting target for retailers, says Ben Champoux, director of business development for the City of Moncton.

And there's lots of it.

Champoux noted CN and other parties own some big chunks of undeveloped land surrounding Highfield Square and the tracks. Giffels, the developer of the Emmerson commercial park further north of Vaughan Harvey, is talking about expanding the park but also building new commercial space on land it controls across the Extension from the new supermarket.

Champoux foresees quick movement all the way up the boulevard from the bridge northward to the land adjacent the new YMCA building, but the overall story is much larger than that. The plan is to fully develop Vaughan Harvey as part of a commercial pathway for regional shoppers pouring into the city from New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and northern Nova Scotia with a widened Mapleton Road as the entry point.

That way, shoppers can touch first at commercial areas such as the now-developing north end of Mapleton, to Trinity Power Centre and Plaza Boulevard and down Mountain Road to Vaughan Harvey and ultimately the downtown.

"It's a great day," said Champoux of Sobey's grand opening, "because it's obviously not just new jobs and better shopping but a strong new argument to consider downtown as a place to live as well as work."

Champoux predicted that the residential development that has been building up gradually in the downtown over the past decade will pick up quickly.

Moncton Mayor Lorne Mitton, who will speak at the store's grand opening (unless a predicted snowstorm delays it) said he has taken great pleasure in watching the new store take shape so quickly.

The mayor didn't miss an opportunity to mention that rapid growth is the kind of thing a municipal government can spur with extra tax money available from recent increases in property assessments.

But the best thing about the supermarket for him personally, said the mayor, is that within his four-year mandate he has witnessed two huge projects built to anchor the ends of downtown Main -- the Marriott Hotel and Keg restaurant in the east and the $15-million Sobeys development in the west.

Mitton will speak at the opening ceremonies which run from noon to 6 p.m., said Sobeys representative Jill Thomas-Myrick.

Local entertainment includes a three-piece jazz band and a concert by the West End School Choir.

About 50 employees worked at the old store and the new one requires a staff of 157, said Thomas-Myrick.

The store is twice as large as the old one as well, and contains all the new features the companies has been adding to its new fleet of supermarkets such as a deli department featuring more than 140 varieties of cheese.

The new store also has a 'community room' where at least once a week a local chef will be brought in to give cooking demonstrations.

The room will be available to community groups when the store isn't using it. It can be booked through the store's manager.


Who's hiring in Metro in 2008?

Finance, real estate, insurance sectors expected to lead Metro Moncton, Atlantic job growth in first three months

By James Foster
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Saturday December 15th, 2007
Appeared on page D1

The finance, insurance and real estate sectors are the places to launch your new career in Atlantic Canada in early 2008, says the quarterly Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.

"Atlantic employers in the Finance, insurance and real estate sectors expect a robust hiring climate with an outlook of 31 per cent," the survey says. Other sectors project a strong job market in the region as well, Manpower says.

"Employers in the public administration sector anticipate a hopeful three months with a net employment outlook of 11 per cent."

The "outlook" is the difference between employers who are hiring minus those who are decreasing their work force. For example, the outlook for all industries in the Atlantic region is five per cent, which is a reflection of the 14 per cent of industries who say they will be hiring early in the new year, minus the nine per cent who say they'll be paring jobs from their payrolls.

But don't expect Metro employers to embark on a hiring blitz in January, February and March, the study says.

In Metro Moncton, the pace of hiring should dip in the first quarter of 2008, yet seven per cent of employers expect to hire during that period and 83 per cent intend to maintain their current staffing levels. However, says Mindy Stoltz of Manpower's Moncton office, 10 per cent expect to cut jobs.

"Moncton's first quarter net employment outlook of minus three per cent is a decrease from the same time last year when the outlook was four per cent," Stoltz said.

"It is also a decrease from the previous three months, when the net employment outlook was six per cent, indicating weak projections for the first quarter of 2008."

The prediction comes on the heels of news that New Brunswick led the nation in job creation last year and Metro Moncton powered much of that job growth.

Saint John shares a minus 3 per cent outlook with Moncton, while Fredericton's outlook is six per cent and Charlottetown's is 10 per cent.

Cape Breton registered the worst outlook in the Maritimes at minus 13 per cent while Halifax's 27 per cent topped regional statistics.

The Atlantic region's hiring outlook of five per cent tops Ontario's anticipated zero hiring growth but lags that of Quebec (eight per cent) and the west (22 per cent.)

Leading job creation sectors in 2008's first quarter, other than finance, real estate insurance and public administration include the wholesale and retail trade sector, with a net employment outlook in Atlantic Canada of nine per cent.

Transportation and public utilities boasts a six per cent outlook while education and manufacturing (non-durables) posted numbers of seven and six per cent, respectively.

Construction posted an outlook of minus 16 per cent, perhaps to be somewhat expected in mid-winter, while mining went from a plus 25 per cent in the fourth quarter of this year to a minus 25 per cent for the first quarter of 2008. For those looking elsewhere for work, nationally the sectors of construction, mining, wholesale and retail and manufacturing of non-durables showed the most glowing prospects for hiring in the first three months of the new year.

Hiring facts

* International employment-services firm Manpower Inc. surveys companies to estimate hiring trends for the coming quarter four times each year.

* They base their employment outlooks on responses by more than 1,700 public and private employers across the country and claims a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

* The survey has been running for almost 50 years.

[mbeaumont]

Im just curious, is there any plans to eventually build an interchange on that one light on highway 15, I found it jam packed driving around Moncton, the lights aren't very efficient especially when coming out of the traffic circle

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by mbeaumont

Im just curious, is there any plans to eventually build an interchange on that one light on highway 15, I found it jam packed driving around Moncton, the lights aren't very efficient especially when coming out of the traffic circle

I've been saying that for years. It really surprises a lot of people when they come across a traffic light on a freeway.

I've given it a lot of thought. Really, it would be extremely expensive to fix that intersection. They'd end up closing two major streets for a long time, not to mention the need to reroute the trains along the main line. Plus, there's probably some rules about damaging the wetlands next to Wheeler. Finally, it's so close to the traffic circle, there might not be enough room for a proper interchange.

[kirjtc2]

There really isn't any room for a full interchange. I'm just eyeballing it from Google Earth right now, but it looks like the best you can do is a half-interchange for people coming to/from the traffic circle (and even then that may require tearing down a few buildings off Botsford). The other ramps could be built at Church St, but even then that would require redoing the University/Archibald interchange because of acceleration issues.

[mylesmalley]

I put this map together on Google Earth. It more or less shows what I was envisioning for that area to fix the intersection at Botsford and Wheeler. The red lines are Church and Botsford (which will become an overpass). Blue lines are Wheeler. Yellow lines are possible ramps to and off of Wheeler onto Church and Botsford.

This whole thing has keeping the railroad tracks in commission the whole time. There's a loop on to Botsford from Wheeler for access. There isn't enough room on the other side for a second loop because of Halls Creek, though I doubt it would get much use anyway. Church would get a standard diamond interchange (like Mountain Rd, Paul Street etc.), except one ramp would be missing. I did that to leave room for the loop onto Botsford as that would be more important.

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by kirjtc2

There really isn't any room for a full interchange. I'm just eyeballing it from Google Earth right now, but it looks like the best you can do is a half-interchange for people coming to/from the traffic circle (and even then that may require tearing down a few buildings off Botsford). The other ramps could be built at Church St, but even then that would require redoing the University/Archibald interchange because of acceleration issues.

You could reduce the acceleration issues by continuing the ramp from one street to the next instead of merging into Wheeler. However, there really isn't a lot of room there at all. I doubt you could put ramps onto Church street.

[mmmatt]

Good job Myles! Now all we need is 20 million dollars!!