The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[mylesmalley]

Woo! 1500 posts

[gehrhardt]

Wasn't the Hampton Inn delayed for a few months because the developer wanted to expand the number of rooms and increase the height from 4 to 6 stories? They needed to consult the city first, which caused the delay. I thought there was something posted here a long time ago about that...

Oh, and the mystery construction site behind the Ultramar in Salisbury, close to the new Best Western, is a RV dealership. Not exactly a skyscraper. :(

[JasonL-Moncton]

Does anyone know how a person finds out who owns a particular piece of land within city limits? There's a few pieces of vacant land that I've been looking at that I'm wanting to find out who owns.

JL

[kirjtc2]

Does anyone know how a person finds out who owns a particular piece of land within city limits? There's a few pieces of vacant land that I've been looking at that I'm wanting to find out who owns.

JL

Go to Service New Brunswick. There's a fee for it if I'm not mistaken.

[ErickMontreal]

Former Mapleton Park land rezoned
Land that was once southeast tip of park to house medical clinic, commercial development

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=91379&size=700x0
This is an artist’s rendering of the proposed professional complex at Frampton Lane and Mapleton Road.

By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Tuesday February 19th, 2008
Appeared on page A2

Moncton City Council rezoned 1.6 acres (.64 hectares) of land that was once part of Mapleton Park at its meeting last night, over the objections of five citizens who came or made written submissions to the public hearing held at the council meeting.

The land at the southwest corner of Frampton Lane and Mapleton Road is part of nine-acre parcel that runs between Frampton and the rear of the Costco on Trinity Drive.

It was rezoned to suburban-commercial (SC1).

Moncton orthodontist Dr. John McManaman wants to build his medical clinic on the land, as well as a multi-phase retail development on the high traffic site.

The 1.6 acre segment needing rezoning was cut off by the extension of Frampton Lane. The objectors argued it should retain its P1 (Public 1) designation as a buffer to the parkland across the street and the P1 land beside it which runs westward along the south side of Frampton for a few hundred metres.

The current P1 zoning however does not guarantee green space or parkland as the more strict P2 (Public 2) zone dictates. The P1 zoning allows a number of other community uses from theatres to churches to funeral homes.

A major power transmission line bisects the property and Dr. McManaman said, "I don't see what people are going to use it for. I don't think people are going to picnic under the power lines."

Community use designation or not, the treeless land is McManaman's private property, so its utility as a public space was in question at any rate.

However, citizen Lorelei Stott urged council to retain the zoning as a way to protect the nearby parkland. "Don't make your decision based on its appearance, but for its role."

She said if council rezoned it after all the land's troubled history as part of the city's unpopular land swap with Avide Developments, a swap that took another 20 acres from the park's useable space in 2005, it "would send the message this council knows no boundaries."
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mapleton Road work approved

Times & Transcript Staff
Published Tuesday February 19th, 2008
Appeared on page A2

Moncton City Council approved the road alignment and cross section for the widening of Mapleton Road last night, a major step in getting the key transportation project under way this spring.

City engineers can now go to tender on the estimated $11-million upgrade.

"With the money we have in the budget this year, we hope to make it to the Aliant Property (from Trinity Drive)," Alcide Richard, the city's director of design and construction, said.

Meanwhile the province is expected to start the widening of its bridge over Wheeler Boulevard this fall, a $3-million project over and above the rest of the roadwork, with that being paid for completely by the province.

The original plan to cut a seven-metre wide swath of trees from Mapleton Park to accommodate the widening was rejected by council, but councillors approved a compromise that will save 2.5 metres of those trees. To have aligned the road using more land from the east side of the current roadway instead would have cost an estimated $400,000 in additional land purchases. The added expropriations necessary also threatened to delay the project for a full year.

[JasonL-Moncton]

Wow...I went to high school and played hockey with John M. Looks like his clinic is going to be something else!

[JasonL-Moncton]

Go to Service New Brunswick. There's a fee for it if I'm not mistaken.

Is there no way to find out without a "fee"?

[ErickMontreal]

Wow...I went to high school and played hockey with John M. Looks like his clinic is going to be something else!

I like it too, thats a good looking project for this area.

[ErickMontreal]

Wasn't the Hampton Inn delayed for a few months because the developer wanted to expand the number of rooms and increase the height from 4 to 6 stories? They needed to consult the city first, which caused the delay. I thought there was something posted here a long time ago about that...

I did not remember good new though. :tup:

[mylesmalley]

Wow...I went to high school and played hockey with John M. Looks like his clinic is going to be something else!

He's certainly done well for himself.
Good to see the building has a modern, and not terribly suburban look to it.

[kirjtc2]

Is there no way to find out without a "fee"?

I don't think so (unless you know someone with access to the SNB database - I used to with my old job but don't anymore), but from what I recall the fee's only something like $5.

[kwajo]

Is there no way to find out without a "fee"?
You can get trial (30 days or so) access to the online SNB database if you are a student or the like. I did that a long time ago for a project in high school and the SNB people were very pleasant about it.

[ErickMontreal]

$30M seaside condo project planned for Cap-Bimet
Four-phase development to see 167 units built on site of former fish plant over next four years

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=92099&size=600x0
The former Paturel lobster plant in Cap Bimet will undergo a $30-million renovation to become part of a 167-unit condominium complex

By Craig Babstock
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Wednesday February 20th, 2008
Appeared on page A1

Moncton developer Denis Arsenault was enjoying a meal in a Toronto restaurant the night of Nov. 27 when he got an alarming phone call from a colleague in Moncton.

Arsenault, who's partners with Alvin Leger in Cap Bimet Developments Ltd., had recently signed a purchase agreement for the old Paturel seafood processing plant in Cap Bimet, which is about 30 kilometres (18 miles) northeast of Moncton. The plan was to turn part of the building that housed the plant into condominiums, and then add three new condo buildings to the property over the next few years.

But now Arsenault was on the phone, learning that the structure he'd agreed to purchase was engulfed in an inferno, with 50 firefighters trying to save it.

He quickly lost his appetite.

"I was full of disbelief and confusion as to where this left our transaction," he recalls.

Thankfully, he says the firefighters managed to save half the building. That worked out well for Arsenault because he needed only half the building for his development project, which is worth more than $30 million.

"It would have cost another $1.5 million if the building completely burned to the ground and there's no doubt it would have created delays," he says.

Arsenault says half the plant was built in 1980 and the other half was built in 1990. He had only intended to use the newer section for his condos, but half of each section was destroyed. They adjusted the plans and the design, and now the artist's rendering shows the plant-turned-condo building will be a backwards L-shape.

Arsenault says Cap Bimet Developments has major plans for the 28-acre (11.2-hectare) property and, if all goes according to schedule, the proposed date to start construction is June. By May 2009, the remaining processing plant structure will be a 56-unit building.

Phase two construction will begin in fall of 2009, followed by two more phases. By the time work is complete in June 2012, there will be four buildings and as many as 167 condo units, give or take some units that could instead be made into apartments.

The property overlooks the Northumberland Strait and has an expansive view of the water.

"There's no other location like it in the Atlantic provinces," says Arsenault.

He says they're looking to create an "active community" that will include tennis and squash courts, a gymnasium, a rooftop patio with a gazebo and several pools, including an indoor pool in a standalone structure on the property.

Arsenault says they also plan to build a marina on the coast where a wharf used to exist. Plans for this aren't finalized yet, but it could hold 50-75 boats.

Sixteen acres (6.4 hectares) of the land will be left untouched as a wooded, marshland conservation area.

The individual condos will range in size from about 1,000 square feet to 1,800 square feet but it's too early to know what they will cost. A marketing company has already been hired to sell the homes and Arsenault says local buyers will be targeted as well as possible buyers in places like Quebec, Ontario and Europe.

"We're confident we'll have a product people will be drawn to," he says, adding he plans to move his family in once it's ready.

Cap-Bimet is part of the rural community of Beaubassin East that was incorporated on July 31, 2006 and includes Shemogue; Saint-André; LeBlanc Office; Grand Barachois; Boudreau West; Haute Aboujagane; Cormier Village; Trois Ruisseaux; and Petit-Cap.

Arsenault contacted the local council before Christmas about his plans and appeared at its Monday night meeting to make a presentation. Council seemed to like what it heard and saw.

"It was very impressive," says Mayor Ola Drisdelle.

The mayor says the vision they saw on Monday was far beyond what they'd expected.

"We didn't think it would be that big, but it's the right thing for the right place," says the mayor. "It will be nice for people who want to stay in the area year-round and with a nice project like that, usually other projects come up."

Drisdelle says pending some minor issues that should be easily taken care of, council voted to approve the rezoning to allow the condo development. The developer will work closely with the Beaubassin Planning Commission to make sure the project meets proper specifications and has all the right permits.

Drisdelle says the condo project will be on the agenda for Beaubassin East's March meeting, so if anyone in the community has any questions or objections, they can be heard at that time. The mayor says so far he hasn't heard any objections to the idea.

He doesn't think there will be any major issues, given that people in the area are used to a fish plant being located at the site, with a steady stream of noisy trucks coming and going.

"This should be much quieter," he says.

Arsenault says a big selling point will be the fact it only takes about 20 minutes to drive from Cap-Bimet to Moncton's Main Street. He says it can take that long to travel from some parts of Metro Moncton to the city's downtown.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Pumphouse applies for expansion
Council sends the request to the planning commission for more input

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=92089&size=300x0

By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Wednesday February 20th, 2008
Appeared on page A3

Here's a problem brewing for Moncton City Council to ponder over a glass or two of beer. The Pump House Brewery on Mill Road needs to expand its parking lot further back on its property to accommodate an expansion of the brewery.

The small problem is the extra land the Pump House owns currently has a zoning which won't allow for parking.

Owner Sean Fraser apparently has the blessing of all his residential neighbours for the project and he presented their signatures in a letter of support. He said the expansion will increase his operation's efficiencies, rather than adding more truck traffic or hours of operation to the business.

Councillors who spoke on the issue, which was most of them, made it clear they wanted to support the brewery,

"There are very few companies around Moncton that you say around the country that so immediately make people think Moncton," Ward 3 Councillor Brian Hicks said.

Ward 2 Councillor Doug Robertson agreed. "It is a crown jewel."

The big problem is not the Pump House, which everyone seems to agree is an excellent corporate citizen and neighbour and part of the social fabric of the community.

The real issue is what comes after the successful enterprise one day outgrows the site completely. When it moves on, what sort of light industry will replace it?

"It may not be a problem today but we're looking at the long term," Bill Budd, the executive director of the Greater Moncton Planning Commission, said last night. Budd pointed out the city's municipal plan calls for moving away from industrialization in the area, rather than intensifying with such an expansion.

His professional planning staff has recommended the application be denied, but it is Moncton City Council that has the final say.

Councillors voted in the end to send it to the planning commission to get the commissioners' views, as opposed to the staff's views, on the issue. This fairly standard step is essentially a way of getting further informed input before it comes back to city council. The Pump House will get to make a public presentation of its plans at a future council meeting, and then once a set period has been allowed for people to make written submissions of objection or support, it will become the subject of a public hearing. At that time, likely in April, the council will make the final decision.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

175 new hospital parking spaces all for public
The Moncton Hospital's new parking garage to open mid-May

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=92085&size=300x0
When the new Ambulatory Care Centre at The Moncton Hospital opens later this year, the parking situation will get a little better with the addition of 175 underground parking spaces

TOOL HELP
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF
Published Wednesday February 20th, 2008
Appeared on page A1

When it opens in mid-May, a new parking garage will go a long way to alleviate the ongoing shortage of parking spaces around The Moncton Hospital. Or will it?

The new underground parking garage will have all 175 spaces designated for patients and visitors, located inside the new Ambulatory Care wing of the hospital.

The parking area will take up most of the lower level of the new wing, while the second level will be filled mainly with ventilation equipment. The third level will house the hospital's new laboratory facilities.

Hospital spokeswoman Giséle Léger says underground parking out of the weather will be especially good for patients and visitors to the hospital. The new wing will also include a drive-in garage for ambulances. Outdoor parking lots will remain for other patients, visitors and staff.

Currently, there is one large parking lot with 330 spaces for patients and visitors; and another separate lot for staff. When those are full, visitors try to find parking on the streets and other smaller lots around the hospital.

Visitors to the hospital currently pay $5.75 per day for parking if they can find a spot. If they can't, they use street spots monitored by meters. If the meter runs out, visitors to the hospital face a parking ticket with a $30 fine. Staff members pay $23 per month for parking.Léger said the new garage will lead to some shuffling and possible changes to the outdoor lots.

Quite often, the patient and visitor parking lot across from the hospital's main entrance on MacBeath Avenue is filled to capacity. Cars can often be seen waiting in line at the gate for someone to leave so they can get a spot.

The hospital is now working on new signage and better ways of directing patients and visitors inside the new Ambulatory Care wing. Although a firm date has not been set, the hospital expects it to be open in mid-May.

[mmmatt]

That clinic looks fantastic considering the surrounding architecture! :D It will really look nice on that corner.

The condo project looks really nice! I wish somebody would build a 30 million dollar condo complex in downtown Moncton!! haha, someday hopefully.

Also graet news about the Pump House, great way to get Monctons name out there (as well as the new Molson bottles which all say "brewed in Moncton" now! :D).

also good to hear about a new parking garage, this city needs to realize that parking garages are necessary

[ErickMontreal]

:: Terminal Center Building ::

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4c/TerminalCentermoncton.jpg/250px-TerminalCentermoncton.jpg
Photo :: stu_pendousmat2 ::
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:TerminalCentermoncton.jpg

Beausejour Regional Health Authority leased 14 000 S/F and OAO Technology expanded of 14 000 S/F to the Terminal Plaza building. Moreover, First Canadian Title leased 6000 S/F as well. In that building the vacancy rate dropped from 43 000 to 9000 s/f. Great new.

[ErickMontreal]

The condo project looks really nice! I wish somebody would build a 30 million dollar condo complex in downtown Moncton!! haha, someday hopefully.


That will happen someday... :tup:

[JasonL-Moncton]

That will happen someday... :tup:


If they do I hope they are TALL! ;)

[mmmatt]

:: Terminal Center Building ::

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4c/TerminalCentermoncton.jpg/250px-TerminalCentermoncton.jpg
Photo :: stu_pendousmat2 ::
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:TerminalCentermoncton.jpg

Beausejour Regional Health Authority leased 14 000 S/F and OAO Technology expanded of 14 000 S/F to the Terminal Plaza building. Moreover, First Canadian Title leased 6000 S/F as well. In that building the vacancy rate dropped from 43 000 to 9000 s/f. Great new.

Awesome news I work in the building right next door :D which is 80-90% leased by Asurion, Rogers and Purolator.

Great picture too :P

[mmmatt]

If they do I hope they are TALL! ;)

indeed, two 10 story condo towers side by side, all glass. :cheers:

[ErickMontreal]

Awesome news I work in the building right next door :D which is 80-90% leased by Asurion, Rogers and Purolator.

Great picture too :P

Even though some corporates moved out downtown (Dieppe/Tech Park/Industrial Park) as well as they built up their own spaces things are looking better than I thought.

Downtown :: Largest office buildings

Blue Cross Center :: 316 000 S/F - 98 % Full

Government Canada :: 300 000 S/F - 100 % full

Assumption Tower :: 230 000 S/F - 97 % Full

Heritage Court :: 215 000 S/F - 100 % Full

Terminal Complex :: 190 000 S/F - 90 % Full

Moncton Place :: 120 000 S/F - 99 % Full

TD/Andal Building :: 60 000 S/F - 93 % Full

Commerce House :: 50 000 S/F - 88 % Full

777 Main Street :: 50 000 S/F - 75 % Full

Co-operators :: 45 000 S/F - 100 % Full

100 Cameron St. :: 40 000 S/F - 30 % Full

77 Vaughan Harvey :: 40,000 S/F - 97 % Full

750 Main St. :: 35 000 S/F - 90 % Full

720-724 Main St :: 32 000 S/F - 75 % Full

Price WaterHouse :: 30 000 S/F - 100 % Full

[mylesmalley]

Just out of curiosity, where do you get information about floor space like that?

Also, which government of Canada building are you referring to at the top? The newly renovated one? Or the Dominion building/red building attached to it?

[ErickMontreal]

Key figure drops out of downtown development
Assumption Life frustrated by delays; Fredericton scores up to $8M in funding for conference centre

By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Saturday February 23rd, 2008
Appeared on page A7

The man once expected to be a key figure in the development of Moncton's downtown lands between Main Street and Assomption Boulevard has signalled waning interest after years of delay and shifting focus.

Assumption Life CEO Denis Losier said yesterday the Moncton based insurance and financial services company, which is the city's and dominant downtown landowner, was still open to any other developers' proposals, but was no longer looking to be a driving force in revitalizing the area.

The 25 storey Assumption Life building towers over downtown and the company's vast parking lots between its complex and Assomption Boulevard. Only the city's jail, expected to be replaced at some point in the next few years, and the land set aside for a courthouse, which may end up somewhere else, do not belong to Assumption. All of the parking lots which form the vast asphalt backyard of downtown belong to the company.

"We would be more than willing to listen to proposals from developers who might be interested in sharing with us financial investment in a development or using our land for a development," Losier said after the company's annual general meeting yesterday at the Delta Beauséjour Hotel. "We're willing to listen. I think there could be a better use of our land than just surface parking."

Emphasizing decisions on downtown are, of course, not his to make, Losier said backing away a bit is the right thing for Assumption Life.

"We were getting a little bit out of focus by concentrating so much energy on a project that after six years has not started. We decided it was best for us since we were expanding all across Canada to concentrate our energy on the development of our brokers network."

Losier had also once hoped to build the new justice centre that was initially supposed to be open this year at the northeast corner of Assumption Boulevard and Westmorland Street. While he wasn't closing any doors yesterday, he suggested the company would be responsive but not aggressively driving for that project anymore either.

"We spent some money on architects. We've made some designs, some investment. It doesn't seem to lead anywhere, so we said 'okay, that's fine. There will be other projects.' We'll wait for the good opportunity," he said.

Losier also doubted Assumption Life would ever get involved in a casino, should the province decide to locate one in Moncton.

"I don't think that's an area we would like to be involved in. It's not our core type of business. Even real estate is different from what we're doing. More and more of our energy is on sales of financial service," he said, adding the company didn't want to lose its focus on the business it knows best.

Losier, however, expressed the hope the province would make a decision soon on where to locate a casino so that construction could begin.

Throughout almost a decade of work toward developing the downtown, there have essentially been five main players -- The City of Moncton, the Province of New Brunswick, a partnership consisting of Toronto's Verdiroc and Moncton's Ashford Developments, and two prominent local entrepreneurs, Denis Losier and Bernard Cyr.

Losier is the second of the local entrepreneurs to put the matter on the back burner to pursue other business.

Cyr, the man once poised to build a hotel that would be the first component of a revitalized downtown, announced last April he had given up and spent his money buying the Best Western on Lewisville Road instead.

Mayor Lorne Mitton said yesterday, adding that he has appreciated Losier's efforts over the years and respected his opinion.

Mitton is not giving up, however. He will accompany the mayors of Riverview and Dieppe and delegates from Enterprise Greater Moncton to Ottawa this coming week to press for convention centre funding. This follows briefings to regional minister Greg Thompson and Premier Shawn Graham in December, where he shared the findings of PKF Consulting's study on the potential of the convention business in Metro Moncton.

All of these developments came as the Government of Canada and Province of New Brunswick announced yesterday afternoon they were making a conference centre in downtown Fredericton a priority for joint funding of up to $8 million.

Quick facts

* Prominent Metro Moncton entrepreneur and Assumption Life CEO Denis Losier signalled yesterday his company’s enthusiasm to be part of downtown development was waning after years of delays.

* Local entrepreneur Bernard Cyr, once expected to kickstart downtown revitalization with an Assomption Boulevard hotel, made a similar announcement last April.

* Mayor Lorne Mitton said yesterday he is off to Ottawa again this week to pursue federal funding to help pay for a convention centre.

* Meanwhile, the Government of Canada and Province of New Brunswick announced yesterday afternoon they were making a conference centre in downtown Fredericton a priority for joint funding of up to $8 million.

[ErickMontreal]

Assumption Life getting out of real estate; profit dips by $1.1M

Nathan White
Telegraph-Journal
Published Saturday February 23rd, 2008
Appeared on page C1

MONCTON - His name has been attached to nearly every rumoured development in downtown Moncton over the past few years, but Assumption Life CEO Denis Losier says his company is getting out of the real estate game.

Losier has envisioned for years a multi-purpose facility on the Assumption-owned parking lot beside the Delta Beauséjour hotel. His 19th-floor office in the city's tallest building is full of various plans the company has had drawn up for potential downtown projects like a conference centre and courthouse.

But at the company's annual meeting Friday in Moncton, Losier said Assumption Life needs to focus on insurance, not real estate.

"We were getting a little bit out of focus by concentrating so much energy on a project that finally, after six years, has not started yet," said Losier, referring to the courthouse. The province has yet to begin construction, or even to choose a site, despite a sod-turning by former premier Bernard Lord in 2005.

Although profits dipped by $1.1 million to $4 million, Losier said Assumption had a good 2007 considering the volatility of the Canadian dollar, and the commercial paper and mortgage crises.

"Even with all those major issues, we still managed to have a very good profit," said Losier. The 105-year-old company posted a 10.6 per cent increase in policyholder equity, to $77.9 million, and crossed the $1-billion plateau in assets under management.

"That's a big step for us and hopefully we won't have to wait so long for the next billion dollars," he said.

Individual life insurance sales climbed 8.5 per cent, to $4 million. As Assumption continues to spread its reach, Losier said it needs to focus on its core business.

"We decided that it was best for us, since we're expanding all across Canada, to concentrate our energy on the development of our brokers' network," said Losier. "By concentrating our energies on sales, we'll probably have more success at ensuring the company's profitability."

While Losier said Assumption won't be leading any development projects, he said he's always willing to listen.

"We've spent money on architects, we've made some designs, we've made some investments. It doesn't seem to lead anywhere. There will be other projects and we'll wait for a good opportunity," he said. "There are needs downtown: parking, convention centre, hotel "¦ If there's another good project, we still have those lands and they're (gaining) more value every day. We will be more than willing to sit down with any developer that would propose something that would be profitable for our company and profitable for any other investors."

However, he said that likely won't include a casino, should the province decide to build one in Moncton.

"The casino will have an impact on the city and hopefully there will be a decision taken soon and construction can start, but that's a process we won't get involved in," said Losier.

Meanwhile, the provincial government is set to issue a request for proposals for the courthouse next month, with construction to begin in late summer.

Ashford Investments Inc. and Bore Park Place Inc. (Heritage Development Group), both of Moncton, and Huntingdon Real Estate Investment of Winnipeg and CitiGroup Properties of Dartmouth are the four groups in the running.

Huntingdon and CitiGroup hope to build on the former Beaver Lumber site, while the local groups are looking at other downtown locations.

[Helladog]

"The casino will have an impact on the city and hopefully there will be a decision taken soon and construction can start, but that's a process we won't get involved in," said Losier.

What casino?

[ErickMontreal]

What casino?

He talked about the Casino bid by the province. He think Moncton will get it I suppose.

[Helladog]

He talked about the Casino bid by the province. He think Moncton will get it I suppose.

Well based on rumor alone, it's probably true, but he's making a big "assumption", lol.

I think the casino should go in Sussex...kind of liven the corridor between Moncton and SJ.

[ErickMontreal]

Power rate increase could cause future problems.

February 23, 2008 - 6:40 am
By: News 91.9 staff

The Canadian Manufacturer's Association says a six point nine percent power rate for big industry could spell trouble down the road.

Yesterday, the Energy and Utility's Board ruled residential and small business would pay a 5.9 percent increase, while large industry would pay six point nine.

David Plante says increasing power rates are just one of the host of challenges the manufacturing sector has to contend with.

"The prices in other commodities is starting to downturn, and with other business costs rising its going to become even more difficult to remain viable and keep those jobs going.

Plante says while business and government try to work co-operatively to maintain the most competitive investment climate as possible, the reality is rates are going to go up and costs are going to increase.

[ErickMontreal]

Spectral Delivery / livraison spectrale

http://www.branchdesign.com/monctonpixels/P1160941_truck_ghost.jpg

Brian Branch :: http://monctonpixels.blogspot.com/2008/02/spectral-truck-livraison-spectrale.html

[mmmatt]

too bad about Assumption, they had some awesome ideas...just goes to show how time is a big deal in these things. We cant sit around any lionger the city needs to move on a convention center and stuff for downtown, or more and more people are going to be upset.

Awesome picture too! really cool idea :)

[mmmatt]

Well based on rumor alone, it's probably true, but he's making a big "assumption", lol.

I think the casino should go in Sussex...kind of liven the corridor between Moncton and SJ.

hahaha yeah a large "assumption" indeed :D. However to date there are two active proposals for Moncton and none in Saint John, but there is still time left so who knows...I'll bet a bunch will come in at the last second...developers are wierd like that.

[ErickMontreal]

2007 strong year for Greater Moncton housing market

February 26, 2008 - 12:14 pm
By: Rebecca Davis, News 91.9 Staff

MONCTON, NB-The housing market in Greater Moncton was very strong in 2007, and it's likely to stay that way.

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation hosted a seminar today in the Hub City entitled Housing in a Changing Environment.

Claude Gautreau is CMHC's Senior Market Analyst and says a number of things lead to the good year in Greater Moncton, including a diverse economy, employment levels, and strong population growth.

He says it was a balanced market that leaned slightly towards a sellers market, and next year should be about the same.

[mmmatt]

I dont know if I mentioned this already or not but a few weeks a go I went to the Moncton Museum and at the entrance they had a beautiful model set up of what appeared to be a massive expansion to the museum...I had never heard of it before so I asked the receptionist if this project was still a go, she said it was supposed to break ground this year! Too bad I didnt have my camera because it was awesome looking, lots of angled glass and the works...I guess the current facade (old moncton city hall) will actually be inside the new expansion. :D:D

[ErickMontreal]

Moncton housing market to slow, but still strong
CMHC releases forecast for 2008, which shows Moncton numbers dropping closer to national average

By Eric Lewis
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Wednesday February 27th, 2008
Appeared on page A9

The housing market in Moncton is likely to take a small drop in 2008, but it will remain strong, and for the potential home buyer, it's still one of the most affordable places in Atlantic Canada for purchasing a home.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) held its annual Housing Outlook Seminar at the Delta Beauséjour Hotel on Main Street in Moncton yesterday, where two housing market experts looked at the state of the housing market in Canada, how it is impacted by the U.S. market, and most importantly, what to look ahead to going forward.

Noting that the market here is likely to soften this year, senior market analyst with CMHC Claude Gautreau says it is simply a matter of the province settling in with the rest of Canada.

"The market has been moving at a very high level (in Moncton), which probably isn't sustainable," he says. "It's moving to a level that is probably more sustainable."

In 2007, while Canada's single housing starts declined by 3.5 per cent from 2006, in New Brunswick, it went up 14.1 per cent, far ahead of the national average and the fourth highest total single starts in the past decade. However, the national multiple-unit starts increased by 2 per cent while multiple-unit starts in New Brunswick fell by 5.5 per cent.

Also, the vacancy rate in rental units declined over the last year.

Working in Metro Moncton's favour, Gautreau noted, are reasonable mortgage rates, a high employment rate and strong migration into the province.

Moncton and Fredericton were the only two regions in the province to experience a population growth between 2001 and 2006. Moncton led the pack with a growth rate of 6.5 per cent and Fredericton followed at 5.3 per cent. Even the national population increase (5.4 per cent) was far behind Metro Moncton's increase.

All of this contributes to the city's strong housing market.

Total housing starts in Moncton last year were 1,425, nearly 400 units above the 10-year average of 1,145 and a year-over-year increase of 10.5 per cent over 2006 numbers.

The majority (54 per cent) of the homes built were in the upper mid-price range of $175,000 to $250,000, with higher priced homes ($250,000 and up) only taking 12.2 per cent, lower mid-priced homes ($130,000 to $175,000) taking 30.8 per cent and the rest (3 per cent) by homes under $130,000.

However, Moncton's tastes are getting more expensive as the percentage of higher-priced homes being purchased has increased dramatically over the last few years, from 5.4 per cent in 2005 to 12.2 per cent last year.

Gautreau noted that even with all the growth, Metro Moncton is still one of the most affordable places to live in the Maritimes. The average price of a used home is $140,032 while a similar house in Halifax would go for $215,645 or $570,795 in Vancouver. Fredericton and Saint John are comparable to Moncton, Gautreau noted.

He said the average price of a home in Moncton will continue to rise in 2008, likely to about $147,000 and continuing to $152,000 in 2009.

However, Gautreau said with labour market conditions strong, more opportunities opening in the work force and migration rates strong, the housing market here should remain strong.

Mortgage rates are at the highest they've been since 1990 in Atlantic Canada, but there are many more payment options these days which make it easier for home owners.

In an earlier presentation, economist Alex MacDonald noted that there should be increasing demand in the future for smaller dwellings as 52 per cent of New Brunswickers living in apartments live alone.

In addition, household size has continued to decline in New Brunswick over the last several years. In 1991, the average household in the province had 2.8 people living in it. In 2006, the number is now 2.4.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dieppe gives final reading to municipal plan amendments, zoning bylaw

Published Wednesday February 27th, 2008
Appeared on page A10

Dieppe city council gave third and final readings at their regular session last night to amendments to the city's municipal plan and to a zoning bylaw, setting the stage for a new housing development.

Tridev Corp. plans to build homes near Melanson Road, west of Dieppe Boulevard, north of Melanson Road and east of duMoulin Street.

The development will include single-family homes and duplexes.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wireless Internet arrives in downtown Dieppe

Published Wednesday February 27th, 2008
Appeared on page A10

Wireless Internet service has arrived in downtown Dieppe -- as have two webcams allowing you to watch goings-on downtown from your home or work computer.

The free wireless Internet service in the downtown is part of an agreement between the city and Aliant. The service is available outside and inside city hall and neighbouring Place 1604.

Both webcams are mounted on top of city hall, with one pointed at Place 1604 and the other aimed at the city's major intersection of Acadie Avenue and Champlain Street. You can see the view from the cameras via the city's web site: www.dieppe.ca

At its regular council meeting Monday, Dieppe awarded a three-year agreement to Aliant for technical support for the municipality's computer network, personal computers and peripheral equipment, at a cost of about $60,000 per year.

The cost could vary should the city increase or decrease its number of computer terminals and similar equipment, council was told.

[mmmatt]

I had a feeling the housing market would slow a bit this year, we were just too hot to last really...everywhere else is going down, we can only saty that high for so long...hopefully we will start going back up within a couple of years though after this "recession" or wtv is over haha.

[ErickMontreal]

Moncton Market renovated
Work on downtown market should be done in next few weeks

By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Thursday February 28th, 2008
Appeared on page A3

Renovations to part of the Moncton Market should wrap up in the next couple weeks, says the City of Moncton's Shane Porter.

"The major disruption's over," Porter said.

What was originally an open-air shelter was closed-in a number of years ago but, as any regular visitors to the city market can attest, the truck bay area linking the main market to Festival Hall has been cold in winter and hot in summer.

A contractor was brought in to insulate the ceiling, but city crews will finish the work.

More than 100 vendors set up stalls at the market each Saturday to serve an average 3,000 to 4,000 customers. Another 50 vendors are on a waiting list.

The numbers have climbed significantly since the late 2006 reunification of the two markets that operated simultaneously in Moncton for a number of years.

They've also climbed despite the opening of the Dieppe Farmers Market in 2005. A typical Saturday brings 5,000 to 7,000 people to the Dieppe facility, suggesting the demand for the farmer's market experience has grown along with increased market space.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

:: In Brief ::

Hampton Inn :: they are working on the sixth floor
The BMW and Mazda dealer are almost completed
The exterior construction of the new Marriott is almost completed
Champlain business plaza refurbishment along Champlain is completed
The 5-story apartment (Beausejour) in Dieppe is almost completed
Dieppe Aquactic Center is under construction
The Champlain Place refurbishment is under way.
The Mapleton power center is under construction.

[ErickMontreal]

Moncton Hospital - Ambulatory-Care, Trauma and Emergency Centre Project
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3116/2295360846_ee76ed0391_b.jpg

Steven Downes :: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephen_downes/2295360846/

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Behind bars / Sous les verrous
http://www.branchdesign.com/monctonpixels/P1170124_paper_boxes.jpg
Boom Magazine, Here, Globe and Mail and Times and Transcript.

Brian Branch :: http://monctonpixels.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html

[ErickMontreal]

:: Uptown Dieppe ::

http://www.ellisdon.com/_lib/img/prj/3088830.1.l.jpg
Uptown Dieppe Development Building "E" - Dieppe, New Brunswick

Released February 13, 2008

EllisDon Halifax partnered with Concorde Atlantic have been awarded a $4.5 million lump sum contract for the Uptown Dieppe Development Building "E" in Dieppe, New Brunswick.

Uptown Dieppe Development Building "E" is the third building in the Uptown Dieppe Development. The three storey 'L' shaped building is a mix of 18,000 square feet of commercial space for 14 restaurants and retail outlets on the ground floor and 29,000 square feet of residential space. The 15 apartments on the second and third floors will be a mix of one storey with loft and two storey apartments. The building will share a common foundation and firewall on the inside of the 'L' with the Dieppe Coop grocery store completed in 2007 by EllisDon.

Construction will begin approximately February 29, 2008 with a planned completion of late October 2008.

http://www.hautevilledieppe.ca/media_uploads/jpg/thumbnails/27.jpg

[ErickMontreal]

Projects page :: Update have been done.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

New levy rate for Downtown Moncton see's no change.

February 28, 2008 - 4:38 pm
By: Darrell Quann News 91.9

MONCTON - Now that Downtown Moncton officially includes St George Street merchants, a new levy rate had to be set.

That was done yesterday, and city council approved the rate of 60-cents per 100 dollars, meaning no change.

The Executive Director for Downtown Moncton Centre-ville Inc. Daniel Allain says that money will be put to good use.

"Downtown Moncton is ready to work St George Street merchants as well as all the merchants of Downtown Moncton, and we want to mover forward, we want to work on our priorities which are infrastructure, security, parking, events and festivals, residential components, and retail.

He also made sure to mention that Moncton's levy rate is the lowest in the province out of the other 29 BIA's
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

:: Sears Can. ::

The first Sears Floor Covering Centre in New-Brunswick will open in the former Sears Auto Center along Champlain street.

[ErickMontreal]

Metro mayors press Ottawa for project funds
Mitton, Maillet and Sweetland talk about convention centre, airport, police
By Brent Mazerolle

Times & Transcript Staff
Published Friday February 29th, 2008
Appeared on page A11

They went to talk about a convention centre in downtown Moncton, Riverview's road-building strategy and the expansion of Dieppe's industrial park to pursue aerospace, transportation and logistics industries.

The mayors of Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview also went to Ottawa this week to talk to federal government officials about RCMP policing and 24 hour customs operations at the Greater Moncton International Airport.

All three said yesterday that though they returned from Ottawa with nothing concrete or immediate, they had enjoyed productive conversations with New Brunswick's regional minister Greg Thompson, as well as senior staff at ACOA and the Department of Public Safety. They also met with New Brunswick's Senator Noël Kinsella, the speaker of the senate.

Dieppe Mayor Achille Maillet said it was nice to see "they are in tune with our progress," in Ottawa, noting those they met with all seemed well informed and sincere in their interest in what is going on here in southeastern New Brunswick.

He believes the relationship building, which includes this annual trip by the three mayors and Enterprise Greater Moncton, is important.

"We knock on the door. In order for the door to open, sometimes we have to knock again," he said.

Riverview Mayor Clarence Sweetland said he went to Ottawa to advance Riverview's agenda, but also to demonstrate the solidarity of the tri-community on issues of common interest. Among those discussed in Ottawa were the fact Metro Moncton does not get the 10 per cent subsidy for its RCMP service the way all other jurisdictions in Canada (except Sackville) do.

Riverview's mayor said he expressed thanks for the help that has seen Gunningsville Boulevard built and the Fundy Gateway project for the former town fire hall launched. But Sweetland said he also drove home the message the infrastructure money needs to keep on flowing to municipalities, citing the town's proposed Bridgedale Boulevard to connect Gunningsville Boulevard and Hillsborough Road as an example of a project in need of federal (and provincial) funding. Riverview wants the link to further set the stage for development in the eastern part of the town.

Moncton Mayor Lorne Mitton said the meeting with Thompson gave him some hope about convention centre funding, as plagued as the process has been by changing political powers and changing players over the past decade.

With the federal government announcing support for a Fredericton convention centre last week, Mitton said he got "more positive vibes from Minister Thompson and his chief of staff on this visit." He noted, however, that Moncton had not come up with $16 million of its own money toward a convention centre, as Fredericton did.

Before he went to Ottawa, Mitton admitted he shared the public's frustration on the convention centre issue.

He added the completion of extensions to Vaughan Harvey Boulevard and Assomption Boulevard have spurred developments at each end -- the $15-million Marriott at Main and Assomption and the $15-million Sobeys at Main and Vaughan Harvey.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Call centres must evolve
Metro Moncton has experienced see-saw effect felt throughout industry

by marc hudon
times & transcript staff
Published Friday February 29th, 2008
Appeared on page A4

OTTAWA - A senior economist at an Atlantic Canadian think-tank says he's not putting "much weight" on a Statistics Canada report that touts the strength of the call-centre industry.

David Chaundy of the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council said despite the report's claim that call centres across Canada have experienced a 27.7 per cent annual average increase in revenue from 1998 to 2006, he's not "completely sold" by it.

"I think the key issues are what's been happening in this industry, which has grown fairly quickly and been fairly important, and is this going to continue growing," he said. "There has been quite a bit of turnover, and it's hard to get a sense of whether it's growing or staying the same."

The see-saw trend is being felt in Moncton where more than 200 industry jobs were created by Rogers Communication last summer. But boom went bust when AOL Canada decided to pull its customer-contact centre, cutting 140 call-centre jobs in October with an additional 100 cuts coming March 2.

Metro Moncton boasts approximately 8,500 jobs in the call-centre industry.

Chaundy said to slow down the see-saw effect, call centres need to evolve to meet economic, labour market and population challenges in New Brunswick.

He said the rising Canadian dollar, lower unemployment in urban centres and a slowdown in people joining the workforce means customer service-type call centres are not as viable as they once were.

He said low operating costs, employees with basic telephone skills and financial incentives from government aren't enough to sustain the industry.

"We have to look at moving to higher value-added things where you're looking at higher skilled operations," he said, such as business-to-business sales, health care, and financial services.

He said in order to fill the positions, government must find ways to keep its skilled and educated young people from leaving the province.

He said Atlantic Canada has lost about 7,000 people between the ages of 18 and 34 every year for the past decade.

Neri Basque, executive vice-president of IT and strategic development at Virtual-Agent Services, a company with 19 call centres throughout New Brunswick, said that the industry must continue to grow and evolve to stay competitive.

"It's going to be a more specific niche (call centre) that comes to New Brunswick," he said.

"There might be more emphasis on different roles than just agents answering basic service."

Business New Brunswick Minister Greg Byrne said the government is looking at further diversifying the province's call-centre industry.

"We have to sell our advantage," said Byrne, adding that the industry in New Brunswick is still growing.

He said the province has "several initiatives" to announce in the coming months but refused to give details.

[JasonL-Moncton]

First...the bozo talking about Call Centers doesn't have a clue what he's talking about.

Second, someone must have complained, the Moncton Web Cam is now pointing at the intersection of Main St. and Botsford...now if they could just improve the quality.

[mylesmalley]

Good to see I didn't miss too much while in Montreal

[mylesmalley]

From the Times&Transcript

Major Drilling results strong
Published Wednesday March 5th, 2008
Appeared on page C2

Major Drilling Group International Inc. (TSX:MDI) has reported its best-ever winter quarter despite unfavourable weather.

The Moncton-based international mining-industry drilling operator said yesterday it earned $7.2 million or 30 cents per diluted share in its third quarter ended Jan. 31 on revenue of $120.8 million.

The top line was up by 34 per cent from $90.1 million in the year-ago period, when Major Drilling earned $5 million or 21 cents per share.

"Demand for drilling services continues to increase and customers remain anxious to secure rigs and crews," stated CEO Francis McGuire. "Margins for the third quarter, which is always our seasonally weakest quarter, remained relatively flat as compared to last year at 27.9 per cent. Our operations were affected by heavy rains in Africa, Australia, Mexico and Ecuador as well as by extreme weather in Canada, whereas last year weather conditions were uniformly favourable."

Major Drilling also was hit by the strong Canadian dollar, which knocked down revenue by $14 million and earnings by $1.7 million.

"Going forward, the outlook for the fourth quarter looks strong although weather continued to be challenging throughout February."

[mylesmalley]

According to 91.9, the deadline for casino proposals is tuesday!

[mmmatt]

Glad to hear more about Major Drilling, they are one of the best Moncton success stories, they were one of the 50 fastest growing (public) companies in CANADA in 2007 they were like 27th or something, pretty impressive.

Also about the casino thing I thought it was a few months away still... wierd... 91.9 isnt always on the ball though haha maybe theyre wrong.

[JasonL-Moncton]

I think the tenders for the casino have to be in next week, and then the decision of which one the province is going with is being decided on by May.

[ErickMontreal]

Are you betting on downtown?
If province chooses Metro Moncton as site for a casino, residents pick downtown as best bet but many are hedging

By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Saturday March 1st, 2008
Appeared on page A3

Even if you were a betting person, you still might not want to take this wager. If you were asked to gamble on what Metro Moncton location for a casino or gaming centre would be most popular with the populace, the odds on favourite is downtown Moncton, but it seems any other possibility is hardly a longshot.

Close to half the 601 Metro Moncton residents who responded to the 2008 CityThink Survey conducted by Omnifacts Bristol for the Times & Transcript chose downtown as the best place to chase Lady Luck, but nearly as many thought a gaming centre should go elsewhere in the area. And with the degree of uncertainty behind what location in the entire province the provincial government might ultimately choose, close to one-fifth of those polled just weren't sure.

A casino has long been talked about as one potential element to downtown development in Moncton, something that would be built on the former Beaver Lumber land the City of Moncton bought in 1999, or on one of the nearby properties in the downtown core between Main Street and Assomption Boulevard. The City of Moncton even commissioned a feasibility study in 2002 that found at the time a downtown casino would likely cost $33 million and generate $55 million per year in revenues, creating 400 jobs.

When the Province of New Brunswick finally released its long-awaited gaming policy in November, Finance Minister Victor Boudreau announced the construction of one gaming centre in the province would be part of that, likely coming in 2010. The province has said it envisions a medium-sized complex that will make $50 million in profit each year, to be split between government and the developer.

There has been considerable interest in gaming in different parts of the province, and in southeastern New Brunswick a number of ideas have been floated around. A downtown Moncton location seems to be the one on the public's mind, but the idea of destination gaming in a resort area like the Royal Oaks or Fox Creek golf courses or in a seaside location like Shediac has also come up. Another idea gaining currency sees a destination gaming centre on the east side of Mapleton Road, close to the extensive retail development in what is becoming the main gateway to Moncton.

Réal Robichaud, executive director of the Tourism Association of New Brunswick, says tourism operators don't expect a casino to make a splash on its own, but they do welcome its arrival.

"What we're looking at in terms of casinos is as an add-on of product of what we already have," he said, explaining it could encourage some of the province's 1.5 million visitors per year to stay an extra night. "It would add to the overall project, and maybe help us be more effective in attracting conventions, or attracting people for an extra day."

Casinos or gaming centres are, of course, often a divisive issue. While many see them as valuable tourism draws and economic generators, others worry about social problems often associated -- rightly or wrongly -- with the presence of casinos. It is interesting to note the strongest support for a casino in downtown Moncton came from residents of Dieppe. However, because the survey has a margin of error of plus or minus four per cent 19 times out of 20, the difference between the 49 per cent of Dieppe residents and the 47 per cent of Moncton residents pulling for downtown is statistically insignificant. The same goes for the 33 per cent of Dieppe citizens versus the 35 per cent of Moncton citizens who felt the casino should be outside the downtown.

While the remarkably consistent numbers from those two municipalities clearly showed a preference for a downtown Moncton casino, it was adding in the results from Riverview that closed the overall survey's gap between a location in downtown Moncton and one outside downtown.

Riverview split on the choice, with 43 per cent pointing to downtown Moncton, but 40 per cent saying it should go elsewhere.

Since it is the potential for economic impact, rather than a burning desire to play the slots that has motivated so many jurisdictions across the continent to pursue gaming, it seems worthwhile to ask what people outside Metro Moncton think of our community's casino musings.

While the CityThink survey used scientific polling methods, the Times & Transcript did some admittedly unscientific polling of its own last month at a gathering of more than 400 national convention planners in Ottawa. While most suggested a downtown casino would be a convention draw if it was part of a suite of entertainment options available to their delegates, a few said they prefer some physical distance between casinos and their conferences. Nancy Coll of the Canadian Pharmacists Association said she always worries delegates will not take part in conference activities if such a powerful distraction is too close by.

In the final analysis, prominent Metro Moncton businessman Denis Losier, the president and CEO of Assumption Life, may have said it best for everyone interested in our region's economic development when he spoke to reporters on a range of topics after Assumption Life's annual general meeting last week.

Though he said getting involved in the construction or operation of a casino was too far removed from Assumption's core financial services business to be something the company would ever pursue, Losier did nevertheless say it would definitely have an impact on the city and "hopefully there will be a decision taken soon and construction can start."

Quick facts

Here are the answers of Metro Moncton residents when they were asked the following question in the 2008 CityThink survey conducted by Omnifacts Bristol for the Times & Transcript: “There has been discussion about building a casino or gaming centre in New Brunswick. If it is built in the Moncton area, should it be built in downtown Moncton or somewhere else in the area?”

* Downtown Moncton: 46 per cent

* Somewhere else in the area: 36 per cent

* Don’t know: 18 per cent
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

'No echo after the boom' in N.B. employment picture
Province facing labour shortage as boomers retire

By Aloma Jardine
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Wednesday March 5th, 2008
Appeared on page A3

Enterprise Greater Moncton CEO John Thompson sums it up succinctly.

"There is no echo after the boom," he says.

Statistics Canada's latest release of data from the 2006 census reveals that 12.2 per cent of Metro Moncton's workforce is between 55 and 64 years old, which means over the next decade almost all of them will retire.

The problem is there are not enough young workers entering the workforce to replace them, meaning development specialists like Thompson are facing huge challenges ahead.

"Last week we ran the post-secondary education forum and what we did was identify areas where we see challenges within the workforce," he says. "There are challenges everywhere, within retail, manufacturing, construction, contact centres."

Thompson says it is essential the region look at retention, repatriation, and immigration in order to face the challenges of the labour shortage.

"What we're trying to do is mitigate the impact," he says, adding that businesses also need to come up with succession plans to make sure their younger workers have the skills to take over when the older workers retire.

He says that is something that larger companies are working on themselves and that Enterprise Greater Moncton is aiming to help small and medium-sized businesses with.

Among the group nearing retirement in Metro Moncton, 27.2 per cent work in sales and service and 22.4 per cent work in business, finance and administration.

Across Canada 1.9 people aged 20-34 entered the labour force for each person over 55. Metro Moncton is a little better at 2.4, but five years ago the national rate was 2.7 and 25 years ago it was 3.7.

A low birth rate is not helping matters any, nor is the fact that the death rate is about to surpass the birth rate in the province.

"Those are really significant things," says Marc Melanson, regional advisor for Statistics Canada. "We're not naturally increasing ourselves or replacing ourselves."

Melanson says policy makers and governments are looking at ways to avoid future labour shortages.

"One of the dangers for Moncton, for example, is that for every two people retiring one person is entering the labour force, so you either (find ways to) start increasing the labour market or (businesses) start leaving.

"We're seeing it a lot now in service industries. Either people don't care and will quit because they know they can get another job or they have demands like not working weekends."

Thompson says two of the industries in the region that are really hurting for people now are IT and retail.

"All you have to do is walk through the mall and see all the jobs available," he says, adding that puts pressure on shops to increase their salaries and benefits, which puts pressure on their profitability.

But Thompson says the labour shortage shouldn't be looked at as entirely negative. He says it also offers businesses the opportunity to invest to increase productivity "" to find ways to do more with less workers.

One of the things that might help the region a bit is that the median age in Metro Moncton is a little lower than in the rest of the country.

For the first time ever, Canada's median age surpassed the 40-year-mark. In 2006, half of the Canadian labour force was older than 41.2 years old, up from a median age of 39.5 in 2006.

In New Brunswick the median age was about the same, 41.5, but in Metro Moncton it was only 39.6, the lowest of the main centres in New Brunswick, though still higher than it was in 2001, when the median age was 38.3.

Saint John's median age is 41.4, while Fredericton's is 40.

Melanson says the median age gets higher in the smaller cities and more rural areas: 42.6 in Bathurst and Campbellton, 42.4 in Edmundston.

Breaking down Metro Moncton, it should be no surprise that Dieppe wins the youth prize, with a median age of 37.7 years old.

"That is significant, when half your labour force is under 37.7," Melanson says.

The city of Moncton had a median age of 38.4, while Riverview was at 40.6.

Thompson says being the largest metro area in New Brunswick is also a plus in Metro Moncton's favour as its excellent recreational facilities, great restaurants, two hospitals, wide selection of retail outlets, and cultural venues continue to attract people to the region by offering a better quality of life.

The unemployment rate across the province dropped from 12.5 per cent in 2001 to 10 per cent in 2006, but Metro Moncton was well ahead of the curve with a 6.2 per cent unemployment rate, even better than the national average of 6.6 per cent.

Melanson says construction, retail trade, and health care were three of the industries that saw the biggest gains in the province.

"The other big one was mining, oil, and gas," he says. "It is a small industry, but it grew by 8.4 per cent, by about 1,300 jobs. That was offset by losses in manufacturing, which dropped by about 1.7 per cent. Sawmills dropped about 700 jobs, pulp and paper, 1,400 jobs gone."

n With files from The Canadian Press.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Second UPS store opens in Moncton

Alan Cochrane
COCHRANE REPORT
Published Saturday March 1st, 2008
Appeared on page D2

The UPS Store now has a second location in Moncton.

Owned by Carolyn Clarke, the store recently opened at 1180 Mountain Road. It offers complete business support services such as full document finishing, digital colour and black-and-white printing, packing and shipping services, mailbox rentals with 24 hour access, commercial printing, mail and fax services.

The new store is owned and operated by Carolyn Clarke, a Newfoundland native who worked for 20 years as a self-employed home painter in Alberta and decided to return to the Maritimes. Clarke says she wanted to be her own boss and use her business skills to help people. So she jumped at the chance to own a UPS store franchise in Atlantic Canada.

There are more than 5,800 outlets in the UPS Store chain, including over 320 in Canada.

[ErickMontreal]

Dieppe : $2 million in February

DIEPPE – The month of February saw the Inspection Department of the City of Dieppe deliver 15 permits with values of $2.1 million.

‘We know a number of projects will begin during the coming months’, said Mayor Achille Maillet. ‘This activity demonstrates that entrepreneurs have confidence in our city.’

Commercial and Institutional sectors led with 7 permits and values of $1.3 million while the residential sector followed with 6 permits and $624,460.

Permits total over $12 million for the first two months of 2008 with 38 permits issued.

[ErickMontreal]

Metro's money picture bright
Survey finds many of us planning major purchases in coming year

By Aloma Jardine
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Saturday March 8th, 2008
Appeared on page A1

A third of you are planning to renovate your homes this year, one in five are planning to put a shiny new car in your driveway, and two in five are thinking at least one piece of furniture needs some updating.

So says the third annual CityThink survey conducted by Bristol Omnifacts for the Times & Transcript.

The poll also found the majority of us feel we're doing pretty well financially.

Twelve per cent of respondents said they were doing great financially, 39 per cent said they were doing well, and 33 per cent said they were doing okay.

"In general, the numbers are very consistent with the performance of the New Brunswick economy," says Craig Alexander, deputy chief economist with TD Bank Financial Group. "In terms of the general statement on financial conditions, basically the finding was 51 per cent felt they were doing well or great, not just okay. I would say that is quite a strong finding. Thirty-three per cent felt they were doing okay. My interpretation is that they are not facing major problems, which means 84 per cent of people said they were okay or better than okay. That is consistent in terms of what we've seen in the labour market and in economic growth."

Alexander says economic growth in the province through 2006 and 2007 was solid, running at close to the national average, and unemployment rates steadily dropped. Retail spending also did very well.

The numbers are down a little bit over last year, when 86 per cent of those polled said they were doing okay or better, but up from 2006 when 80 per cent of respondents felt good about their financial state.

On the other hand, more people this year said they were doing great, 12 per cent, compared to 9 per cent and 8 per cent in 2007 and 2006 respectively.

Dieppe residents reported the best financial conditions. A full 18 per cent said they were "doing great" compared to 10 per cent in Riverview and 11 per cent in Moncton.

A further 47 per cent said they were doing well, compared to 33 per cent in Riverview and 39 per cent in Moncton.

Riverview residents seemed to be struggling the most, with 17 per cent saying they are just getting by or can't cope and 41 per cent saying they're doing okay.

Alexander says while the numbers are very good, "You don't want to ignore that 14 per cent that said they are just getting by and the 1 per cent that can't cope," he says. "There are segments of the population that do need support."

More men than women said they were doing okay or better, but more women said they were doing great.

Those aged 45 to 54 were doing best financially, with 89 per cent saying they were doing okay or better, though those in the 55 to 64 age bracket were most likely to report they were doing great (17 per cent).

Those most likely to say they were just getting by or couldn't cope were the two youngest categories -- those 18 to 34 (18 per cent) and those 35 to 44 (19 per cent).

Although Metro Monctonians still plan to make some major purchases in the coming year, the numbers are slightly down.

"It looks like consumer spending is going to be a little weaker," Alexander says, pointing out that 19 per cent of those polled this year said they plan to purchase a new car, compared to 20 per cent last year and 25 per cent the year before.

"Over time the intentions to buy or lease a new car has come down. It is a good number, but it suggests that on balance the rate of spending growth is going to flatten a bit."

Alexander says their forecast is that retail sales will go from a rate of 6 per cent growth in 2007 to 4 per cent in 2008.

"That is a fairly substantial moderation in the rate of growth," he says. "It is still growth, it is still positive, but it is not expected to be as strong."

However, though intentions to buy a vehicle dropped a little, Metro Monctonians were equally as likely to be planning to buy a new piece of furniture or a piece of technology worth more than $1,000 this year as in years past, something Alexander found surprising given that consumer spending is expected to slow.

He was also surprised to see that people were pretty much equally as likely to be planning to buy a home or condo this year as last (7 per cent compared to 8 per cent in 2006).

"I'm a little surprised that the furniture and the intention of buying a new home hasn't come down more, mostly because we think the housing market is going to cool," he says.

Alexander says they are predicting 3,600 new units will be constructed province-wide this year, compared to 4,000 last year and that growth in the resale market will be about 7.9 per cent, compared to 8.2 per cent last year.

Claude Gautreau, a senior market analyst with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, says they are expecting the housing market to stay strong in Metro Moncton.

"The market has been doing quite well if you go back four, five, six years," he says. "It will stay strong, undoubtably. There have been record highs in recent years and we don't see any sharp declines." He says single family home starts are down, but other forms of housing have been rising. Resale has been going up every year and he expects it will likely level off a bit.

Gautreau says there were 655 new home starts in 2007 compared to 593 the year before, more than a 10 per cent increase.

Resale increased by about the same amount, with 2,849 homes sold compared to 2,561 in 2006.

Quick facts

Financially you are:

* Doing great: 12 per cent
* Doing well: 39 per cent
* Doing okay: 33 per cent
* Just getting by: 14 per cent
* Can’t cope: 1 per cent

By community:

* Riverview:
43 per cent doing great or well
* Dieppe:
65 per cent doing great or well
* Moncton:
50 per cent doing great or well

Percentage of people who plan to...

* Purchase or lease a new car: 19 per cent
* Purchase a new piece of furniture: 41 per cent
* Renovate your house: 32 per cent
* Buy a home or condo: 7 per cent
* Buy a piece of technology that costs more than $1,000: 28 per cent
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The sleuth
GOSSIP FROM N.B.’S FAVOURITE RUMOUR-MONGER
Published Saturday March 8th, 2008
Appeared on page D10

Sleuth is back with all the latest gossip keeping the local grapevines red hot despite the still dreary winter dragging on all about us.

Now to other matters. . . Sleuth has long been hearing rumours and speculation about what is to become of Highfield Square in the downtown, which occupies what has got to be some of the most prime real estate in the city. Owned by the Sobeys interests, it has long been assumed that once the new Sobeys at the corner of Main Street and Vaughan Harvey extension was complete, things would begin moving to revamp and breathe new life into the grand old shopping mall that has seen much better days. Is something pending very soon? Sleuth is hearing rumours that nobody should be surprised if spring showers also bring big news. Indeed, he's heard rumblings that a lot of merchants in the mall are making quiet preparations for the day when they may have to relocate . . . at least temporarily.

[mmmatt]

Interesting news about Highfield...Best case senario they revamp the facade of it to be 3 stories along main street and have store fronts on the ground level. then do whatever with the rest, offices or whatever I dont care, as long as it looks nice and its occupied I dont care otherwise haha. I say this as I stare down on the roof of the mall from 7 floors up PS haha.

[ErickMontreal]

Blog for Pierre Michaud, candidate for the 2008 Mayor of Moncton

Moncton plans for economic growth
February 26th, 2008 Posted in Economics, Growth

After reading this morning’s editorial page, I went out for walk on our Main Street. What has change in the last 15 years? And for the answer I will share the following observations.

We were able to maintain almost all existing buildings and renovated a good percentage, but I noticed empty buildings, buildings with upper floors vacant, buildings with new signage and a lot of turnover in our retail businesses. In my previous years as a banker and involved in the Chamber i was able to contribute to our Downtown re-development.

Yes our Beaver Lumber lot still empty where it used to be a landmark operation in the lumber industry, for those of you that remember fewer parking areas today that become full and a Main street very congested in our short summer for tourism, when life happens in the downtown core during the day… at supper time we close up shop until the next day.

Plans, plans, plans and studies have proven that a pure Convention Center cannot exist by itself and thus needs capital funding, operational funding and of course maintenance funding. What then, a multi-purpose center providing entertainment and convention facilities. Only two convention centers in Canada make money and thus self-sufficient. What has Fredericton done differently, they have gotten their act together and building their facility and most likely absorb deficits but their planning has stopped and action has begun.

Moncton must decide on its Downtown development and proceed. The city has assets needing replacement such as our police station no longer adequate to the level of crimes we fight, this station has outgrown its life, it is no longer safe and probably not up to present codes. Our Coliseum..well a visit during functions at the facility indicates that maybe we have outgrown also this facility that has served very well the community. What other assets do we own that could be used to return better yields on our investments? As business owners a non revenue generating asset must either be sold or improved or the company suffers financially.

Land use must be an ongoing exercise for our elected officials and the management team we have in place. What if we sold the police station , what if we moved our Colisem in the Downtown core could we build a sports facility with conference rooms, with museum spaces , banquet facilities to enhance our present situation in the pursuit of new revenues? And yes stop the expenses. When we talk about convention and tourism industry should we pool our financial resources and human resources with other economic organizations? The City must put in place an asset management policy in order to assure continuous and sustainable growth.

Why in a City of such growth do we neglect local investments and rely on outside groups to develop our lands. Or do we neglect these investors or from their point view the risks become too high?

In the near future major decisions must take place for our City to continue to prosper, the decision making process lies in the hand of municipal elected officials and management must provide the facts for this process to occur in a timely fashion. The puzzle has to be clearer and pieces fall in place if you have a good idea of what you want the end product to look like.

http://monctonmayor.com/?p=5

[mmmatt]

good article, I left a response on the blog , which is very nice looking I must say (I especially love the head picture haha :P)

[ErickMontreal]

good article, I left a response on the blog , which is very nice looking I must say (I especially love the head picture haha :P)

Indeed, great pic Matt ! :haha: I left a reponse on the blog too, I pointed out the words Tower, Downtown, Casino, Convention center, Hotel, Condos, Retail, Art and Cultural center in the same sentence.

[ErickMontreal]

What makes a city unique?
Downtown Moncton Centre-ville Inc. aims to continue making positive changes to the downtown core to take the city into the future

By Katie Hunter
this week staff
Published Saturday January 19th, 2008
Appeared on page A6

Cities provide the framework to enable us to work and play. If done properly, they can create an atmosphere, which inspire and encourage citizens to lead a dynamic lifestyle.

Since 1977, Downtown Moncton Centre-ville Inc. has been revamping the downtown core to make it the model business centre in the area, and it hasn't gone unnoticed.

What is a city without a downtown?

When you travel to any city it's one of the first places you want to visit. Whether is it going to the market or sipping a coffee on a patio, every downtown needs character.

Daniel Allain is with Moncton Downtown Centre-ville and shares his perspective.

"People nowadays have a greater appreciation of urban centres," he says. "For them, it is a place where the public realm can identify themselves. You identify a city by its downtown."

In order for the downtown to prosper, there are a number of initiatives Moncton has undertaken the past few years. Active Transportation provides and encourages everyday use of its public transportation system.

With bike racks installed on buses, and footpaths along the Peticodiac, active lifestyles are encouraged.

Not only do citizens live a healthier lifestyle, they also have a healthier environment to live in.

"We are lucky to have a generation where people are environmentally friendly and want to look after themselves and future generations," Daniel says.

"People want to see change. They want their kids to do better than them."

Aesthetically, Moncton is continuously adapting to change, he adds.

"We have a vibrant urban space and within a thirty second walk, you can be along the waterfront," Daniel says of Moncton's downtown.

"With organizations such as the Riverkeepers we are also seeing a rebirth of the river."

Presently DMCI is lobbying for three major infrastructures, Daniel says.

"We are lobbying for a new Justice Facility, a large Convention Centre for South East, New Brunswick, as well as a Casino," he explains.

With these new centres, the city is hoping to provide new opportunities for businesses to thrive as well as adding more interest to the ones already established.

An exciting addition to downtown is taking place at the end of the month when St. George Street will be offically added to the core of downtown. St. George has been in development for quite some time, with businesses such as Calactus Restaurant and the Aberdeen Cultural Centre a mainstay.

Entrepreneurs have seen this section of the city come alive over the past few years as places including the Laundromat Espresso Bar as well as Artsy & Vintage, a local clothing store keep the street unique and alive.

Not only does the street boast local product but you can also stop by Staples Drug Store. There you can purchase international products such as chocolates from France, Belgium and Germany to name a few. Fair trade treats are also aplenty, to satisfy anyone.

Moncton shows no signs of slowing down, Daniel argues.

"We plan to continue commercial development momentum," he asserts. "Environmentally, at the same time we are looking at keeping the downtown green."

There are many things to look forward to in the future downtown.

"We are working on increasing infrastructure; a better way to deal with parking, security, more events and festivals, new retail opportunities and an increase in the residential component," Daniel says. "We are a part of the Atlantic gateway on economic development."

With these changes, it has never been a better time to be living in this dynamic city.

http://monctonthisweek.canadaeast.com/business/article/186634

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

New fitness club focuses on downtown workers
Nubody's downtown location offers a convenient place for corporate Monctonians to get fit

By adam corey
This Week Staff
Published Saturday January 12th, 2008
Appeared on page A6

Downtown Moncton is home to many businesses and corporations which provide countless goods and services to the people in and around the Hub City. There is now a new tenant in the area whose main goal is to serve those people who work in the downtown.

Nubody's Fitness has recently opened a new branch on Main Street in Moncton with an eye to serving the hard at work people of the downtown core.

"Our goal for the downtown location is to really get involved with the corporate marketplace," says manager Trevor Boland. "We really want to expand our corporate wellness program."

Measuring 15,000 square feet and with a staff of approximately 15 people Nubody's Fitness is prepared to take on the challenge of helping the people in the downtown area get in shape and stay in shape.

"The real focus for our clubs is to try and attract people that haven't been to a facility before and keep them coming back," explains Trevor. "About 80% of Atlantic Canadians don't work out on a regular basis, which means any physical activity three times a week - going for a walk, anything."

Nubody's Fitness offers the cutting edge in exercise equipment and training to all of its members.

"It has all the latest and greatest amenities," enthuses Trevor. "For example we have something we call 'cardio theatre' where you can watch tv or listen to your favorite satellite radio station while exercising. Every piece of our equipment has that available."

Aside from high-tech equipment, the club offers a wide variety of classes for members included as part of it's membership fee.

"We have 25 different group fitness classes such as pilates and yoga that are available at various convenient time for our members," Trevor states. "We'll even go into to the work place and do lunch and learns for our corporate members for things like stress management tips and how to stretch properly while at your desk.

"Onsite at the club we have a forty-five minute lunchtime session that allows people to come in and do their class, shower and get back to work."

Like any club or gym, one of the main challenges facing Nubody's is not just attracting new members, but also keeping them long term.

"When someone comes in we get them to meet with a membership counsellor for about 20 minutes to really figure out what will work best for them," says Trevor. "We want to figure out what their motivation is, how many times a week they plan to come and to figure out what kind of membership would help them be successful."

Another process that they encourage new members to participate in is their Jump Start program.

"It's five sessions with a personal trainer with just you and maybe one to two other people," explains Trevor. It's very personalized attention and allows members to learn how to properly use such things as the cardio equipment and train in a safe, productive way.

"What we want to avoid is someone coming in for the first time and spending an hour trying to figure out the equipment, getting frustrated and just leaving."

With the new location in such a busy area of town, the hope is that to attract those people who have been wanting to get in shape, whatever their motivation.

http://monctonthisweek.canadaeast.com/business/article/180175

[ErickMontreal]

Downtown :: Webcam updates.

http://www.moncton.org/webcams/mainstreet1/Snapshot.jpg?0.3037271441920688

http://www.moncton.org/webcams/centennial1/Snapshot.jpg

[mmmatt]

Yeah thats much better positioning for the webcams. Still room for improvement quality wise though.

[JasonL-Moncton]

Yeah thats much better positioning for the webcams. Still room for improvement quality wise though.

Ditto...the quality is horrible...you can 'make out' where it is, but to honestly say you can 'see' anything is a stretch...who positioned that second camera...that's horrible...they should point it down mainst from Crown Plaza or something, or put it on the top of Blue Cross pointing down Main.

Talking about the downtown article, they should close Main St. at least from Botsford to Church but now with the new hotel/keg etc opening I'd say from Orange Lane to at least Robinson to car traffic in the summer from Friday's at 6:pm to Sunday's at 10pm and allow the street to be walked on, you would see a lot of new 'vendor's' pop up downtown, have a busker environment in the summer it would make it so inviting...

[ErickMontreal]

Urban 'brownfields' become money makers
Moncton's new Marriott Residence Inn a great example of urban renewal

By DAVID SHIPLEY
Canadaeast News Service
Published Monday March 10th, 2008
Appeared on page A9

It was a barren gap in the downtown core of the city.

Once home to a service station, the prime Main Street real estate languished under-used and empty for 10 years.

But what was a reminder of tough economic times and urban decay in Moncton in the 1990s has become a symbol of renewed prosperity -- in the form of a six-storey Marriott Residence Inn.

Outside the hotel, workers are finishing the brick exterior while inside tradespeople work to complete its 133 rooms.

The Marriott in Moncton is set to open in mid-June after 19 months of construction.

The hotel is the latest example of how developers are turning derelict, abandoned or underutilized urban properties, lands known as brownfields, into high-value real estate.

Many, but not all, brownfields are former industrial or commercial properties. Some have soil contamination from their previous use.

Julia Bray, one of the organizers of an upcoming conference in Moncton about turning brownfields into money-makers, says one reason more brownfields aren't being turned into Marriott-like success stories is fear.

"People are afraid of environmentally-challenged properties," she said.

"They're afraid first of all that they're going to get into trouble with the province. They don't know that the province takes a very 'let's help you get it done attitude.'"

Potential brownfield investors are also concerned about their future liabilities if they purchase the land and are worried about cost over-runs for site clean-up.

Bray said the forum is aimed at changing negative perceptions about brownfield development."There's a lot of uncertainty and there's a lot of misinformation," she said. "There are people in Canada who have been successfully redeveloping brownfields and so we're bringing some of the top people into to say 'it's do-able, we're doing it and we've found ways to make it easier.'"

Bray has been working on brownfield issues for the past 10 years.

The upcoming Brownfield Awareness Forum will focus on the economic opportunities brownfield sites present. The gathering is geared toward realtors, municipal leaders, insurance and financial professionals.

The one-day conference will be held at the Delta Beauséjour Hotel on March 26.

The $15-million Marriott Residence Inn is one of many examples in Moncton of successful brownfield redevelopment.

The conversion of CN's sprawling lands in the city into sports arenas, luxurious townhouse and condominium properties, retail development and office buildings, are another example of how former industrial property can be revitalized.

Moncton isn't the only urban area in the province working on brownfield renewal.

In Saint John, there are efforts to turn the former Coast Guard property on the waterfront into high-value commercial and residential real estate.

The city also been studying how best to use the former Lantic Sugar Refinery land, which is also along its waterfront.

In Bathurst, a $2.5-million public-private partnership turned a vacant parcel of contaminated waterfront land into public space, a restaurant and retail development.

The land now returns 10 times the previous tax revenue per year.

Cities should see brownfields as assets ripe for development, said Bray.

If cities let brownfields sit empty and unused, they're missing out on tax revenue, she said.

"Brownfield properties are not pulling their weight. Because they are under-valued, they don't pay the property taxes of their neighbouring properties and they pull everybody down around them," she said.

Redeveloping a brownfield can lead to increased taxes, jobs and downtown population.

"This is a real sustainable, triple-bottom line winner," she said. "It's good for society, it's good economically and it's good environmentally."

Kevin Silliker, economic development officer for the City of Moncton, said brownfield redevelopment has had a number of benefits including urban beautification and renewed community pride.

There are plenty of brownfield opportunities left in Moncton, he said.

"Even along our Main Street there are many sites that need to be developed."

Brownfield development saves municipal taxpayers' money and makes full use of existing municipal infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer systems, he said.

"If you look at the cheaper lands on the outskirts of communities or in sections of your city that are not fully developed, it's costly to get those services out there," he said.

"That's a burden on taxpayers so it make sense to develop these areas that already serviced."
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dieppe Council will see six presentations tonight

Times & Transcript Staff
Published Monday March 10th, 2008
Appeared on page A8

Six public presentations will kick off tonight's regular meeting of Dieppe City Council.

Council will hear from Aliant about a proposal for a partnership with the city to create a new playground in Dover Park as well as hear about an ongoing fundraising project to benefit the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute.

Citizen Frederic Pellerin will address council on the topic of parking in Dieppe's uptown, while resident Roméo LeBlanc of the Dieppe Citizens Coalition will speak on the contentious issue of enquiries to city hall and public access to city information.

A certificate of recognition for the quality of service and advertising in both official languages in Dieppe will be awarded during a public presentation and the city's Working Committee on Outside Fires in Residential Areas will also address council.

The meeting will hear about a communications and marketing plan for the city and council will also discuss the city's financial contribution to the 2008 Dieppe International Kite Festival. A partnership agreement between Dieppe and the Salon du Livre de Dieppe will likely also be approved during tonight's session.

Tentative plans for new subdivisions near the Fox Creek Golf Community and at the Vieux Moulin subdivision will also be discussed.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in council chambers at Dieppe City Hall. Simultaneous translation is provided. All are welcome to attend.

[mylesmalley]

This kind of stuff drives me crazy. I sincerely doubt that harness racing has any hope of becoming a major industry in New Brunswick, and I really doubt it's as popular as they have implied in the last few months. Also, what they neglect to mention in this article is how the racino in Charlottetown is unprofitable, and needs to be propped up by the provincial government.


Harness racing wants role in N.B. gaming strategy
200 industry members gathered in Moncton for the annual 2008 Atlantic Harness Racing Symposium

TOOL HELP
By Cole Hobson
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Monday March 10th, 2008
Appeared on page A1
Approximately 200 of the top players in the Maritime harness racing industry were in Moncton over the weekend for the 2008 Atlantic Harness Racing Symposium.

From breeders to investors and trainers to bettors, all facets of the industry were represented in the weekend conference that attempted to discuss ideas to revive the fledgling industry in New Brunswick while keeping growth active in areas like Prince Edward Island.

At present there are three locations in the province that operate harness racing -- Saint John, Fredericton and Woodstock.

While the growth of harness racing has taken off of late in Prince Edward Island, thanks to increased government support and the development of a racino, New Brunswick is currently in an industry lull while facilities are aging and those involved are waiting to see what the upcoming gaming policy will hold for the future of horse racing.

"Horse racing is gaming; it should be part of the gaming policy and we're hopeful at the end of the day it will be included as part of an overall gaming strategy and we can do some things to improve the infrastructure of the race tracks and also the purses and to implement breeding programs to encourage more breeding in this province," said Ross Galbraith, chairman of the New Brunswick Horse Racing Industry Association.

The guest speaker for Saturday's annual awards banquet and dinner was Brent McGrath of Truro, the co-owner of world champion pacer Somebeachsomewhere, while The Score harness racing commentator Chris Connor was the master of ceremonies.

The seminar also heard from experts on a variety of topics including national and regional trends, improving marketing and forming important partnerships for the future.

Yesterday an industry report card discussion panel took place to address a number of pertinent issues.

One of the discussion panelists was long-time horse owner Dr. Dan Belliveau, originally from Moncton but currently residing in Halifax. Belliveau said if the government supports a new racing facility there is a "very realistic shot of returning to the glory days of harness racing."

Panelist Dr. Hugh Baird mentioned that the industry must focus on being a net exporter of horses, where they can be trained and showcased in New Brunswick, but sold in areas around North America to keep the industry profitable.

Baird, a veterinarian and horse breeder in Hampton for the past 30 years, said he's seen more interest in the industry in the past 24 months than he has in the last eight years and believes the current state of the industry in New Brunswick is nothing to worry about.

"I think there's enough of an interest -- there will always be a passion for horses and there will always be fools like me who will invest in it," he said.

Galbraith believes not enough has been done in recent years to attract new people into horse racing, and he hopes to help change that in the future.

"That's a big advantage we have over other sports. I can be a big fan of hockey, but I'm probably not going to get to go out and skate on the ice with the Moncton Wildcats," he said. "Anybody could climb on the jog cart and take the horse for a spin around the race track and a lot of people in this province are very hands-on with their horses. I think we need to focus on our strengths and one of our strengths of the industry is the horse and involving people in that and reaching out to a new generation of people."

[mmmatt]

I agree, Racinos are junk, we want a casino!!!

[mmmatt]

Ditto...the quality is horrible...you can 'make out' where it is, but to honestly say you can 'see' anything is a stretch...who positioned that second camera...that's horrible...they should point it down mainst from Crown Plaza or something, or put it on the top of Blue Cross pointing down Main.


Well I think the reason the second cam is like that is because its called the "Red Ball Cam" and it appears that the camera is attached to Red Ball Internets HQ in downtown.

However I agree, the positioning leaves much to be desired...its not even straight haha.

[ErickMontreal]

Single-detached housing starts increase in Moncton: CMHC
Total starts in Metro during first two months of 2008 down almost 32 per cent compared to last year

Times & Transcript Staff
Published Tuesday March 11th, 2008
Appeared on page A3

OTTAWA - Single-start home construction in southern New Brunswick's urban centres outpaced the national average last month, but consumers can expect that trend to cool, says a housing market analyst.

Claude Gautreau, senior market analysts for New Brunswick with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, said residential construction in February totalled 63 starts, compared to 34 units during the same period last year.

In Fredericton, year-over-year single starts jumped 54 per cent, with 15 new homes under construction in the capital city compared to six last year. There were no multiple unit starts.

Single starts in Moncton increased to 11 units in February compared to eight units during the same period last year, while year-over-year multiple unit starts fell from six to two.

Housing starts in Fredericton during the first two months of 2008 are up 57 per cent compared to 2007, while Moncton's numbers have fallen 32 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Gautreau said one of the factors contributing to this year's decline in housing starts in Moncton is inclement weather.

Despite the snow, Gautreau said, the diversified economies of Moncton and Fredericton continue to create jobs, which is contributing to positive gains in southern New Brunswick's housing market.

Gautreau said home construction during 2007 and the first two months of 2008 has been positive in southern N.B. despite a cooling trend across Canada.

He said New Brunswickers can expect the province's housing market to "realign" itself with the rest of the country before year's end.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Petitcodiac causeway is area's top polluter
Riverkeeper releases list of Top 10 polluters in southeast N.B.

By Yvon Gauvin
Times & Transcript staff
Published Tuesday March 11th, 2008
Appeared on page A6

The Petitcodiac causeway, Greater Moncton Wastewater Treatment Facility and the City of Moncton's former landfill site once again top the list of worst pollution sources affecting the Petitcodiac River's ecosystem and fish habitat, says the Petitcodiac Riverkeeper organization in its seventh annual such listing.

Causeways, sewage discharges, urban development, abandoned dams and pesticides were cited as major contributors to the degradation and pollution of the Petitcodiac River, Memramcook River and the Shepody Bay and watersheds.

Chief among the infractions is the Petitcodiac causeway and the fact that neither the provincial or federal governments have taken concrete action on a remedial plan.

"What better way to mark the 40th anniversary of one of the worst environmental mistakes in New Brunswick history than to start the process of taking (the causeway) out?" said Riverkeeper Tim Van Hinte.

"Over 90 per cent of the damage to the Petitcodiac River system is still being caused by governments," he added.

The causeway, owned by the province and built in 1968, extensively altered the natural functions of the 3,000 square kilometres of the Petitcodiac River and Shepody Bay ecosystem, besides obstructing fish passage and eliminating 21 kilometres of estuary, said the group.

Several species of aquatic life were also eliminated from the river system including the inner Bay of Fundy salmon, American shad and striped bass and Atlantic tomcod, said the organization.

The causeway also resulted in massive buildup of silt downstream, reducing the width of the river from one kilometre to 100 metres and the near elimination of the famed tidal bore.

Riverkeeper is still waiting for a financial commitment on a bridge replacement from both the province and the federal government.

The list is meant to educate the public on the most urgent environmental issues facing the watersheds and to encourage corrective action, he said.

Second place goes to the Greater Moncton Sewerage Commission for its waste water treatment facility, which still only provides primary treatment.

The organization says the treatment facility only removes solids from the effluent dumped directly into the Petitcodiac River at Outhouse Point.

The former Moncton landfill, owned and operated by the City of Moncton and located on 35 hectares of land on the riverbank, was closed in 1992 after more than 20 years of operation.

The organization says toxic leachate from the dump continues to enter the river. The diversion of Jonathan Creek away from the landfill site will help minimize the discharge but that project has yet to fix a start date.

The watchdog organization has added uranium mining and exploration on the "Pollution Source to Watch" list.

[JasonL-Moncton]

The causeway never should have been built...it needs to go...period.

[kwajo]

You can't take the causeway out, it's one of the best sources of punchlines about Moncton! For example, its affect on the Tidal Bore, which makes the whole thing a real bore.

Oy, okay maybe that's not funny after all.

[ErickMontreal]

Neighbourg / Voisin
http://www.branchdesign.com/monctonpixels/P1170196_pastalli.jpg
The Moncton City Hall Complex and Pastalli, a nice Italian restaurant.Le complex de l’Hôtel de ville de Moncton et Pastalli, un bon resto Italien.

By Brian Branch :: http://monctonpixels.blogspot.com/2008/03/neighbours-voisins.html

[theshark]

anybody can give me any feedback on pastalli? sounds like a good place to go next time I go down.

[ErickMontreal]

anybody can give me any feedback on pastalli? sounds like a good place to go next time I go down.

I have been there last summer, its really great and not too expensive as well. A good 9/10.

[ErickMontreal]

In brief :: Champlain Place

Three new stores for the city and the province as well.

Bikini Village and Buffalo Shop going to open in the new few weeks
Sears Floor Covering Centres is open for business.

http://www.buffaloshop.ca/fr/index.htm
http://www.bikinivillage.com/fr/default.idigit
http://www.searsfloor.ca/find_store.php

[Smevo]

I'll have to check out Pastelli next time I'm in town. Italian's my favourite kind of cuisine, with Indian being a close second. :tup:

[Helladog]

I'll have to check out Pastelli next time I'm in town. Italian's my favourite kind of cuisine, with Indian being a close second. :tup:

Should make it the location of the next NB meet...(after SJ that is).

[mylesmalley]

I'll have to check out Pastelli next time I'm in town. Italian's my favourite kind of cuisine, with Indian being a close second. :tup:

The Taj Mahal, further down Main street has fantastic Indian food.

[JasonL-Moncton]

Not a fan of Pastelli's myself...great 'bread bar' but the two times I've been, never really liked.

Jason

[ErickMontreal]

Casino players show their hands today

Nathan White
Telegraph-Journal
Published Wednesday March 12th, 2008
Appeared on page A3

Will it be Trump? MGM? Harrah's?

New Brunswickers will find out today which major international players are at the table hoping to win the province's first casino license.

Proposals were due Tuesday for the casino project, which the provincial government announced in November. Today the government will reveal the interested parties.

Government spokesman Marc Belliveau said the bids were in sealed boxes, which will be opened today. The government will name the companies, along with the names of the proposed projects and any partners involved.

"It's commonplace for several partners to join forces and put a bid in," said Belliveau, but he did not reveal the number of proposals.

"I can tell you the government was pleased with the interest shown from the start in the project and the representation of bidders was local, national and international."

While Belliveau did not reveal what locations have been proposed, Moncton and Saint John have been publicly touted as the front-runners.

A group known as Chateau Royale was reportedly considering non-downtown locations in the Moncton area. That group is backed by a partner in New England, which could possibly be a major international company.

Most of the major companies with gaming interests in North America have been rumoured to be touring New Brunswick looking for potential sites. Representatives for Trump Entertainment Resorts, which runs three casinos in Atlantic City, N.J., visited Saint John and toured other areas of the province. The waterfront and the city's east side are most often mentioned as possible Saint John sites.

Great Canadian Gaming Corp., Canada's largest publicly-traded gaming operator, also expressed interest in building in New Brunswick. Great Canadian's 18 casinos and racetracks include sites in Halifax and Sydney, N.S., British Columbia, Ontario and Washington State.

"We did extensive coverage of New Brunswick and we were very, very thorough in looking at the options for the company and deciding if it was an appropriate fit for us," Howard Blank, the company's vice-president of media and entertainment, said Tuesday.

While he did not say whether the company submitted a proposal, he said Great Canadian "did extreme due diligence on the project."

Toronto's Verdiroc Development Corp. has stated its intention to develop a downtown casino, hotel, convention centre, restaurant and performance venue in downtown Moncton. It's possible Verdiroc's Moncton-based partner, Ashford Investments Inc., could be the local element Belliveau referred to.

Other proposals that came to the forefront in recent months appear to have been derailed. One would have seen Saint John's Exhibition Association partner with a group from Quebec to build a gambling venue that included a new racetrack and grandstand on the east side. It was also to include soccer fields, a restaurant and an arena. However, the Quebec partner backed out.

Ross Galbraith, chairman of the New Brunswick Horse Racing Industry Association, said Tuesday he hopes to see other proposals that include a racetrack. The government's request for proposals states that "ancillary" facilities such as a racetrack will weigh heavily in the decision to award the casino license.

"I hope any proposal that has horse racing will have an advantage over those that don't," said Galbraith.

While Saint John is the "cornerstone of the industry now," Galbraith said he'd support any development that could benefit the industry province-wide.

Meanwhile, it's unclear what role, if any, First Nations will play in the process. Susan Levi-Peters, the outgoing chief of Elsipogtog First Nation, was outspoken last year that First Nations would go ahead with plans for a casino. But newly-elected chief Jesse John Simon II has said the plans are on the backburner.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moncton games still on despite lack of track
Official says World Junior Track and Field Championships will proceed with or without Sackville facility

By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Wednesday March 12th, 2008
Appeared on page A3

If the Town of Sackville chooses not to build a practice track for the 2010 IAAF World Junior Track and Field Championships, as was originally planned, the largest sporting event to ever be held in Atlantic Canada will still go off without any major hitches, says a City of Moncton official.

Ian Fowler, the general manager of the Moncton's department of recreation, parks and culture, said yesterday it was disappointing to hear of Sackville's new position, but vowed Canada's hosting of the games in Moncton, "is still solid. It will be a success."

He also said more than half the 1,700 athletes from around the world who are scheduled to be housed at Mount Allison University will still be housed there, whatever Sackville does, as the organizing committee has rented those rooms directly from the university.

"The opportunity to put a track in Sackville (a short walk from where the athletes are staying) is ideal, but there are other options," Fowler said, suggesting either a track in Memramcook or another at Anna Malenfant School in Dieppe could be upgraded with the $250,000 put aside in the event's budget for the Sackville track.

A practice track for the benefit of Sackville-based athletes is above and beyond the main stadium being built for the games on the Université de Moncton campus, as well as a practice/warm-up track planned for a yet undecided Moncton location the athletes housed at UdeM would use.

Though the motion passed in Monday night's public meeting of Sackville council said the town would, "inform Moncton of its decision to discontinue further planning," Fowler and Moncton Mayor Lorne Mitton both first heard of the development late yesterday afternoon when they were contacted by the Times & Transcript.

Similarly, officials at Athletics Canada admitted they were caught off guard by Sackville's move. Officials at New Brunswick's department of Wellness, Culture and Sport and in the sport branch of the federal department of Canadian Heritage said yesterday they would look into the matter. Attempts to reach Sackville Mayor Jamie Smith yesterday were unsuccessful.

The town's chief administrative officer could not be reached. Fowler said he did have advance warning from a town official the discussion would happen at Monday's meeting, but was surprised by the result, which seemed to be more a goodbye than an expression of concerns.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moncton holds info session for potential Chinese investors
Overseas entrepreneurs interested in small, medium-sized business opportunities in Metro

By Yvon Gauvin
Times & Transcript staff
Published Wednesday March 12th, 2008
Appeared on page C2

The City of Moncton, Enterprise Greater Moncton and the Atlantic Canada Business Network are hosting a second foreign direct investment information session this evening for Chinese investors interested in small and medium-sized business opportunities in the city.

The session gets under way at 5 p.m. at Moncton City Hall with Ben Champoux representing the city to provide an overview of the Metro Moncton region, its assets and potential.

Local businesses interested in partnering with new investors are also invited to attend the session.

Five Chinese investors interested in moving to Moncton and looking at investment possibilities took part in the first information session last month.

The sessions provide introductions to businesses, a video on business and international investment opportunities here and value of international partnership, information for local businesses on partnership opportunities through the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program, opportunities and challenges in partnering and selling to foreign investors, and networking and exchange of information with the Chinese delegates.

The delegates will be introduced by the Atlantic Canada Business Network group, which will be represented by general manager Ivy Wang.

The network, formerly called CANLink Global Services, provides foreign direct investment and international business consulting to Atlantic Canadian businesses.

The province and the City of Moncton are at the forefront of efforts to attract foreign investors and skilled workers interested in moving to the province and the Metro region.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Riverview council frustrated with federal government red tape
Delays in receiving infrastructure funds can cost town $20,000 a month

BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF
Published Wednesday March 12th, 2008
Appeared on page A4

It's always nice to get federal government money to help with capital projects, but the Town of Riverview is frustrated with the amount of red tape associated with actually getting the money.

In a presentation to town council Monday night, Director of Finance Sharon Santalucia said delays in actually getting infrastructure money from Ottawa can cost the town around $20,000 per month. This puts the town in a difficult financial position and means the municipality must watch its money very carefully when deciding on which capital projects to work on.

For example, the town received federal and provincial funding to build the $17-million Gunningsville Boulevard recently. Santalucia said the town actually pays for the work first, then sends the receipts and invoices to the provincial and federal governments for reimbursement. She said the provincial departments usually send the money quickly, but the federal departments take much longer because of the number of departments and red tape involved.

Santalucia presented the year-end financial statements, showing a budget surplus of $45,673. She noted there were savings in some areas and over-expenditures in others. The surplus will be rolled into the town's income for the next budget year. Auditor David Stevenson confirmed the financial statements, noting the town is still carrying debt and warned councillors to consider this when borrowing for future capital projects.

[kwajo]

Casino players show their hands today

Nathan White
Telegraph-Journal
Published Wednesday March 12th, 2008
Appeared on page A3

Will it be Trump? MGM? Harrah's?

New Brunswickers will find out today which major international players are at the table hoping to win the province's first casino license.

Proposals were due Tuesday for the casino project, which the provincial government announced in November. Today the government will reveal the interested parties.

Government spokesman Marc Belliveau said the bids were in sealed boxes, which will be opened today. The government will name the companies, along with the names of the proposed projects and any partners involved.

"It's commonplace for several partners to join forces and put a bid in," said Belliveau, but he did not reveal the number of proposals.

"I can tell you the government was pleased with the interest shown from the start in the project and the representation of bidders was local, national and international."

While Belliveau did not reveal what locations have been proposed, Moncton and Saint John have been publicly touted as the front-runners.

A group known as Chateau Royale was reportedly considering non-downtown locations in the Moncton area. That group is backed by a partner in New England, which could possibly be a major international company.

Most of the major companies with gaming interests in North America have been rumoured to be touring New Brunswick looking for potential sites. Representatives for Trump Entertainment Resorts, which runs three casinos in Atlantic City, N.J., visited Saint John and toured other areas of the province. The waterfront and the city's east side are most often mentioned as possible Saint John sites.

Great Canadian Gaming Corp., Canada's largest publicly-traded gaming operator, also expressed interest in building in New Brunswick. Great Canadian's 18 casinos and racetracks include sites in Halifax and Sydney, N.S., British Columbia, Ontario and Washington State.

"We did extensive coverage of New Brunswick and we were very, very thorough in looking at the options for the company and deciding if it was an appropriate fit for us," Howard Blank, the company's vice-president of media and entertainment, said Tuesday.

While he did not say whether the company submitted a proposal, he said Great Canadian "did extreme due diligence on the project."

Toronto's Verdiroc Development Corp. has stated its intention to develop a downtown casino, hotel, convention centre, restaurant and performance venue in downtown Moncton. It's possible Verdiroc's Moncton-based partner, Ashford Investments Inc., could be the local element Belliveau referred to.

Other proposals that came to the forefront in recent months appear to have been derailed. One would have seen Saint John's Exhibition Association partner with a group from Quebec to build a gambling venue that included a new racetrack and grandstand on the east side. It was also to include soccer fields, a restaurant and an arena. However, the Quebec partner backed out.

Ross Galbraith, chairman of the New Brunswick Horse Racing Industry Association, said Tuesday he hopes to see other proposals that include a racetrack. The government's request for proposals states that "ancillary" facilities such as a racetrack will weigh heavily in the decision to award the casino license.

"I hope any proposal that has horse racing will have an advantage over those that don't," said Galbraith.

While Saint John is the "cornerstone of the industry now," Galbraith said he'd support any development that could benefit the industry province-wide.

Meanwhile, it's unclear what role, if any, First Nations will play in the process. Susan Levi-Peters, the outgoing chief of Elsipogtog First Nation, was outspoken last year that First Nations would go ahead with plans for a casino. But newly-elected chief Jesse John Simon II has said the plans are on the backburner.

I'm excited, I can't wait to see what proposals were submitted! And although I'm biased toward a casino on the Saint John harbourfront, I'd like to see New Brunswick get the best casino possible, no matter where it is located.

[Haliguy]

Casino players show their hands today

Nathan White
Telegraph-Journal
Published Wednesday March 12th, 2008
Appeared on page A3

Will it be Trump? MGM? Harrah's?

New Brunswickers will find out today which major international players are at the table hoping to win the province's first casino license.

Proposals were due Tuesday for the casino project, which the provincial government announced in November. Today the government will reveal the interested parties.

Government spokesman Marc Belliveau said the bids were in sealed boxes, which will be opened today. The government will name the companies, along with the names of the proposed projects and any partners involved.

"It's commonplace for several partners to join forces and put a bid in," said Belliveau, but he did not reveal the number of proposals.

"I can tell you the government was pleased with the interest shown from the start in the project and the representation of bidders was local, national and international."

While Belliveau did not reveal what locations have been proposed, Moncton and Saint John have been publicly touted as the front-runners.

A group known as Chateau Royale was reportedly considering non-downtown locations in the Moncton area. That group is backed by a partner in New England, which could possibly be a major international company.

Most of the major companies with gaming interests in North America have been rumoured to be touring New Brunswick looking for potential sites. Representatives for Trump Entertainment Resorts, which runs three casinos in Atlantic City, N.J., visited Saint John and toured other areas of the province. The waterfront and the city's east side are most often mentioned as possible Saint John sites.

Great Canadian Gaming Corp., Canada's largest publicly-traded gaming operator, also expressed interest in building in New Brunswick. Great Canadian's 18 casinos and racetracks include sites in Halifax and Sydney, N.S., British Columbia, Ontario and Washington State.

"We did extensive coverage of New Brunswick and we were very, very thorough in looking at the options for the company and deciding if it was an appropriate fit for us," Howard Blank, the company's vice-president of media and entertainment, said Tuesday.

While he did not say whether the company submitted a proposal, he said Great Canadian "did extreme due diligence on the project."

Toronto's Verdiroc Development Corp. has stated its intention to develop a downtown casino, hotel, convention centre, restaurant and performance venue in downtown Moncton. It's possible Verdiroc's Moncton-based partner, Ashford Investments Inc., could be the local element Belliveau referred to.

Other proposals that came to the forefront in recent months appear to have been derailed. One would have seen Saint John's Exhibition Association partner with a group from Quebec to build a gambling venue that included a new racetrack and grandstand on the east side. It was also to include soccer fields, a restaurant and an arena. However, the Quebec partner backed out.

Ross Galbraith, chairman of the New Brunswick Horse Racing Industry Association, said Tuesday he hopes to see other proposals that include a racetrack. The government's request for proposals states that "ancillary" facilities such as a racetrack will weigh heavily in the decision to award the casino license.

"I hope any proposal that has horse racing will have an advantage over those that don't," said Galbraith.

While Saint John is the "cornerstone of the industry now," Galbraith said he'd support any development that could benefit the industry province-wide.

Meanwhile, it's unclear what role, if any, First Nations will play in the process. Susan Levi-Peters, the outgoing chief of Elsipogtog First Nation, was outspoken last year that First Nations would go ahead with plans for a casino. But newly-elected chief Jesse John Simon II has said the plans are on the backburner.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moncton games still on despite lack of track
Official says World Junior Track and Field Championships will proceed with or without Sackville facility

By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Wednesday March 12th, 2008
Appeared on page A3

If the Town of Sackville chooses not to build a practice track for the 2010 IAAF World Junior Track and Field Championships, as was originally planned, the largest sporting event to ever be held in Atlantic Canada will still go off without any major hitches, says a City of Moncton official.

Ian Fowler, the general manager of the Moncton's department of recreation, parks and culture, said yesterday it was disappointing to hear of Sackville's new position, but vowed Canada's hosting of the games in Moncton, "is still solid. It will be a success."

He also said more than half the 1,700 athletes from around the world who are scheduled to be housed at Mount Allison University will still be housed there, whatever Sackville does, as the organizing committee has rented those rooms directly from the university.

"The opportunity to put a track in Sackville (a short walk from where the athletes are staying) is ideal, but there are other options," Fowler said, suggesting either a track in Memramcook or another at Anna Malenfant School in Dieppe could be upgraded with the $250,000 put aside in the event's budget for the Sackville track.

A practice track for the benefit of Sackville-based athletes is above and beyond the main stadium being built for the games on the Université de Moncton campus, as well as a practice/warm-up track planned for a yet undecided Moncton location the athletes housed at UdeM would use.

Though the motion passed in Monday night's public meeting of Sackville council said the town would, "inform Moncton of its decision to discontinue further planning," Fowler and Moncton Mayor Lorne Mitton both first heard of the development late yesterday afternoon when they were contacted by the Times & Transcript.

Similarly, officials at Athletics Canada admitted they were caught off guard by Sackville's move. Officials at New Brunswick's department of Wellness, Culture and Sport and in the sport branch of the federal department of Canadian Heritage said yesterday they would look into the matter. Attempts to reach Sackville Mayor Jamie Smith yesterday were unsuccessful.

The town's chief administrative officer could not be reached. Fowler said he did have advance warning from a town official the discussion would happen at Monday's meeting, but was surprised by the result, which seemed to be more a goodbye than an expression of concerns.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moncton holds info session for potential Chinese investors
Overseas entrepreneurs interested in small, medium-sized business opportunities in Metro

By Yvon Gauvin
Times & Transcript staff
Published Wednesday March 12th, 2008
Appeared on page C2

The City of Moncton, Enterprise Greater Moncton and the Atlantic Canada Business Network are hosting a second foreign direct investment information session this evening for Chinese investors interested in small and medium-sized business opportunities in the city.

The session gets under way at 5 p.m. at Moncton City Hall with Ben Champoux representing the city to provide an overview of the Metro Moncton region, its assets and potential.

Local businesses interested in partnering with new investors are also invited to attend the session.

Five Chinese investors interested in moving to Moncton and looking at investment possibilities took part in the first information session last month.

The sessions provide introductions to businesses, a video on business and international investment opportunities here and value of international partnership, information for local businesses on partnership opportunities through the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program, opportunities and challenges in partnering and selling to foreign investors, and networking and exchange of information with the Chinese delegates.

The delegates will be introduced by the Atlantic Canada Business Network group, which will be represented by general manager Ivy Wang.

The network, formerly called CANLink Global Services, provides foreign direct investment and international business consulting to Atlantic Canadian businesses.

The province and the City of Moncton are at the forefront of efforts to attract foreign investors and skilled workers interested in moving to the province and the Metro region.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Riverview council frustrated with federal government red tape
Delays in receiving infrastructure funds can cost town $20,000 a month

BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF
Published Wednesday March 12th, 2008
Appeared on page A4

It's always nice to get federal government money to help with capital projects, but the Town of Riverview is frustrated with the amount of red tape associated with actually getting the money.

In a presentation to town council Monday night, Director of Finance Sharon Santalucia said delays in actually getting infrastructure money from Ottawa can cost the town around $20,000 per month. This puts the town in a difficult financial position and means the municipality must watch its money very carefully when deciding on which capital projects to work on.

For example, the town received federal and provincial funding to build the $17-million Gunningsville Boulevard recently. Santalucia said the town actually pays for the work first, then sends the receipts and invoices to the provincial and federal governments for reimbursement. She said the provincial departments usually send the money quickly, but the federal departments take much longer because of the number of departments and red tape involved.

Santalucia presented the year-end financial statements, showing a budget surplus of $45,673. She noted there were savings in some areas and over-expenditures in others. The surplus will be rolled into the town's income for the next budget year. Auditor David Stevenson confirmed the financial statements, noting the town is still carrying debt and warned councillors to consider this when borrowing for future capital projects.

Riverview isn't the only one having a hard time getting fedeal funding.

[mylesmalley]

The only interest group that gets more noise in NB News newspapers other than the harness racing 'industry' are the nuts who think that taxes are how the government is personally out to get them.

"I hope any proposal that has horse racing will have an advantage over those that don't," said Galbraith.

SkyscraperPage should have got together, formed a group, and insisted that the project be at least 35 stories and cost a billion dollars!

Wouldn't surprise me in the least if the editor of the Times and Transcript has a stable full of horses and a racetrack is just a personal mission of his.

[JasonL-Moncton]

I still firmly believe that Moncton is the, hands down, best place for the casino. This is not against Saint John in anyway...Moncton just makes more sense to me.

The Sackville track thing is just weird...why they wouldn't 'want' this facility is beyond me?

China is slowly taking over the world...

Riverview is just the first to complain out loud about such a problem.

[mylesmalley]

I still firmly believe that Moncton is the, hands down, best place for the casino. This is not against Saint John in anyway...Moncton just makes more sense to me.

The Sackville track thing is just weird...why they wouldn't 'want' this facility is beyond me?

China is slowly taking over the world...

Riverview is just the first to complain out loud about such a problem.

I dont' get that Sackville thing either. I was under the impression that Moncton/the province were paying for the whole thing.

Also, Riverview isn't the first to complain, and unfortunately, they won't be the last to have to put up with this problem. Moncton's been waiting for years for funding for the convention centre, causeway cleanup and more.

[JasonL-Moncton]

I dont' get that Sackville thing either. I was under the impression that Moncton/the province were paying for the whole thing.

I believe they are, that's the thing puzzles me!?

[nwalbert]

I still firmly believe that Moncton is the, hands down, best place for the casino. This is not against Saint John in anyway...Moncton just makes more sense to me.

The Sackville track thing is just weird...why they wouldn't 'want' this facility is beyond me?

China is slowly taking over the world...

Riverview is just the first to complain out loud about such a problem.



Just out of curiosity, what is this based on? Both cities have roughly the same amount of people, with Saint John experiencing a major boom, it will soon have more people.

Saint John is closer to the US market and sees millions of tourists come via Cruise Ships alone each year.

I am not saying Saint John is necessarily the best place, but the waterfront there certainly seems more logical than Moncton, which is only 2 hours from the Nova Scotia casino.

[JasonL-Moncton]

More centralized location, higher tourist volume (don't count cruise ships as I feel it's a moot point-a LOT of cruise ships have a casino on board), larger bi-lingual workforce, off the top of my head...the province also had an 'independent' study done two years ago that categorically stated that if the province changed the their gaming policy that Moncton is the city to put it in.

You stated that Moncton is too close to Halifax which has a Casino...I see people coming from Halifax to Moncton a heck of a lot quicker than going to Saint John from Halifax.

US Market? What US market? If I'm sitting in Boston or NY or New Jersey am I gonna come to Saint John or go to Atlantic City? What US market are you referring to...Maine?

[Smevo]

Should make it the location of the next NB meet...(after SJ that is).

Sounds like a great idea...April anyone? ;)

The Taj Mahal, further down Main street has fantastic Indian food.

I've heard good things about it. I'm kinda spoiled for a white guy, getting authentic Indian food pretty much any day of the week at my fiancee's. Definitely not against trying it though. :cheers:

US Market? What US market? If I'm sitting in Boston or NY or New Jersey am I gonna come to Saint John or go to Atlantic City? What US market are you referring to...Maine?

Don't get too caught up on "tourism" and "markets". Casinos alone aren't large tourism generaters. The tourists that come to town will visit the casino and lose all their money there. The only extra tourism would be from within the province, PEI, and Cumberland County in Nova Scotia (in Moncton's case...Digby County in SJ's case). It'll be a benefit to the economy, but you won't see a huge spike in tourism from outside the region.

[nwalbert]

You sort of made my point for me, people are NOT going to come from Halifax to either location for a Casino, which sort of weakens your "centralized location" argument.

Like I said, I am not convinced SJ is the right location, I just dont see any good argument for Moncton.

[ErickMontreal]

RENOVATION PROJECTS ABUNDANT, NEW CONSTRUCTION OFF TO A SLOW START
February 2008 building permits total $2.9 million

March 12, 2008
For immediate release

MONCTON – A total of 33 permits valued at $2.9 million were issued in February 2008. This represents a 29.5% decline in total value when compared to the 36 building permits issued over the same period last year (valued at 4.1 million). A total of 61 permits valued at $4.2 million were issued so far this year compared to 79 permits worth $6.7 million in 2007. “The drop in construction activity so far this year is not a reflection of weak demand, but mainly due to severe winter conditions”, said Ben Champoux, Business Development Specialist with the City of Moncton. “We have 70,300 people currently employed in Greater Moncton compared to 65,100 twelve months ago, interest rates are dropping and consumer confidence remains strong; so expect construction activity to bounce back over the next few months”, added Champoux. All sectors of the construction industry were down in February when compared to last year. Commercial and industrial sector building permits were valued at $1.5 million while residential construction accounted for $946,000 in permits. The majority of building permits issued so far this year is for renovation projects, as opposed to new construction.

Highlights from February 2008 include:

• A $420,000 interior renovation project for the second floor of the new Lawton’s Drug Store on Mapleton Road;

• The renovation for the new Ambulance Dispatch on John Street, valued at $420,000;

• Improvement work on the 5th floor of the Crombie Property at 1234 Main Street, valued at $250,000;

• Fit-up to create RBC offices on the 6th floor at 633 Main Street, valued at $250,000.

[ErickMontreal]

You sort of made my point for me, people are NOT going to come from Halifax to either location for a Casino, which sort of weakens your "centralized location" argument.

Like I said, I am not convinced SJ is the right location, I just dont see any good argument for Moncton.


From KPMG : Casino Market Assessment Report.

"We conducted an analysis of potential revenue from destination casinos in Saint John and Fredericton using the same propensity, frequency and average spend assumptions to determine the optimum location for a destination casino in New Brunswick. Potential revenue, at $52.0 million, was highest in Moncton followed by $37.1 million in Fredericton and $34.7 million in Saint John. Moncton’s location and resident population bases make the City the logical choice for a New Brunswick destination casino."

If you want good arguments you could read the report. Moreover, it is the same firm (KPMG) that will deliver the next report.

http://www.moncton.org/search/english/CITYHALL/publications/finalcasinoreport.pdf

[Smevo]

You sort of made my point for me, people are NOT going to come from Halifax to either location for a Casino, which sort of weakens your "centralized location" argument.

Like I said, I am not convinced SJ is the right location, I just dont see any good argument for Moncton.

It's either or for me personally (if this were NS, both would get one and probably Fredericton too). You're not going to get people from Halifax or the US to either location, and Jason-L's right that the cruise ships are a moot point, because almost all of them have casinos on board.

The one advantage Moncton currently has is a larger population base closer to the city, because of the Confederation Bridge and Cumberland County (the ferry ride might deter people from Digby County going, and there are times when it doesn't run too). It also has an advantage of better highway systems between it and the other population centres than SJ, though that's not SJ's fault and Hwy 7 not being done by now is absolutely ridiculous if you ask me.

You're basically only fighting for the NB market here, so nomatter where it's put, tourist-generation is going to come from north of the city.

[ErickMontreal]

It's either or for me personally (if this were NS, both would get one and probably Fredericton too). You're not going to get people from Halifax or the US to either location, and Jason-L's right that the cruise ships are a moot point, because almost all of them have casinos on board.

The one advantage Moncton currently has is a larger population base closer to the city, because of the Confederation Bridge and Cumberland County (the ferry ride might deter people from Digby County going, and there are times when it doesn't run too). It also has an advantage of better highway systems between it and the other population centres than SJ, though that's not SJ's fault and Hwy 7 not being done by now is absolutely ridiculous if you ask me.

You're basically only fighting for the NB market here, so nomatter where it's put, tourist-generation is going to come from north of the city.

I agree with all your points. To add to whats been said above, the higher income and maybe the lower poverty rate (social impact) could help Moncton to get it. What's been the impact of the Casino on tourism in Sydney ?

[ErickMontreal]

NB casino proposals set to be unveiled

March 12, 2008 - 5:17 pm
By: News 91.9 Staff


FREDERICTON, NB - It's the news that has everybody talking - who is behind the proposals submitted for New Brunswick's first casino license?

The province had planned on releasing that information today but sometimes even the best laid plans fall through.

NB government spokesman Marc Belliveau says going through each proposal is taking longer than anticipated and he's not giving us any of the goods until each file has been carefully looked at.

Belliveau says representation was local, national and international.

While he wouldn't reveal what locations have been proposed for a casino, Saint John and Moncton are considered to be the front-runners.

The finance minister is expected to reveal details in the legislature on Thursday.

[nwalbert]

It's either or for me personally (if this were NS, both would get one and probably Fredericton too). You're not going to get people from Halifax or the US to either location, and Jason-L's right that the cruise ships are a moot point, because almost all of them have casinos on board.

The one advantage Moncton currently has is a larger population base closer to the city, because of the Confederation Bridge and Cumberland County (the ferry ride might deter people from Digby County going, and there are times when it doesn't run too). It also has an advantage of better highway systems between it and the other population centres than SJ, though that's not SJ's fault and Hwy 7 not being done by now is absolutely ridiculous if you ask me.

You're basically only fighting for the NB market here, so nomatter where it's put, tourist-generation is going to come from north of the city.



I tend to agree with you. Seems like Sussex would be the ideal location.

[mylesmalley]

Ideal, maybe, logical, maybe. The thing is though, that's just not how New Brunswick politics works. Case and point: (And I stress that I'm not trying to promote Moncton here, just stating fact) Moncton Airport sees more passengers than all other airports in the province combined. Yet, because there's no dominant city in the province, the government pays to have and promote airports in two neighboring cities. Logically, an airport should have been built in a central location, and let original three close. Even as things are now though, an hour and a half drive (from Freddy to Moncton or SJ to Moncton) is not an unreasonable amount of time to drive to a major airport-just ask someone from Toronto.

The provincial government is terrified of someone saying they pick favorites so generally, every city gets the same things. When UdeM got a medical school through the university of Sherbrooke, Saint John got one soon after. I'm not saying SJ shouldn't have one, but it does seem a bit silly having two medical schools in a province so under populated. There's a hundred other examples of this.

In the case of a casino I bet $5 that if Moncton is chosen, Saint John will have one too within five years - and freddy soon after should they change their minds.

[Smevo]

I agree with all your points. To add to whats been said above, the higher income and maybe the lower poverty rate (social impact) could help Moncton to get it. What's been the impact of the Casino on tourism in Sydney ?

There's been practically no impact on tourism from the Casino. They visit it when they're in town, but it's hasn't increased the city's tourist draw any. The Casino mostly draws from the area itself, and if anybody makes any "significant" trip to get to it, they still come from the Island (mainlanders tend to go to the Halifax one since the Canso Strait sits almost exactly half way on the trip from Sydney to Halifax in terms of travel time). Tourists come for other reasons, and just decide to visit the casino while they're here.

[ErickMontreal]

There's been practically no impact on tourism from the Casino. They visit it when they're in town, but it's hasn't increased the city's tourist draw any. The Casino mostly draws from the area itself, and if anybody makes any "significant" trip to get to it, they still come from the Island (mainlanders tend to go to the Halifax one since the Canso Strait sits almost exactly half way on the trip from Sydney to Halifax in terms of travel time). Tourists come for other reasons, and just decide to visit the casino while they're here.

Frankly, I think this is whats going to happen here too, the reason why I want it downtown. I mean I dont really believe in that sort of "tourism resort". Lets do it Downtown (If Moncton get it), it will come along with a Convention Center/Hotel and others things that could help to dramaticly change the core.

[ErickMontreal]

Moncton
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2209/2322072335_9c58e625b2_o.jpg

By Shotokan :: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sciencegeek/2322072335/

[JasonL-Moncton]

Ideal, maybe, logical, maybe. The thing is though, that's just not how New Brunswick politics works. Case and point: (And I stress that I'm not trying to promote Moncton here, just stating fact) Moncton Airport sees more passengers than all other airports in the province combined. Yet, because there's no dominant city in the province, the government pays to have and promote airports in two neighboring cities. Logically, an airport should have been built in a central location, and let original three close. Even as things are now though, an hour and a half drive (from Freddy to Moncton or SJ to Moncton) is not an unreasonable amount of time to drive to a major airport-just ask someone from Toronto.

The provincial government is terrified of someone saying they pick favorites so generally, every city gets the same things. When UdeM got a medical school through the university of Sherbrooke, Saint John got one soon after. I'm not saying SJ shouldn't have one, but it does seem a bit silly having two medical schools in a province so under populated. There's a hundred other examples of this.

In the case of a casino I bet $5 that if Moncton is chosen, Saint John will have one too within five years - and freddy soon after should they change their minds.

It's interesting that you made this point, because that is exactly opposite to what Mike Murphy is currently doing with the health system, I agree with you, about everyone having to have the same thing which is ridiculous, but at least they are streamlining the health system. Some don't like the idea, but it makes perfect sense, it's gonna save NB a lot of administration costs.

[mylesmalley]

It's interesting that you made this point, because that is exactly opposite to what Mike Murphy is currently doing with the health system, I agree with you, about everyone having to have the same thing which is ridiculous, but at least they are streamlining the health system. Some don't like the idea, but it makes perfect sense, it's gonna save NB a lot of administration costs.

Well it is and it isn't. Moncton, SJ and the north might not have got the same things, but notice how he gave every city (except Freddy, oddly enough) a piece of the pie. There would have been hell to pay if Moncton didn't get anything out of it, or the north shore, or Saint John.

As for the restructuring, I'm not going to make an opinion until I see the results. Change for teh sake of change isn't the right way to go about things and I get the impression a lot of the time that that's all they're doing. The new ambulance service was touted as being a money saver, being more efficient, and providing better care. However, the cost is easily double what it was with teh 38 independent providers, and there isn't much evidence of better service.

[ErickMontreal]

Bets placed on N.B. casino
Provincial gov't delays release of potential developers to further study proposals

By Jesse Robichaud
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Thursday March 13th, 2008
Appeared on page A1

FREDERICTON - All bets are still off on the potential location and developer of the casino that will open in New Brunswick in 2010.

The province's casino sweepstakes began officially on Tuesday at 2 pm when the deadline set by the province to receive casino project proposals from developers expired.

Shrouded in secrecy, the proposals were received in sealed boxes and were transported to an undisclosed site yesterday where they were opened.

The Liberal government was scheduled to disclose the names of the developers who are bidding on the casino project yesterday, but plans changed once the boxes were opened and the enormity of the sensitive task became apparent.

Indeed, as officials sifted through the loads of information required by the province's stringent request for proposals (RFP) process, including a $50,000 deposit from each proponent, the logistics of the overall process have forced Department of Finance officials to postpone the announcement until today or tomorrow.

Moncton and Saint John are looked upon as the frontrunners in the high stakes contest between business interests in both cities as they jockey for an advantage over their still anonymous competition.

Despite the tight-lipped approach of the provincial government toward the selection process, which is being kept at arm's length from the cabinet table, spokesman Marc Belliveau concedes there is fierce competition within the province.

"We aren't oblivious to what's going and we know there are some regions battling over other areas," he said.

"The government is very pleased with the interest shown in the RFP. The people who have made proposals are local, national, and international."

While Metro Monctonians will have to wait until May before they learn whether a casino will be built in their backyard, local residents seem to be split on where a casino should be built within Metro.

While some, including Downtown Moncton Inc, believe a casino could be the jolt the city's core needs to spur development, others believe a project on the city's outskirts would be a greater asset to help the city attract visitors and more downtown investment.

On the flip side of the coin, the potential social effects of a downtown casino has been pointed to as a potential disturbance to the downtown's current vitality by some critics.

A City of Moncton commissioned feasibility study conducted in 2002 by the KPMG accounting firm projected that a downtown casino would likely cost $33 million and generate $55 million per year in revenues, creating 400 jobs.

While Moncton has dominated the discussion over the best fit for a casino, there have been some whispers over the advantages of projects in Dieppe, and even as far away as Shediac.

After all, Finance Minister Boudreau has said the province's decision to legalize the construction of a casino in the province was based on a desire to boost the province's tourism numbers.

However, the 2002 KPMG study estimated that the lion's share of the casino's clientele would come from locals rather than tourists, with $17 million of the annual $55 million pay dirt coming from residents living within 30 minutes of the casino. In fact, 950,000 of the casino's visitors would come from residents living within 2.5 hours of the casino, and would contribute $52 million of the casino's annual $55 million revenues.

According to the same projections, only 43,000 visitors spending $3.2 million would be actual tourists.

Since the RFP was released, two groups have emerged publicly as contenders for a casino project in Moncton.

Toronto-based Verdiroc has expressed interest in building a casino on the former Beaver Lumber property in downtown Moncton. The company holds an option on the eight acre property.

The firm has also stated its intention to develop a downtown convention centre, restaurant, and a performance venue for downtown.

Another group, known as Chateau Royale, is looking at several locations in Metro Moncton, but none are located downtown.

The group is backed by New England interests, and has been working with city council on its proposal for more than 18 months.

Talk of a proposal to build a racino in Saint John in order to stimulate the harness racing industry in that city seems to have fizzled according to sources close to the industry.

Leading up to the casino's 2010 opening, the province's gambling policy will cut the total number of video lottery terminals from 2,660 to 2,000, and limit the number of locations where VLTs can be accessed from 625 to 300 as a means of addressing problem gambling.

VLTs will be removed from restaurants by 2009, but government officials say the $135 million in revenues that are currently pumped into government coffers won't decrease due to the cuts.

However, with up to a maximum of 800 slot machines being added to the province's gambling mix wherever the casino is built, the number of VLTs and slots in the province could exceed the current number of VLTs.

And despite the Liberal government's promise to double the $750,000 currently spent on gambling addiction treatment services, there is still some opposition to the construction of a casino due to the social problems similar projects have caused elsewhere.

The city that gets the nod in the casino sweepstakes will also see the number of VLTs diminished, as the government's policy states that a "maximum of 20 per cent of the VLTs in the video lottery program will be permitted within the casino market area."

It is anticipated that the range will be set at between 80 and 100 kilometres of the community in which the casino complex is located, which would represent a large proportion of southeastern New Brunswick if a Metro casino project is chosen.

The previous Conservative government of Bernard Lord flirted with the idea of a casino, but was defeated in the 2006 election before it released its own long-awaited gambling policy which would have stated a clear position.

When the new casino opens in 2010, New Brunswick will become the ninth Canadian province to authorize a casino.

While the government is banking on competition within the market to decide what casino mix will be most profitable -- based on a ratio of a possible 60 points allocated for the casino's business case, and 40 points allocated for the potential economic impact on the region -- there are some parameters.

For example, developers can pick a number between 400 and 800 slot machines. By comparison, Casino Nova Scotia in Halifax contains 750 machines, while its sister casino in Sydney features 338.

Boudreau has been clear in stating that additional services and attractions around the casino, such as a race track, theatre, hotels, or arena, will play a big role in the province's final decision, which will be made by international accounting firm KPMG.

The choice will then be confirmed by the Liberal cabinet, which won't be made aware of the location where the winning choice is made.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moncton permits down
Severe weather conditions slow down building activity

By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Thursday March 13th, 2008
Appeared on page A12

And you thought Metro Moncton's endless winter only had you depressed. Now it seems to have had the same effect on construction in Moncton, at least when you look at a snapshot of building permits for snowy February.

A total of 33 permits valued at $2.9 million were issued in February, a 30 per cent decline in total value when compared to the 36 building permits issued over the same period last year (valued at $4.1 million). Last February, though cold, saw very little snow on the ground.

Ben Champoux, a business development specialist with the City of Moncton, said yesterday, "the drop in construction activity so far this year is not a reflection of weak demand, but mainly due to severe winter conditions."

Champoux pointed to a number of economic factors to suggest the February decline is likely just a hiccup.

"We have 70,300 people currently employed in Greater Moncton compared to 65,100 twelve months ago," he said. "Interest rates are dropping and consumer confidence remains strong, so expect construction activity to bounce back over the next few months."

Indeed, last year's February permit numbers had been the best since 2003, and even though the 2008 figures are lower, they are still significantly better than the $1.7 million worth of permits issued in the mild February of 2006.

All sectors of the construction industry were down in February when compared to last year. Commercial and industrial sector building permits were valued at $1.5 million while residential construction accounted for $946,000 in permits. The majority of building permits issued so far this year is for renovation projects, as opposed to new construction.

Among the biggest were one that could in fact arguably be considered new construction, a $420,000 interior renovation project for the second floor of the new Lawton's Drug Store on Mapleton Road;

A renovation for the new ambulance dispatch centre on John Street was also valued at $420,000. Improvement work on the fifth floor of the Crombie Property at 1234 Main Street and work to create RBC offices on the sixth floor of 633 Main Street were valued at $250,000 each.

So far this year, a total of 61 permits valued at $4.2 million have been issued, compared to 79 permits worth $6.7 million at this time last year.

[ErickMontreal]

Finance
Four proponents submit bids for destination casino project (08/03/13)

NB 304

March 13, 2007

FREDERICTON (CNB) - The Lotteries Commission of New Brunswick today announced that four proponents have submitted proposals to construct, equip and operate a destination casino complex in the province.

Finance Minister Victor Boudreau said he was pleased that there are a good number of companies which have submitted bids.

"In a province of our size, this is an excellent representation of interested bidders," Boudreau said. "The next step is the evaluation of the proposals. We are pleased that the RFP process is proceeding according to plan."

The proponents are as follows (in alphabetical order):

Proponent:
CEI Investment (New Brunswick) Corp.
Team Members:
Carabetta Enterprises, Inc.
Century Resorts International Ltd.

Proponent:
Dieppe Resort and Casino Limited
Team members:
Buttcon Energy Inc.
Dundee Realty Corporation
ADI Group Inc.

Proponent:
Maritime Casino ULC
Team members:
Paragon Gaming Inc.
New Millenium Equities, Inc.
Ashford DG Holdings, Inc.
Cyr Holdings, Inc.
Marriott Hotel International

Proponent:
Sonco Gaming New Brunswick Limited Partnership
Team Members:
Sonco Gaming New Brunswick Limited
Navegante Group Inc.
Clairvest Group Inc.
2050631 Ontario Inc.

The next stage is for the proposals to undergo a rigorous evaluation. Teams will evaluate the proposals against pre-set criteria. The evaluations will also go in front of a due diligence panel. The entire process is being monitored by KPMG, an international process consultant who is also acting as the fairness monitor for the initiative.

On Nov. 8, 2007, the Province announced its new Responsible Gaming Policy. The policy was based on several pillars which included cutting the number of video lottery terminals in the province from 2,650 to 2,000; increasing its responsible gaming programs and research; strengthening its charitable gaming policy and issuing an RFP for a destination casino. The casino complex is expected to be operational no later than Dec. 31, 2010.

New Brunswick would be the eight province to have a destination casino complex in Canada. Proponents were asked to include ancillary services in the proposal which could include but not be limited to: a standard-bred horse racing facility, hotel, performance theatre, meeting or trade convention facility, special events venues, restaurants, lounges or specialty restaurants, or recreation facilities. A copy of the Responsible Gaming Policy can be found at: http://www.gnb.ca/0162/gaming/gaming_policy-e.asp.

[mylesmalley]

Sigh...

Pics or it didn't happen.

[kwajo]

I don't even care about pics, I just want details about where each proposal is specifically located.

[ErickMontreal]

I don't even care about pics, I just want details about where each proposal is specifically located.

Well, I think the first three are proposed in Moncton.

1) Magnetic Hill
2) Dieppe
3) Downtown

[kwajo]

Well, I think the first three are proposed in Moncton.

1) Magnetic Hill
2) Dieppe
3) Downtown
Yeah I figured, there hasn't seemed to be much public interest in pursuing the casino idea in Saint John I guess we're too busy with our other developments right now which are either unrelated (industrial) or already planned (Coast Guard site, North of Union, etc.), whereas Moncton is looking for the project to be a major piece of a new development.