The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[mmmatt]

Welcome to the forum rocyn! Always nice to see a new face! (or would it be hear a new voice in this case?) I dunno haha...either way, welcome! :)

[Smevo]

Anybody up for a meet anytime soon? Even just a small one tomorrow? I've got nothing to do on the weekends...at least on Sundays and holidays anyway. :haha:

Welcome to the forum rocyn.

[ErickMontreal]

:: Moncton Downtown ::
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3105/2500130673_4f4bf199dd_b.jpg

By Picture hunter :: http://www.flickr.com/photos/15929026@N06/

[mmmatt]

WOW! Thats an AMAZING picture :D Great find Erick!

[rocyn]

Thank you so much for the information and welcome :)

I found this online that shows proposed roads. It looks like perhaps new intersections at both ends of Horsman (Berry Mills and Ryan) and Horsman would continue straight through to Twin Oaks, which would also be extended out to the highway. Interesting! http://www.moncton.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=99

[le calmar]

Wow, that's quite a highrise you got there.

[mylesmalley]

Wow, that's quite a highrise you got there.

It ain't much, but I likes it.


Smevo, great idea! I'm free any time tomorrow if you guys want to get together. All are welcome, of course. Great to have some new faces, too.

[mylesmalley]

Thank you so much for the information and welcome :)

I found this online that shows proposed roads. It looks like perhaps new intersections at both ends of Horsman (Berry Mills and Ryan) and Horsman would continue straight through to Twin Oaks, which would also be extended out to the highway. Interesting! http://www.moncton.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=99

You've made my day, Rocyn. I've spent more time staring at a city map imagining what it would look like in 20 years than I care to think about. Now i've got something more to work with.

I'm not crazy about their plans for the land between Wheeler and the TCH. I hate suburban development, and that's exactly what they're setting that area up for. I'm intrigued by the giant loop proposed around Harrisville and the east end. Good to see some forethought going in to the area with so much construction going on there.

Also, I wonder what they intend to do to 'upgrade' the two traffic circles. With so much environmental concern in marsh areas, I doubt much at all could be done to the Halls Creek circle. They probably wouldnt' even propose something like that nowadays.

[mylesmalley]

Okay, so Erick and I were talking, and we think 1:30 pm is a good time. we usually meet in the parking lot behind city hall because it's cheap and convenient. If this isn't good, i think we're both pretty flexible.

[Smevo]

Sounds good to me. I'll give Erick a call if something comes up, and he has my cell # alternatively. :cheers:

[ErickMontreal]

Sounds good to me. I'll give Erick a call if something comes up, and he has my cell # alternatively. :cheers:

Alright, I should be here up to 1:20... let me know if something happens .

Otherwise, see you there guys.

[mikeohara]

I don't know if anyone's mentioned it yet (and its too bad i didn't know about the meet-up, would have been awesome to come - been following the forum for a long time)

noticed at the YMCA redevelopment, that Scotia Mcloud has put up signage and appears to have taken up residence on the top floor. I guess the Atlantic Ballet theater is only using the first floor?

[mikeohara]

Does anyone know what is happening to the old Hawk Communications building on the corner of Main and Lutz?

the part of the building bordering lutz street is completely gutted (no roof even in some places)

I wonder if it is going to be leveled and become parking, or maybe some more green space... or are they going to add on the extra bit and make that section two storeys...... any ideas?

http://monctonita.com/uploads/P1010019.jpg (sorry for the poor quality pic)

[mmmatt]

I don't know if anyone's mentioned it yet (and its too bad i didn't know about the meet-up, would have been awesome to come - been following the forum for a long time)

noticed at the YMCA redevelopment, that Scotia Mcloud has put up signage and appears to have taken up residence on the top floor. I guess the Atlantic Ballet theater is only using the first floor?

firstly: WELCOME! great to have another newcomer! :D

Yeah that building is pretty big, I was guessing ABT was only taking up the 1st floor.

And we have been pondering what will happen to the old Hawk building for a while. We are hoping they will add another floor, however thats just a guess, maybe someone should pass by and ask one of the people working on it...see what they say haha.

[mylesmalley]

I don't know if anyone's mentioned it yet (and its too bad i didn't know about the meet-up, would have been awesome to come - been following the forum for a long time)

noticed at the YMCA redevelopment, that Scotia Mcloud has put up signage and appears to have taken up residence on the top floor. I guess the Atlantic Ballet theater is only using the first floor?

Welcome to SSP! Firstly, sorry about the meetup. It was a real spur-of-the-moment kind of thing. In future, I we should set a date a week or two in advance so people can have more notice.

Also, we checked out the Hawk building. It looks as though they plan on filling in that corner, but that's it.

[Smevo]

'twas a good time. Thanks to Erick and Myles for the interesting discussions. Sorry about the short notice, you guys should organize one with a few weeks notice for later on in the spring or into the summer. This was my last meet for a while, considering my jam-packed agenda for the spring and summer. :cheers:

[gehrhardt]

I was driving by the new Hampton Inn this morning and noticed that they were covering up the foundation insulation on the side you could see from the highway. It looked to me like they were using some sort of fake red brick sheets. You know, like the fake brick siding that they put on houses years ago (50s-60s).

I hope that's not what it is. :yuck:

Has anyone seen a rendering of that hotel? Maybe that could shed some light on this.

After looking at it a bit closer this morning, the red brick sheets seem to be some sort of layer to put under the real brick/stone. It just has a red brick pattern on it. :)

They have now put some of the real stonework along the foundation. It is a grey/tan colour and looks more like rough stone than brick. It looks quite nice.

[JasonL-Moncton]

I noticed too, speaking of exteriors, that they are starting to put the exterior on the outside of the new Firestation on Botsford...looks like concrete/stone from what I could see from Wheeler.

[ErickMontreal]

Dieppe residential growth continues unabated
Developers predict new housing to surpass 420 units this year

Published Tuesday May 20th, 2008
C2
By James Foster
Times & Transcript Staff


A check of building permits issued in April in Dieppe tells the tale.

There were 82 residential permits issued that month, valued at $7.8 million worth of houses and apartments.

Even more interesting, that value was double the amount of the previous April, yet the number of permits issued was about the same. This reflects the fact that more upscale homes and big apartment buildings are being constructed and that more single-family homes are under construction than ever before in Dieppe.

By year's end, the best guess is that about 420 residential units will be built in Dieppe, from single-family homes to duplexes, apartments, townhouses, condos and mini-homes.

Most of Dieppe's booming residential development is concentrated in three areas of the city: near the Fox Creek Golf Club; in the Lakeburn area; and near Chartersville Road. All three are not far from the relatively new -- and expanding -- Dieppe Boulevard, and the bulk of it from Chartersville Road southward.

That's no surprise, since the older parts of Dieppe in the west and north are pretty much fully developed, and especially since the city's emerging "uptown" commercial and recreational sector is growing in great leaps in the east, it's the natural place for newcomers and home buyers to want to live.

As the summer construction season plays out, you can literally watch new subdivisions spring from the ground, or see existing ones spread out.

Immeubles Perfection Realty's 260-lot Domaine du Ruisseau mini-home park in Lakeburn is on the grow, with plans to expand eventually to about 400 lots.

As well, Perfection's Place Beausoleil features two 48-unit luxury apartment buildings closer to Dieppe Boulevard, with trails and a workshop available to residents. It's a development worth about $9 million.

Nearby, that same developer's Jardins Beausoleil boasts 40 new lots for duplexes, plus more lots nearby for commercial sites to serve the new residences, all located near Dieppe Boulevard.

The city's largest new residential subdivision lies near the back-nine holes of the Fox Creek Golf Club, with about 100 new lots being worked by Terramine Developments Inc, with another 24 acres of commercial space nearby.

That subdivision will feature a range of homes and prices, from executive-size lots and elaborate homes, to properties aimed at other demographics as well.

Further south near Melanson Road, Tri-Dev Corporation is developing phase two of their Vieux Moulin subdivision, creating about 30 more lots north of Melanson Road, south of Dieppe Boulevard, as well as another 15 to 20 lots at Domaine du Faisan not far away.

Those are just the main residential subdivisions being developed this summer; there are also several smaller ones being created by other developers with a few homes here, an apartment building there or a street extension over there, city officials note.

Those include new duplexes just off Thomas Street, a handful of new homes for Bonaventure Park, about 20 homes being built in Champlain Gardens near the Arthur-J. LeBlanc Arena, 10 to 15 more homes east of Amirault Street near the city limits and more than a dozen more off Pelagie Street.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Magic Mountain's new $200,000 Kamikaze will be open by summer
C2
By Nick Moore
Times & Transcript Staff

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=131465&size=365x0
The region's largest water park is missing its signature waterslide at the moment, but its return is certain.
Caption
Greg Agnew/Times & Transcript
The signature slide at Magic Mountain is being replaced.

The nearly-vertical slide at Moncton's Magic Mountain, better known as the Kamikaze, has been dismantled to make way for a brand new version.

Magic Mountain general manager Mark Jelley says most waterslides are replaced every 20 to 25 years and the Kamikaze had been a mainstay for the past 21 seasons.

He says the 100-metre drop won't change and will be "just as exciting as ever."

The top six feet of the new slide will be enclosed by tubing, opening up after those first exhilarating seconds, and alternating blue and yellow pieces will create the illusion thrill seekers are going faster than ever before. Already, people travel the Kamikaze at a speed of nearly 60 km/h (37 mph).

Construction of the new $200,000 waterslide is starting from the base up and is expected to be complete before Magic Mountain opens for its summer season June 14.

Jelley says the Kamikaze is one of the park's most recognizable trademarks.

"There's certainly no slide (in the area) that would compare to the Kamikaze as far as sheer size, speed or drop," he says, adding it's the fastest waterslide in Atlantic Canada.

[ErickMontreal]

Walt Disney Company has re-purchased The Disney Store from The Children place earlier this month. They will shut down 100 stores in the USA and three of the 17 store in Canada. According to the U.S. Bankruptcy court the Dieppe location could be closed.

http://chapter11.epiqsystems.com/viewdocument.aspx?DocumentPk=edaa4998-5559-4694-93b4-85ead77253eb

[mylesmalley]

Walt Disney Company has re-purchased The Disney Store from The Children place earlier this month. They will shut down 100 stores in the USA and three of the 17 store in Canada. According to the U.S. Bankruptcy court the Dieppe location could be closed.

http://chapter11.epiqsystems.com/viewdocument.aspx?DocumentPk=edaa4998-5559-4694-93b4-85ead77253eb

Maybe they aren't charging enough.

-cough-

[JasonL-Moncton]

Maybe they aren't charging enough.

-cough-

:haha: :haha: :haha:


I don't have kids yet which may have an effect (god-sons count?) but I can honestly say I've only ever set foot in that store once.

JL

[ErickMontreal]

More shops in store for Metro
Mapleton Road widening, retail developments among projects to start soon

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=131814&size=600x500
Developers are waiting to finalize plans before kicking into high gear on the new retail/commercial area on the northeast corner of the Wheeler Blvd. off ramp and Mapleton Road.

Published Thursday May 22nd, 2008
A1
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF


Metro Moncton is poised for another busy construction season this summer as developers prepare to build more retail buildings along Mapleton Road and other parts of the north end.

"I think you're going to see some shovels in the ground before too long," said Kevin Silliker, an economic development officer for the City of Moncton.

Silliker said several parcels of land have already been clear-cut around a 33-acre plot of land on Mapleton Road and roads are roughed in. Construction is expected to begin as soon as the plans are finalized.

Silliker said several development plans are in the works, the largest being a 48,000 square foot building on Mapleton Road, a smaller one around 30,000 square feet and several smaller ones around 5,000 to 7,000 square feet.

"There is a wide variety of retailers that you could put into these spaces."

He said plans for the buildings are being finalized and should soon go through the approval process.

Bill Budd, executive-director of the Greater Moncton Planning District Commission, said developers are putting the finishing touches on their plans for the Mapleton Road area near the Costco outlet.

"They are doing their final diligence with their sites and when they are ready to come through the commission and building permit system, those applications will be acted on. But there is nothing in the system that is being held up. It is being developer driven at this point," Budd said yesterday.

Silliker said the developments involve the private landowners, real estate agents, developers and city officials who are all working together to keep the plans moving. In an effort to speed up the process, the proponents hold regular meetings to keep each other informed of their progress.

In an effort to encourage more development, the city will expand and widen Mapleton Road from the Highway 2 (the Trans-Canada Highway) to Carson Drive near the Moncton Music Centre. When it is finished, the widened road will be up to six lanes wide and permit more free movement of traffic.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Metro promoted as retail mecca
Delegates to retail, franchise conventions use statistics to lure in more business

Hey retailers and franchise owners - come on down to Metro Moncton and set up shop.

Eric Pelletier, Enterprise Greater Moncton manager of investment attraction &
community relations, shows brochures promoting the city as Atlantic Canada's premiere shopping destination.
Caption

That's the message behind a new colourful brochure developed by Enterprise Greater Moncton that is being used as a sales tool at retail and franchise conferences this spring. The brochure was distributed during a recent meeting of the Franchise Association of Canada and will be part of the delegates' welcome kit at the upcoming convention of the Retail Council of Canada.

Metro Moncton is already known as a retail mecca to people all over New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. Just look at the licence plates in the mall parking lots on any weekend and you can see the people come from far and wide to shop here.

But as Metro Moncton developers work to create even more space for retailers, economic development officers have been hitting the trade shows and conventions to convince business operators to come on down and set up shop.

The brochure includes a colour map showing the major retail centres in Dieppe, Moncton and Riverview and the "emerging retail nodes" that are expected to grow in coming years. It also includes colourful graphics showing statistics like forecasted retail sales growth, catchment area, forecasted population growth -- all the hot buttons to catch the eye of big business operators looking for places to expand their reach.

Eric Pelletier, manager of Investment Attraction and Community Relations for Enterprise Greater Moncton, said the delegation was well-received by the franchise association and several retailers are now looking at setting up shop here.

"A huge part of what we are doing is education and building relationships," Pelletier said. "A lot of these people don't know where New Brunswick is."

The brochure includes statistics on Metro Moncton's catchment area, forecasted population growth, office space, retail sales, location and other information important to retailers and franchise operators. Metro Moncton surpasses Halifax, Fredericton, Charlottetown and other Atlantic Canadian centres in those categories, which helps in the sales pitch.

"We always knew we had good news here, but this just confirms it."

Pelletier says more retailers will create jobs and act as a magnet for even more development. He said franchises offer local people the opportunity to go into business for themselves and the incentive for people who moved away from Moncton years ago to return. And he doubts that new businesses would hurt existing ones.

"We're really trying to focus on things that won't compete with what we already have here."

Brenda Orchard, director of economic development for the Town of Riverview, is happy that the mainly residential community is now on the radar for franchise association members. She said two new retailers are expected to begin construction in Findlay Park this spring and negotiations with property owners are continuing to create more space along Gunningsville Boulevard to open up land for development. And tenders will soon be awarded for renovations to the old fire station to begin the Fundy Gateway project, opening up more space for retailers.

The next big project for Riverview will be land acquisition south of Gunningsville Boulevard and construction of the trunk sewer to open up even more land. But that process could take two or three years.

"You can't have commercial development with porta-potties."

The trunk sewer will make way for construction of the new Bridgedale Boulevard, which will connect Gunningsville Boulevard to Hillsborough Road and create a retail space on the tourist route to Albert County and Fundy National Park.

Other upcoming projects in Riverview include the rebuilding of Vito's Restaurant, the Shannex seniors complex and a new condominium/apartment complex that will have the first underground parking garage in Riverview.

Orchard said Riverview is trying to convince both Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire to consider the town as a spot for another location. Both well-known chains already have locations in Dieppe and Moncton.

"We want to let them know how much we want it to come here."

She said the new bridge and Gunningsville Boulevard have opened up Riverview and linked it by road with the other retail centres of Champlain Place and Trinity Drive. However, she said it has been tough to sell Riverview as a business destination to big chains because it is so close, yet so separate from the other retail centres.

"We need people to change their habits and come across the bridge."

A wellness centre, hotel and arena in the southern part of Riverview are all on the long-range plan for Riverview and would likely help to draw in more tourists and visitors to the town.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Starbucks buys outlets from licensee
Move should mean more restaurants and jobs, says coffee chain president

Published Thursday May 22nd, 2008
C2
By James Foster
Times & Transcript Staff

Starbucks Coffee Canada Inc. is buying all 40 Starbucks locations in Quebec and Atlantic Canada operated by its licensee Coffee Vision Inc. and Coffee Vision Atlantic Inc., including the two Dieppe locations.

Starbucks Canada president Colin Moore says rather than paring staff as often happens when one company acquires another, the move should create more jobs as the purchase is part of Starbucks' plans to expand aggressively internationally, which for the Seattle-based Starbucks includes Canada.

"We are going to be creating more jobs as we will be creating more stores," Moore said in an interview.

Michael Aronovici, founder and president of CVI and CVAI, said in an interview he was "thrilled" to have operated 40 Starbucks stores in the region but that it was now time for CVAI to focus on bringing new restaurants to Atlantic taste buds.

Neither would elaborate on their future growth plans, however it is no secret Starbucks has been acquiring stores from licensees in the past couple of years as it boosts its international growth rate. Starbucks operates 16,000 stores in 44 countries.

The chain has said that its major international offensive over the next three years would be in Canada, China and the U.K. Starbucks believes is not even close to meeting the potential demand for Starbucks in Canada.

Nothing in particular led CVAI to divest itself of the 40 stores, Aronovici said.

"We just started talking, and then one thing came to another," he said.

The stores were very profitable and provided "handsome" returns for his stockholders, Aronovici said.

As for Starbucks' plans for Metro Moncton, count on new outlets coming soon, Moore said, "but I can't get into specifics."

The deal, the terms of which were not released, includes several real estate holdings that were being developed for new Starbucks locations.

"New Brunswick and Moncton are very much on our radar," Moore said.

"You'll have to stay tuned, but we do certainly have aggressive growth plans."

Aronovici was equally coy when it came to what potential new restaurants his firm could be bringing to Atlantic Canada.

"But we already have things in the works," he said.

CVI and CVAI had 740 employees working at Starbucks, who will soon all become Starbucks employees.

The deal closes Aug. 25.

[PersonPlaceorThing]

It's like the local media tries to use offensive and poor analogies. I hate reading that things will be meccas or that Indigo stores will be Chapters on Steroids. Mecca has religious significance and things on steroids really seem unhealthy to me.

[mylesmalley]

I really don't see what all the fuss around Starbucks is about. Their prices are ridiculous and the ambiance they love to flaunt has really gone down hill in the past few years.

Besides, I think moncton is a pretty safe market for Tim Horton's.

[ErickMontreal]

I really don't see what all the fuss around Starbucks is about. Their prices are ridiculous and the ambiance they love to flaunt has really gone down hill in the past few years.

Besides, I think moncton is a pretty safe market for Tim Horton's.

First off, I do not drink coffee on a daily basis. However with the ridiculous amount of Tim Horton`s around here a bit more diversity would be welcome/desired for those who like/want variety.

[JasonL-Moncton]

First off, I do not drink coffee on a daily basis. However with the ridiculous amount of Tim Horton`s around here a bit more diversity would be welcome/desired for those who like/want variety.

I too welcome the variety...when I quit smoking I stopped drinking Tim's. Why? Because when my taste buds reasserted themselves I discovered that Tim's is the most foul coffee ever brewed.

I'm a Second Cup guy now...occasionally Timothy's...and wish there were more of them.

Starbucks I'm not really a fan of...their coffee is too 'strong' and expensive.

[mmmatt]

Starbucks is good, I dont drink coffee but I like thier specialty drinks like frappichinos etc...I hope they get a downtown location next, they could fit in well in the old Burger King or on the bottom floor of Crowne Plaza.

[mylesmalley]

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for variety. I just think it's funny making a big deal over a new coffee shop coming to town.

"The new phone books are here! The new phone books are here!"

[kirjtc2]

As I said a while back in the Fredericton thread, Starbucks has been looking at going into the Crowne Plazas in both Fredericton and Moncton.

As for coffee...Tim's is too bland, Starbucks is too burnt, but I love Second Cup...

[gehrhardt]

I was driving on the TCH this morning and saw a big new sign saying "Home of the new casino" (or something along those lines) on the side of the road here:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2009/2515325383_084f332f4a.jpg

That had better not be the new site. There are new houses being built all around that area and it is not exactly within walking distance to the Magnetic Hill attractions. Is it even within the city limits?

[JasonL-Moncton]

Wow that would NOT be the ideal place for the casino...those new houses out there wouldn't like it either....I doubt that's where it's going.

[ErickMontreal]

I was driving on the TCH this morning and saw a big new sign saying "Home of the new casino" (or something along those lines) on the side of the road here:

That had better not be the new site. There are new houses being built all around that area and it is not exactly within walking distance to the Magnetic Hill attractions. Is it even within the city limits?

If its the case... this is completely foolish.

[ErickMontreal]

Mapleton Road work begins Monday
Traffic delays expected throughout summer as key link to Metro retail area expanded from two lanes to four

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=132555&size=265x0
Mapleton Road work from Trinity Drive (top of photo) to the Highway 2 (the Trans-Canada Highway) is slated to start on Monday and motorists are reminded that there could be traffic slowdowns or delays until the end of September. Drivers are asked to use alternate routes when possible.

Published Friday May 23rd, 2008
A7
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

Just in time for the busy summer shopping season, one of Metro Moncton's busiest streets will be out of commission for several months as it is widened from two lanes to four.

Alcide Richard, director of design and construction for the city's public work's department, said the $11-million project to widen Mapleton Road will result in some short-term pain for motorists but result in long-term gain as it is built for the future, complete with bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides.

Mapleton Road is located in north-end Moncton and acts as a connector between the busy Trinity Drive retail area and Highway 2 (the Trans-Canada Highway). Up until about 10 years ago, it was a minor two-lane road on the outskirts of the city. But after years of explosive development, it has become a major artery into the city and a link between a major retail node and a growing residential area on the north side of the highway. It also leads to the recently developed Mapleton Park recreational area.

The Trinity Drive area has become a major retail node with big box stores, restaurants and other services. The emerging Mapleton Power Centre is a 33-acre development that will add more than 300,000 square feet of new retail space. The area is being touted by Enterprise Greater Moncton as a place for retailers and franchises to set up shop.

The bypass surgery that will transform Mapleton from a two-lane country road into a four-lane thoroughfare will begin Monday and likely continue until the end of September or early October. The City of Moncton yesterday issued a brief advisory asking motorists to use alternate routes and apologizing for any inconvenience the project might cause.

"When you look at traffic as it exists today up there compared to 10 years ago, the difference is incredible," Richard said. "With this project we are turning Mapleton Road into a gateway to the community from the highway and a link to Wheeler Boulevard. There are more developments coming that will bring more traffic and we are building this road for the long term."

Richard said it is a major project that will likely only be half done by the end of construction season in October.

The Mapleton Road project will begin at Trinity Drive and move north toward the Highway 2 (the Trans-Canada Highway). It will mean moving telephone poles and electrical wires, laying down new sewers and water lines, excavating and rebuilding the road bed to accommodate four lanes along with sidewalks and bicycle lanes. The four-lane road will have a median divider that will give way to turning lanes at various points, similar to the construction of Vaughan Harvey Boulevard and Assomption Boulevard. At some points, there will actually be six lanes -- four for traffic and two for turning.

Later this fall, new traffic lights will be installed at Frampton Lane and Mapleton, and also at Frampton and Lady Ada Drive.

Richard said the Mapleton Road project is expected to continue from May to October and will probably make it as far as the Aliant driveway before construction is halted in the fall.

The budget for the Mapleton Road project is around $11 million, about half of which will be covered by the province. The Department of Transportation is also kicking in 100 per cent of the cost to widen the bridge at Wheeler Boulevard. The intention is to have the project complete by late fall of 2009.

He said road work could clash with construction of new retail complexes planned for Mapleton Road as heavy equipment will be coming and going.

"It could impact that work, but I'm sure we can work together to get 'er done," Richard said.

The Mapleton Road project falls together with work currently being done on Botsford Street and more planned work to resurface areas of Mountain Road. These all go together in what should result in better flow of traffic with new developments, more retail outlets and increased population.
________________________________________________________________________________________


Residents offer input into St. George Street revival

Published Friday May 23rd, 2008
A1
By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff

Perhaps even more than Main Street, St. George Street was for many years the heart of Moncton.

It is around St. George that families lived, at Victoria School and the old Edith Cavell school that they educated their children, along St. George itself that many people of different religions gathered to worship.

Somewhere along the way, with the growth of car culture, St. George Street's heart almost stopped beating entirely.

But now concerned citizens and community leaders are trying to resuscitate the heart of St. George Street.

Last night's open house organized by Downtown Moncton Centre Ville Inc. saw dozens of citizens come out to the Beaver Curling Club to talk about what St. George could be. The open house concluded two days of brainstorming to draft a plan for the neighbourhood's future.

What DMCI and their partner BDA Consultants came up with was a five-part action plan with a 10-year implementation goal. Members of the public then gave their input, with their ideas to be incorporated in the final report. The report will then be used to guide development and approach funding agencies for help in creating infrastructure like trees, pocket parks and decorative lighting.

Lynn Martin came out with her husband Guy Daigle to have a look and give input. The couple just recently moved to Weldon Street and have a vested interest in the neighbourhood's resurgence.

"We need to go for the artsy crowd and the university students," Martin suggested, adding successful neighbourhoods like she and Daigle found when they lived in Vancouver tended to be multicultural and affordable.

"There's a lot of colourful characters on St. George. The new St. George needs to be something that doesn't push those colourful characters out."

Meanwhile, Jim Sackville of BDA Consultants emphasized the need for the street to capitalize on the historic nature of the homes to its south and its north.

"They have tremendous economic value (in themselves), but they're also the main feeder for St. George."

[mylesmalley]

I doubt that's the site of the casino. I think they were just refering to the general area? Anyway, like you all said, the residents there would flip. Plus that land is quite far away from the existing attractions and hotels, so putting it there would pretty much defeat the purpose of creating a big tourist attraction.


I'm glad they're finally getting around to widening Mapleton road. I didn't realize they were planning on putting a grass median down the middle. That's a great idea. It'll make the road safer, and make the whole area look a bit classier. That's going to be one hell of a mess though, especially when the province tears out the overpass to widen it to six lanes.

[mmmatt]

They wont build the casino there, it would be retarded, thats prolly just a sign to say its going along there somewhere kinda thing.

The first tennant of the new retail strip along main street (new sobeys) has thier sign up...The Shoe Tree...I think they were in Highfield before, not 100% sure though.

[ErickMontreal]

Metro to convert garbage into gas
Landfill GM estimates plastic in dump could yield 1 million litres of diesel fuel

Published Friday May 23rd, 2008
A1
By MARC HUDON
Times & Transcript Staff

OTTAWA - A plan to convert tonnes of dirty plastic bags from a Moncton landfill into fuel would produce enough diesel to fill about 2,500 garbage trucks, says the general manager of the Westmorland Albert Solid Waste Corporation.

Bill Slater estimates about one million litres of diesel fuel could be made from the mountains of boat wrap, contaminated garbage bags and hay-bail wrap dumped at the site during the past 16 years.

He said non-contaminated plastic will continue to be recycled.

Slater hopes to have a plant to convert the plastic to diesel up and running within a year, adding the plan is in its preliminary stages and funding has not been secured for the project.

He said a partner for the project has been identified, but he declined to name the firm.

This is just one of several long-term projects being discussed to convert New Brunswickers' garbage into energy, he said.

"It's not just a dump anymore," said Slater. "It's an industry."

There's also a $2.4-million plan afoot to collect methane gas from the landfill to fuel a generator to produce power for the facility's recycling plant.

Biodegradable garbage in a landfill produces methane gas while it decomposes.

Slater said a possible funding agreement with the province under the New Brunswick Climate Action Fund might be announced as early as the weekend.

"It would let us pay for our own power and still have plenty left over for sale," he said.

Slater said the generator would be connected to the power grid and any surplus clean energy sold at a premium.

There is enough methane gas in the landfill to fuel the generator for 12 years, which would generate enough power to heat and light 3,000 homes, he said.

The plan would also ring up an estimated $500,000 in annual revenue, said Slater.

Other landfills throughout New Brunswick are also trying to tap into the lucrative market of converting garbage into gas.

"Years from now, I'm sure this will be the norm," said Brad Janes of the Fredericton Solid Waste Commission.

The capital region landfill was the first in the province to try to harness the power of its methane gas.

It has entered into a deal with natural gas distributor Enbridge to examine the possibility of recuperating gas from the landfill for use in the company's pipeline.

"We have enough energy being created to heat and light 1,500 homes," said Janes.

The gaseous emissions -- a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide -- still have to be stripped of odours and cleaned up to meet pipeline standards, he said.

Janes said the goal is to draw energy from garbage and sell it off to heat and light homes in the Fredericton region.

Capturing and harnessing the power of methane gas is a strategy landfill sites in Saint John and Bathurst are also trying to replicate.

Janes said partnerships among landfill sites and energy companies are playing key roles in the development of alternative power technologies.

"Let's face it: there is too much garbage out there as it is," he said.

It's a sentiment environmental groups have been purporting for years.

David Coon, policy director for the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, said projects that try to convert methane escaping from landfills into an energy source are needed because the gas in its raw state is a pollutant.

"Once you capture it, you can use it to do work," he said.

But a continent-wide movement to reduce plastic consumption and eliminate the use of plastic bags might deplete the Moncton landfill's potential diesel fuel source within five years, he said.

"It's probably better to keep that plastic in the landfill rather than turn it into something that will be burned to cause pollution," said Coon. "The plastic isn't causing any problems in the landfill. It's just sitting there."

He said more ideas and resources need to be poured into strategies to help eliminate plastic bag use.

"Then we won't have to worry about what to do with the garbage," he said.

[ErickMontreal]

The first tennant of the new retail strip along main street (new sobeys) has thier sign up...The Shoe Tree...I think they were in Highfield before, not 100% sure though.

Good new, I think other tenants of Highfield Square could come along and take over remaining space in coming months.

Yeah I think you`re right, they were in Highfield.

[ErickMontreal]

Just out of curiosity heres a link that shows how Highfield is in bad shape, whether voluntary or not from Crombie. Moreover, the PDF seem to be update.

http://www.crombiereit.com/PDF/factsheet_47.pdf

[acrew79]

They wont build the casino there, it would be retarded, thats prolly just a sign to say its going along there somewhere kinda thing.

The first tennant of the new retail strip along main street (new sobeys) has thier sign up...The Shoe Tree...I think they were in Highfield before, not 100% sure though.


I HEARD FROM PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE AREA, THE CASINO IS THINKING OF GOING ON THE PARCEL OF LAND THAT IS DIRECTLY BEHIND TEH PETRO CANADA STATION ON MOUNTAIN ROAD..

SO YOU WOULD HAVE PETRO CANADA IN FRONT, CHARLES LUTES ON THE LEFT, RYAN ST/RD ( WHATEVER ITS CALLED NOW) ON THE BOTTOM AND THEN WOODS ON THE RIGHT.

SO THE SIGNAGE IS QUAZY RIGHT. IF YOU LOOK AT A GOOGLE EARTH VIEW, THERE IS LIKE 45 ACRES OF LAND THERE EMPTY. OR SOMETIHNG

[Smevo]

They wont build the casino there, it would be retarded, thats prolly just a sign to say its going along there somewhere kinda thing.

The first tennant of the new retail strip along main street (new sobeys) has thier sign up...The Shoe Tree...I think they were in Highfield before, not 100% sure though.

The Shoe Tree? Anybody know more about that company? I know there's one in Smart Shop Place in Sydney, but I thought it was a single-shop deal, since Smart Shop Place is a family-run department store downtown. It wouldn't be the first franchise to set up locations outside the city, though, but I won't sidetrack the thread by naming the others (some successful, others weren't).

[mylesmalley]

The Shoe Tree? Anybody know more about that company? I know there's one in Smart Shop Place in Sydney, but I thought it was a single-shop deal, since Smart Shop Place is a family-run department store downtown. It wouldn't be the first franchise to set up locations outside the city, though, but I won't sidetrack the thread by naming the others (some successful, others weren't).

I don't know if it's a franchise, but they've been at Highfield for as long as I can remember.

Also, about the casino location. The area that sign is in isn't within city limits, so it definitely wont' be going there.

[ErickMontreal]

:: Moncton Skatepark Rendering ::

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh266/MichelBourgoin/Picture1.png

http://www.ecmtb.com/forum/showthread.php?p=536185

[mylesmalley]

From the T&T:

The sleuth
GOSSIP FROM N.B.’S FAVOURITE RUMOUR-MONGER


Now that the site of New Brunswick's only casino has been revealed, the folks concerned with downtown development have finally fixed their gaze on another prize. In fact, Sleuth finds it downright amazing how quickly the focus has shifted from a casino and hotel as the jewel in downtown development to the idea of a Metro Centre.

No matter who Sleuth bumped into this week downtown, the message was the same: "Let's get working on bringing that Metro Centre downtown!"

Sleuth was stopped at the Moncton Farmers' Market last weekend by someone who has a very high profile in the downtown development world. He sidled up to Sleuth as he was waiting for one of Fahda's delicious chicken kabobs: "Psst . . . keep talking about the Metro Centre," he whispered.

Downtown Moncton Inc.'s Daniel Allain had the same refrain: the Metro Centre is now the key to rejuvenating downtown.

Before summer hits, Mayor-elect George LeBlanc should call a meeting of all the key downtown players. What should the Metro Centre contain? How about a 12,000-seat hockey arena, some convention space, some retail outlets and perhaps a linked hotel?

That kind of critical mass would potentially do more for downtown than a casino would. Sleuth hears this project could heat up in a hurry.

***

Sticking with downtown, Sleuth hears the new Marriott Residence Inn on Main Street will open its doors in mid-June. The Keg Restaurant that will form an anchor on the hotel's main floor will also be ready to start serving up some juicy sizzlin' steaks at the same time.

Sleuth overheard some of the people building the new Marriott the other day. They were crowing about how they weren't going to be without work in Moncton this year. Seems the main contractor on the hotel project has "another very big project" ready to go this summer.

Wonder what that is? . . .

***

You may have seen their flashy new round "For Sale" signs sprouting up around Metro, but if you haven't, get ready to hear a lot more soon about PropertyGuys.com.

This made-in-Moncton success story captured the top award at the recent Canadian Franchise Association awards in Ontario. Property Guys, formed by a couple of entrepreneurial Moncton guys just a few years ago, won the Frankie, the award presented to the top franchising company in the entire country.

Ryan Maxwell, the Moncton graphic designer who created PropertyGuys new look, was also honoured for his designs and marketing campaign.

Speaking of marketing, Sleuth hears the PropertyGuys have turned some heads with their new radio ads. The ads, that take some good-natured shots at the traditional real estate industry, have apparently been banned from a handful of radio stations across the country!

***

Outgoing Moncton Mayor Lorne Mitton went out in a blaze of glory this week. Fresh off the big 50th wedding anniversary party for Lorne and his wife, Carolyn, the city's chief magistrate was feted at no fewer than three soirees this week.

First was a "thank you" bash thrown by the Molson Brewery people. Mayor Lorne was instrumental in Molson setting up shop here and Sleuth has heard whispers that early sales and production figures from the plant are through the roof.

Next up was a 'do' at the newly-relocated Moncton Club. Then there was a Friday night bash put on the Elks Club.

At this rate Lorne may actually need a week off!

***

Sleuth hears one of the most popular stores in Champlain Place will soon be closing. The Disney Store, which is a haven for Mickey and Goofy fans, may close as early as next month. The local outlet was owned by a Canadian company but the parent Disney Corp. bought back the Moncton location and a slew of other outlets. Store employees figured that was a good thing, until word came down that Disney was retrenching and the Moncton store was no longer in its plans.

Bad PR move by Disney, which tries so hard to cultivate its image. Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's out of the mall we go . . .

***

One of the most anticipated CD launches involving a local group happens next Saturday. Sleuth hears tickets are selling fast for a CD launch show by popular Acadian kitchen party purveyors, La Famille Arseneault. The family's third album will be launched with a concert at the Theatre Jeanne-de-Valois, l'Université de Moncton on May 31. A certain source within the East Coast Music Association whispered to this old gumshoe this week that Un Bouilli Acadien is the group's best album ever.

***

And finally . . .

Part of being a street vendor means never knowing who your next customer might be. Mike Kennedy, who runs his own small business called Water on Wheels, was surprised when he was approached on Main Street near Weldon by a certain former federal political leader this week.

Who was the mysterious thirsty man? Why, none other than former Reform Party leader Preston Manning.

Kennedy, 51, has multiple sclerosis and started the business of selling bottled water from his motorized scooter to make ends meet.

"He inquired about my illness and wished me success with my business. The person that was with him took a picture and promised to send it to me," an impressed Kennedy told Sleuth this week.

Sleuth knows many a politician who would have just walked by Kennedy. But Manning, in Moncton this week to speak at a conference on faith and politics, has always been a true man of the people.

* Have you heard the latest gossip? Do you know some juicy rumours? Sleuth wants to know. Send your best info to sleuth@timestranscript.com, fax it to 859-4904, or drop it off to Sleuth c/o Times & Transcript, 939 Main St., Moncton.


------
My hunch is that the major project has something to do with either the stadium, new mall on mapleton, or maaaybe the courthouse. It'd take a lot of work to push another major project through the approval process if it's something we haven't seen before. Although that would be nice...

That's quite the addition to the skate park.

[ErickMontreal]

Dieppe city
http://www.acadianconstruction.com/images/dieppecityhall.jpg

http://npd-dcl-ndp.org/images/photos/dieppe003.jpg

http://npd-dcl-ndp.org/images/photos/dieppe004.jpg

http://npd-dcl-ndp.org/images/photos/dieppe005.jpg

http://www.acadianconstruction.com/clients.html

[ErickMontreal]

According "Acadie Nouvelle" the phase 2 of the Dieppe Downtown will(could) include a 5-story office building located between the city Hall and the 3-story office building, all the building will(could) be linked by pedway altogether. Moreover, a hotel is planning to take place at the corner of Champlain and Marché Steet.

You could see a video of the project on the Dieppe city website.

Dieppe.ca

[mylesmalley]

C'est fantastique!
Did they give any kind of timeline though?

[mmmatt]

Thats awesome! Very good for Dieppe and Moncton as a whole :)

The skatepark is sweet looking, much better than what I was expecting!

[ErickMontreal]

About Dieppe projects, Acadie-Nouvelle did not point out timeframe, the only thing I know is that both buildings are almost full (3000 of 100,000 s/f are still available).

[ErickMontreal]

I saw a new office-building under construction in the Uptown Dieppe area (Englehart street), I merely saw the advertisement project so It looks as though the building will has 2-story.

[JasonL-Moncton]

Anyone else heard this...I heard on K94.5 this morning as I was waking up (might have imagined it) that the "Backstreet Boys" are coming Friday August 1st (day before the Eagles) and that tickets go on sale this Saturday!?

Huh?

[kirjtc2]

Looks like it's true. There's a link to win tickets on the K94.5 website.

You have my condolences.

[JasonL-Moncton]

Someone at work here today said they heard on the radio that they are supposed to be announcing 5 concerts today?? Anyone else heard that?

JL

[ErickMontreal]

Codiac Transit looks to expand operations
Metro bus operator would like to offer 'park and ride' services to rural communities

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=133314&size=265x0

Published Monday May 26th, 2008
A1
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF


Considering the rising price of fuel and environmental awareness, Codiac Transit is anxiously waiting Ottawa's approval for a study on how the bus service can branch out into the rural communities of southeastern New Brunswick.
Caption
RON WARD/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT
Codiac Transit is looking at expanding its service into rural areas.

"We're looking at more than a feasibility study, we want an implementation plan that will tell us what the cost savings will be for motorists and the savings on greenhouse gases for a lower carbon footprint," Codiac Transit general manager John Allain says.

Allain says Codiac Transit has been thinking for quite a while how to widen its circle of service from Metro Moncton to the outlying communities like Salisbury, Shediac, Cocagne, and Bouctouche, but the city-owned commission wants to do it in a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly way.

To that end, the commission has applied to Transport Canada for a study looking at ways to extend its circle of service. The study is expected to cost anywhere from $75,000 to $100,000 and include an implementation plan. If the plan works and the service becomes successful, it could be sold off from the commission to a private company.

"We're not opposed to spreading our wings as long as it benefits people and results in a lower carbon footprint," Allain says. "We can't expect the taxpayers of Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe to fund service outside the area, but we could enter into cost-sharing agreements with the other communities that we service."

Metro Moncton is not alone in its quest to find better ways of moving commuters. But keeping up with the costs of merely operating seems difficult enough without talking about wholesale changes in how we do things. In places like Metro Moncton, which have a relatively small number of commuters, big changes seem out of reach unless huge financial resources are devoted to the idea.

Transit officials from across Canada are gathering in Edmonton this week to discuss ways of making their systems more efficient and how to press the government for the estimated $40 billion needed to upgrade public transportation infrastructure in this country.

The Canadian Urban Transit Association says the $40 billion figure is based on surveys of operators across the country.

"Mainly it is needed to replace existing buses and expand transit lines," Maureen Shuell, communications director for the Canadian Urban Transit Association says.

The association members are discussing a variety of issues at the conference, including funding for public transit, tax incentives to improve ridership, research of new types of transportation and a co-ordinated effort to improve public transit in the future.

"Public transit is still the best solution and we're going to be working with all levels of government in a co-ordinated effort to get the resources to the people that need them to improve the system," she says.

Codiac Transit currently operates a fleet of 40 buses that provide service to Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe. Those buses consume approximately one litre of fuel for every 1.6 kilometres travelled. That means the buses burn about $30,000 worth of fuel every 10 days and the cost is rising.

But the cost is also rising for the thousands of commuters who come into Moncton every day from Shediac, Salisbury, Hillsborough, Memramcook, Bouctouche and other rural communities.

With the price of gasoline expected to hit $1.50 per litre later this year, Allain says commuters are looking for alternatives. He says the commission would like to promote a "park and ride" system where commuters would park their cars in a designated lot outside the city and then take the bus to a connector station where they would catch the bus closest to their workplace.

Surveys and traffic counts indicate the first places for this to be implemented would be Shediac Road, Elmwood Drive, Mountain Road and Berry Mills Road. Other rural routes could be included if a consultant finds there is sufficient demand for the service.

The "park and ride" concept has been popular in large European cities for many years, especially in places where commuter trains are used to shuttle people into the cities from the outlying areas.

Some Canadian cities -- like Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg -- have also embraced the idea of "park and rides." Halifax has 13 park and ride sites administered by Metro Transit, which runs the buses and ferry services in the port city. In Vancouver, the transit authority has parking spaces in the many outlying communities available for as low as $2 per day. Vancouver also has its SkyTrain, which travels a 28-kilometre route around the inner city.

As the Greater Toronto Area has expanded, many commuters use the Go Train daily, which makes stops in the outlying areas to bring people into the central station and connections to buses and subways.

In the early part of the last century, in the years before automobiles became affordable for most families, people in southeastern New Brunswick relied heavily on train and bus service to travel through the rural areas and into Moncton. Trains carried passengers between Moncton and the outlying areas, and buses made more routine stops to collect people.

In the days before buses, Moncton was served by two different streetcar services. The trollies were especially popular with workers at the city's two main employers, the CN Shops and the Eaton's distribution centre.

But the popularity of public transportation fell by the wayside as personal vehicles became more common and roads got better. Over time, many commuter services like buses and passenger trains were cancelled. In the rural areas, railroad tracks were abandoned and later torn up. Today, environmentalists predict the era of the personal vehicle will come to an end in about 30 years and officials must find alternatives as soon as possible.

In big cities around the world, emerging technologies are changing the way people move. So-called "smart" buses and trollies powered by electricity, hydrogen and other alternative fuels are now being tested. So are rapid transit trains, monorails, fully automated (driverless) trains and streetcars that use electricity.

Another emerging technology is "Mag-Lev" or magnetic levitation, which uses the power of electromagnets to actually levitate and move a train that has no wheels. These systems are currently being used in Germany and Japan. The Japanese train set a speed record of 552 kilometres per hour in 1999.

Allain says Codiac Transit has already seen some success with bike racks on buses, which allow people who live outside the serviced areas to ride their bike and then catch a bus into the city. The express routes on buses equipped with Wi-Fi are also gaining popularity.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

RBC Insurance opens

Published Saturday May 24th, 2008
b2

Branch manager Luigi (Gino) Beltempo and receptionist Sylvie Brine at the new RBC Insurance Company at 231 Champlain St. in Dieppe welcome new and old customers at their new location, which officially opened yesterday. The company donated $2,500 each to the Dieppe library commission, the public libary and P.R.O. Kids, a group that helps underpriviledged children afford recreational opportunities.

[mylesmalley]

Someone at work here today said they heard on the radio that they are supposed to be announcing 5 concerts today?? Anyone else heard that?

JL

God, I hope you don't mean five backstreet boys concerts...

I'm not the only one who thought they were dead, right?

[rocyn]

Good grief, can't Codiac Transit focus on providing service to all the populated areas *within* city limits first? Let's save that feasibility study money to look into how to improve CITY transit and make it more accessible and available to the people that actually live in the city. Our best hope of having people use our public transit city is in function for local citizens. More routes and much better hours are required to make it realistic that most Monctonians are able to leave their cars at home.

If everything gets sorted out on the local front, then they can start trying to develop public transit in rural areas and other communities.

[acrew79]

Good grief, can't Codiac Transit focus on providing service to all the populated areas *within* city limits first? Let's save that feasibility study money to look into how to improve CITY transit and make it more accessible and available to the people that actually live in the city. Our best hope of having people use our public transit city is in function for local citizens. More routes and much better hours are required to make it realistic that most Monctonians are able to leave their cars at home.

If everything gets sorted out on the local front, then they can start trying to develop public transit in rural areas and other communities.



Is that a retorical Question? or do you really want an answer to that?

[mylesmalley]

I think there are ways that they could accomplish both. But I agree, their local service leaves a lot to be desired. At the moment, Codiac Transit really isn't much more than a mall shuttle-bus service. That's great, if you work at a mall, but if you're like me and you work in the Dieppe Industrial park, then you're SOL. I'd like to see better connections to the airport as well. Who wants to pay to park at the airport for a week when you're traveling?

[mmmatt]

They are supposed to be adding a few new routes soon supposedly...and I thought I heard an airport route is in the works...the bus service needs to double in Moncton before we can say we have a good transit system.

[ErickMontreal]

A second Sushi restaurant along main street will open in the former "Quiznos" space. It will be named "Pink Sushi".

[mmmatt]

^ Sweet, a new resturant downtown is always welcome :)

[ErickMontreal]

^ Sweet, a new resturant downtown is always welcome :)

Yeah good news. It would be interesting former Burger King will be the next one. This is a stratagic location in a high traffic volume area, I wonder why it takes so long to fill it up.

http://www.mid.nb.ca/media_uploads/jpg/2038.jpg

[mylesmalley]

Man, talk about a slow news month...

[PersonPlaceorThing]

A second Sushi restaurant along main street will open in the former "Quiznos" space. It will be named "Pink Sushi".

Pink Sushi is the brand in Brunswick Square in Saint John. It's a good sushi takeout.

Is Quizno's having trouble in a big way, there is also a "former" Quizno's space in SJ.

[kirjtc2]

Might be a franchisee problem. All 3 in Fredericton are still going strong.

[mmmatt]

Pink Sushi is the brand in Brunswick Square in Saint John. It's a good sushi takeout.

Is Quizno's having trouble in a big way, there is also a "former" Quizno's space in SJ.

They are only able to have one location in Moncton, when the new one opened across from Champlain Place the old one closed down...its mainly because the sub market is saturated in Moncton with 15 subways in the metro area and a few Capt. Subs and Eds Subs etc.

[ErickMontreal]

:: Luc Bourdon ::

http://www.moncton-wildcats.com/image/roster/large/luc-bourdon-01.jpg

NHL Defenceman, former Wildcat Luc Bourdon killed

May 30, 2008 - 7:00 am
By: News 91.9 Staff

MONCTON, NB - Shockwaves around the hockey world today after the tragic death of Vancouver Canucks Defenceman Luc Bourdon

The former Moncton Wildcat was killed in a motorcycle crash in Northern New Brunswick.

Bourdon was killed yesterday near his hometown of Shippigan, after he lost control of his motorcycle and hit a transport truck.

The 21-year-old was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in 2005.

He was a member of the Moncton Wildcats the year the team hosted the Memorial Cup.

Bourdon also spent time with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and Val D'or in the Quebec League.

QMJHL Commissioner, Gilles Courteau says he is, "deeply saddened by the news," and says, "Luc was a dedicated and passionate individual who just loved playing the game." He adds, Bourdon will be greatly missed and his thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Bourdon family.

Bourdon played 21 games with the Canucks this season.


Moncton Wildcats saddened by loss of Luc Bourdon

The entire Moncton Wildcats organization is saddened to learn of the tragic motor vehicle accident that took the life of alumni Luc Bourdon earlier today in Northern New Brunswick.

“We were shocked and saddened to learn of the tragic death of former Wildcat, Luc Bourdon, which occurred earlier today. As a young man, Luc had much to offer and not only had his promising hockey career, but also his entire life in front of him. On behalf of the Wildcats organization and all of our fans, I offer our deepest sympathy to his family. Luc will always be a Wildcat,” said Robert Irving, president of the Moncton Wildcats.

Bourdon came to the Wildcats from Val-d’Or in the 2005-06 season. He was part of the team that won the President’s Cup that year.

“While Luc was only with the organization for a short period of time, he was a vital part of the Wildcats first-ever championship of the QMJHL and he made a lasting impression on our entire organization as well as our fans,” added Irving.

“This is a terrible tragedy. Luc was a quiet young man who was well-liked by his teammates and, once you had the chance to get to know him, he had a great sense of humour. He had everything going for him. It is just so unfortunate; my heart goes out to his family,” said Danny Flynn, head coach and director of hockey operations of the Moncton Wildcats.

The Vancouver Canucks selected Bourdon in round one of the 2005 NHL draft, as the tenth overall pick. Bourdon was selected to be a part of the Canadian National team twice and won gold with both teams.


Remembering Luc Bourdon

http://canucks.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=MediaGalleryPlayer&galleryId=6437

[ErickMontreal]

Metro location only second BMW dealership in Atlantic Canada

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=135775&size=500x400
The new BMW and Mini auto dealerships have opened just off Highway 15 at the Moncton International Airport.

By Nathan Rochford
Times & Transcript Staff

BMW Canada, the national car retailer, recently dropped anchor in New Brunswick and has already made itself at home.

"Business has been very good," says general manager Chris Bacich. "We're extremely excited about the market's reception. We're doing better than we expected."

Bacich took over operations when the Moncton location was franchised out to Lounsbury. Since then the dealership has opened, creating 16 new jobs, and making it the only BMW dealership in New Brunswick as well as the only other dealership in Atlantic Canada besides BMW Halifax.

"It's the absolute thrill of a lifetime," he says of managing the dealership. "It's (BMW) been my favourite brand since I was young. It's an incredible driving experience."

The 19,000 square-foot building offers a number of new vehicles including the BMW 1 Series, BMW 3 Series and the convertible BMW Z4 just to name a few.

It also offers pre-owned vehicles as well as BMW merchandise like clothing, key chains and other trinkets. It houses two showrooms, one specific to pre-owned vehicles, a boutique, a café, a parts room, a full service room and is one of the first dealerships to have a stand-alone Mini Cooper dealership attached. As far as services are concerned, drivers can take BMW driver training, make appointments to have their vehicle serviced and because of the proximity to the airport, the dealership also offers a parking service for drivers in need of a place to leave their car while they travel.

"BMW started in the aircraft maintenance business," says Bacich. "But more importantly statistics say BMW owners fly more than three times a year, so we offer a parking service for customers. A lot of them really appreciate that."

But being close to the airport was only one reason why the 733 Ferdinand Blvd. location was chosen.

Just off the Shediac Road, the dealership is accessible from both Highway 15 and Highway 2. According to Bacich, the location makes it ideal for customers.

"BMW is a destination retailer," says Bacich. "Our concern is accessibility. Convenience is our thing."

The grand opening will be in September. A date will be announced at a later time.

[mmmatt]

^ Sweet! BMW rocks, its a great addition to our already very good dealership list...now maybe someday Ill have the money to be able to go in there and not look stupid haha. :P

[JasonL-Moncton]

Yeah good news. It would be interesting former Burger King will be the next one. This is a stratagic location in a high traffic volume area, I wonder why it takes so long to fill it up.

http://www.mid.nb.ca/media_uploads/jpg/2038.jpg

That building is for sale, which could have a factor in why it's not being leased. Potential tenants are hesitant to sign a lease with a real estate company who will eventually sell it to someone who could kick them to the curb after much money is spent on advertising that location.

The building is for sale for almost $700K

JL

[mmmatt]

Mountain Equipment Co-op should buy it! haha... There is a tennant though on the top floor(s)...the dance school.

[ErickMontreal]

NHL to return to Metro
Islanders, Bruins to square off in September 23 exhibition game

Published Tuesday June 3rd, 2008
A1
By Cole Hobson
Times & Transcript Staff


While all eyes in the hockey world have been focusing on quest for the Stanley Cup, the City of Moncton has been putting the finishing touches on bringing professional hockey action back to Hub City this fall.

The Moncton Coliseum will host an NHL exhibition game between the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins on Tuesday, September 23 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are now on sale.

"We'd like to think it's going to be a sell out. The Islanders did very well and got a lot of community response when they were here last year for training camp and the Bruins are a perennial traditional draw," said Ian Fowler, City of Moncton general manager of recreation, parks, tourism and culture.

This will be the only NHL exhibition game of the year in Metro. However, Fowler adds that regardless of the teams in action, he believes hockey fans will back the cause of bringing NHL hockey to Moncton.

"Promoters will keep coming back when there is success. If people want to continue to see NHL games it's like anything else -- if tickets are sold then we'll continue to see these types of events," he said.

Last fall, the Islanders squared off against the Montreal Canadiens in a successful NHL exhibition game. Despite the fact the New York club was welcomed with open arms by the city during training camp, the response was much different in front of a largely pro-Canadiens audience during the exhibition game.

Fowler believes this time around there might be a little more support for the Islanders, who are in the midst of a three-year contract to hold their training camp in Moncton.

"It will probably be a little more balanced for sure. The Bruins have quite a large following in the area -- maybe after the Canadiens and the Leafs. They'll probably be a lot of Bruins fans for sure, but I think you won't see it quite as boisterous against the Islanders as last year," he said.

If last year's successes are any indication, the return of the NHL to Moncton is certain to be another triumph.

"Last year was a learning experience for both of us but both sides thought the training camp went well," Fowler said. "We've tried to tweak things a little bit this year to learn from it...Hopefully it will be another positive experience this year."

Exhibition game tickets run from $65.75 for upper bowl seats to $88.50 for lower bowl seats (taxes and handling included).

They can be purchased at the Moncton Coliseum, by phone at 1-888-720-5600 or online at tickets.moncton.ca

In addition to the exhibition game, head coach Ted Nolan and the New York Islanders will return for their second year of pre-season training camp in Moncton. More details surrounding the camp, public activities and open practices will be released at a later date.
________________________________________________________________________________

Atlantic Mazda moves to new home
Mazda settles in beside two other vehicle retailers along Highway 15

Published Tuesday June 3rd, 2008
C2
By Nathan Rochford
Times & Transcript Staff

One of three new vehicle dealerships along Highway 15 (Veteran's Memorial Highway), near the Greater Moncton International Airport, Metro's Atlantic Mazda has relocated from their Morton Avenue location to 665 Ferdinand Blvd. in Dieppe.

The Mazda dealership, as well as a BMW retailer, and Patterson's RV dealership have all set up shop practically next door to each other along Ferdinand Boulevard in Dieppe.

"(The move) had to do with traffic exposure," explains John Smith, owner of the Dealership. He says that because Highway 15 connects with Highway 2 (the Trans-Canada Highway), it gives businesses along the route exposure to increased traffic travelling to and from Moncton.

The move also allowed the dealership to double in size, growing to a 15,300 square-foot building which features a 12-car showroom, a 10-car service space, two wash bays, a waiting area and an bigger parking lot, something that was becoming a problem at the old location.

"Getting in and out of the Morton Avenue location was beginning to be a problem," said Smith, adding their new three-acre lot has more than enough space for customers.

Although the move had been planned before BMW set up shop, Smith says having it and an RV dealership in close proximity made moving even more attractive.

"There was already commitment from BMW and Patterson's (RV dealership) so it wasn't like I was alone out there," Smith said.

While the logistics of the move weren't always perfect, Smith says he's already seeing a positive pay-off for the effort.

"Our sales are at a record pace. The customers are absolutely delighted with the facility," he says.

The new location will have its official ribbon cutting ceremony June 18, but will host a grand opening week from June 14 through to the 21.

[gehrhardt]

Here's an updated photo of the Hampton Inn from last week. They're putting the brickwork up fairly quickly now.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3147/2548946054_bd02f2f06f.jpg

[ErickMontreal]

Metro centre 'right fit' for city core
Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc ready to move ahead on downtown entertainment complex

Published Wednesday June 4th, 2008

A1
By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff

A new downtown metro centre dominated the talk as George LeBlanc delivered his first major speech as the newly elected mayor of Moncton.

LeBlanc gave the keynote address at the annual general meeting of Downtown Moncton Centre-Ville Incorporated, held yesterday at the Delta Beauséjour hotel.

Telling his audience "we have a clean slate with new opportunities," because of a number of recent events, LeBlanc said now is the time to untangle all that has come before on the Beaver Lumber lands and get moving on development.

A new council, a new city manager and most of all the news that a casino/convention centre/hotel complex will be built on the northern edge of the city all mean Moncton can look at downtown with fresh eyes.

The mayor said a multi-functional sports arena, entertainment and conference venue would likely be the right fit for downtown.

"In order for a metro centre to be viable, we would have to have a sound business plan," he warned, saying he was nevertheless prepared to move ahead.

On a related note, LeBlanc said he met with a member of federal regional minister Greg Thompson's staff last week to talk about Moncton's interests.

There are, of course, still unknowns, LeBlanc said. The location of the courthouse and what impact the casino's convention space might have on the city are still to be determined.

The mayor said he sees the development of modern Moncton as coming in three distinct waves.

The first came in the early 1970s with the construction of Assumption Place, followed by the dark days of the 1980s when so much of Main Street was boarded up. Then came the second wave of the late 1980s and early 1990s when, as LeBlanc emphasized, the local business community led the development to recover from the CN Shops and CFB Moncton closures.

And now, LeBlanc said, "I believe we are on the cusp of a third wave of development in our downtown."

Others who spoke at the annual general meeting made it clear they wanted to see development finally under way, and that a metro centre be a catalyst.

DMCI President Maura McKinnon asked those assembled to imagine a day when, for instance, the community could attend Moncton Wildcats games in the downtown, getting there on improved Codiac Transit, and taking part in other activities or dining downtown.

[JasonL-Moncton]

Talk is great...but action is better.

[ErickMontreal]

Talk is great...but action is better.

With the Verdiroc fiasco as well as the debatable location of the Casino,I will believe it when a tangible plan, a budget frame, a rendering as well as private/public partners will be released.

So you`re right its time to act.

[JasonL-Moncton]

Indeed, normally there should have been something already constructed and operational on that site at 'least' 5 years ago...that it still sits empty is incredible.

[ErickMontreal]

Indeed, normally there should have been something already constructed and operational on that site at 'least' 5 years ago...that it still sits empty is incredible.

Absolutely, we could easily say the city council missed the boat on that one. First off, giving to a company the right to a land without request for proposal was debatable. Moreover, when they saw Verdiroc did not meet the good, they should have give to Assumption-Life (or others) a chance. Anyway their (Assumption) proposal was far superior in term of both vision and quality. After all, Assumption is behind the biggest complex in town.

[ErickMontreal]

Dieppe : Permits for $8 million in May

DIEPPE – The residential; growth of the City of Dieppe is continuing at a fast pace as permit values reached $8 million in May according to statistics released by the city’s Inspection Department.

There were 55 permits for multi and individual family housing units and 50 permits for accessory buildings, swimming pools and others. 9 permits were delivered in the commercial sector.

The residential sector finished the month with more than $7.7 million in permit values and $370 621 in the commercial sector.

The first five months of the year have been active with 258 permits worth $36.6 million compared to the record year of 2007 with 228 permits and values of $25.6 million.

‘The residential sector was busy this month’, said Mayor Jean LeBlanc. ‘This is encouraging with permits for more than $36 million. We also know a number of other projects will be announced in the months to come’.

http://www.dieppe.ca/

__________________________________________________________________________________

Housing costs in Moncton not eating more of family paycheque: census

June 04, 2008 - 12:28 pm
By: Cathy LeBreton - News 91.9 Staff

OTTAWA - Canadians are forking out more for groceries and gas these days, but here's some good news for the family budget: a new analysis of census data suggests people in the Moncton region are still spending about the same portion of their paycheques on housing as they were at the beginning of the decade.

The median cost of housing in the Moncton region was $8,323 a year or $693 a month in 2006, Statistics Canada reported Wednesday in a new report on shelter costs across the country.

That means the average household in Moncton region spent 17.6 per cent of its income on housing and shelter costs in 2006.

The previous census data from 2001 indicated households in the Moncton region spent 17.2 per cent of their income on housing costs.

Statistics Canada defines shelter costs for homeowners as mortgage payments, property taxes, condo fees and utilities.

For renters, the costs include rental payments and utilities.

http://www.news919.com/news/local/article.jsp?content=20080604_122813_2492

[ErickMontreal]

:: Downtown ::

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3163/2548916272_4d3423fb04_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3081/2548991796_7a5646b969_b.jpg

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http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3281/2550920397_aef1b78cc6_o.jpg

By Tim :: http://www.flickr.com/photos/timrobichaud/

[ErickMontreal]

Moncton group hopes air cargo idea will fly
Shipping: Inland port backers have new name, focus as original idea attracts little interest

C1
DAVID SHIPLEY
Telegraph-Journal
Stumble Upon

DIEPPE - The proponents of an inland port project in New Brunswick have scaled back their ambitions.

Greater Moncton International Airport chief executive Rob Robichaud says the proponents of an inland port in Moncton have scaled back their ambitions after their proposal met with little enthusiasm from trucking and rail firms.

Originally dubbed the Canada East Inland Port, the concept involved building a 2,000-acre distribution centre for containers shipped from a seaport by rail or road.

At the centre, cargo would have been sorted, repackaged and sent on by road, rail or air.

The inland port would have dovetailed with growth of container traffic from Asia at the port of Halifax.

Rob Robichaud, chief executive officer of the Greater Moncton Airport Authority, said a lack of enthusiasm for the project from trucking and rail firms was one of the major reasons the inland port idea has been retooled.

The group behind the inland port is now focusing its efforts on building the Moncton airport up as an air cargo hub and has renamed itself the Canada East Air Cargo Gateway group.

"You have to have other partners who want to play in the pool with you," said Robichaud.

"It became apparent very quickly that it didn't make sense for rail to come up with containers here when they make their money on longer hauls into Montreal."

Trucking companies were also more interested in hauling goods from Halifax to more distant destinations than Moncton.

"It really didn't fly all that well with private sector and it certainly didn't fly well with the government at the time."

While the lack of interest stymied the inland port concept, the members of the group were determined to find ways to take advantage of Moncton's central location, its wealth of transportation and warehousing companies and its logistics expertise to capture more cargo.

Robichaud's office in the airport's modern terminal overlooks the tarmac.

Outside, a small passenger jet's engines began to whine as the plane prepared to leave the terminal.

Cargo, said Robichaud, is the Moncton airport's major growth opportunity.

The airport already handles 25,000 tonnes of air cargo each year, just slightly behind Halifax's 27,000. St. John's, the third largest air-cargo destination in Atlantic Canada, handles a meagre 3,000 tonnes.

The air cargo gateway strategy aims to find niche cargoes that are being handled outside of the region and redirect them through the Moncton airport.

Seafood, he said, is a significant opportunity.

"Fifty per cent of Canada's seafood exports come from this region and they're going into places like Brussels, other European markets and so on," said Robichaud.

"Instead of having our goods trucked all the way down to Boston or New York or Chicago and causing extra time on a fresh seafood product, why don't we try and get an airline in here and ship those products directly out of Atlantic Canada."

The airport is spending more than $60,000 to study the potential of increasing its international air cargo business.

Landing a Boeing-757 size plane once a week could create 37 direct and indirect jobs in the greater Moncton area, said Robichaud, in addition to generating more than $9 million a year in economic benefits.

Once the airport secures an initial international air cargo flight, other airlines will look to set up shop in Moncton, he said.

"Airlines are very similar to the Wendy's and McDonald's (fast food chain) relationship," he said. "Wendy's puts a restaurant on this street corner and McDonald's say's 'there's got to be something going on there so we'll put on across the street and see what happens.'""

John Thompson, chief executive officer of Enterprise Greater Moncton, said the Moncton air cargo hub idea could help firms save on shipping costs.

Moncton can offer savings when it comes to landing fees, handling fees and cost of fuel, he said.

"There's a very strong business case to be made."

Charles Cirtwill, executive vice-president of the Halifax-based Atlantic Institute for Market Studies, which has done extensive research on the Atlantic Gateway, said Moncton's inland port concept was amongst several similar proposals in Nova Scotia.

"Everybody wants to be an inland port," he said. "All of the inland port proposals, whether you're talking about the one that's sitting here in Halifax at the Bedford quarry or if you're talking about Truro or Dieppe, all of those depend on one thing - a sufficient amount of cargo."

But that swell of increased container cargo has yet to manifest itself and the inland port ideas should be shelved for now, he said.

"They can put them on the shelf and when the cargo volumes go up to the point then they can pull them off with little or no impact on the potential to move forward."

[ErickMontreal]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/11/GMIA.png/250px-GMIA.png
Greater Moncton International Airport Contributes Over $378 Million to the New Brunswick Economy

5/29/2008
Moncton

A recent Economic Impact Study revealed that the Greater Moncton International Airport injects over $378 million annually in revenue in the local, regional and provincial economy, employs over 1,500 people and contributes $13 million annually in fiscal obligations, making it one of the region’s foremost employers.

The airport community has grown from 549 direct and indirect jobs in 1999 to 1,527 in 2006, an increase of 178% over seven years or approximately 25% per year. In total, $49 million in wages and salaries can be attributed to the activities of the GMIA.

“The Greater Moncton International Airport (GMIA), as New Brunswick’s premier airport both in terms of passenger movements and cargo volumes, has experienced many successes in the 10 years since its transfer from federal control including 130% growth in passenger traffic and over 75% growth in cargo volumes,” states Rob Robichaud, President & CEO, of the Greater Moncton International Airport Authority. “The rise in employment and business revenue that impacts not only this region but the province overall is directly linked to this success.”

With this growth comes significant development opportunities that will in turn continue to fuel the need to access additional domestic and international markets from both a passenger and cargo perspective.

- 30 -

The Greater Moncton International Airport Authority is a not-for-profit entity mandated to manage local airport assets on behalf of the community.

For more information:
Stephanie Dancause-Coté
Corporate Communications
Tel.: 506-856-5466
Fax: 506-856-5431
email: scote@gma.ca

[mmmatt]

Go GMIA! haha...hopefully passenger numbers will be back on track this year, my prediction is they will.

[JasonL-Moncton]

If the GMIA get 24 hour customs service it is just going to 'boom'...it is on the cusp and I truly believe this is what is holding it back...hopefully that can be resolved soon.

[ErickMontreal]

Metro apartment vacancies drop
Lower vacancy rate despite thousands of new apartments a sign of healthy immigration to region

Published Friday June 6th, 2008
A10
By James Foster
Times & Transcript Staff


Apartment vacancy rates in Metro Moncton are "healthy" for both landlords and tenants despite going down to 5.5 per cent from 6.1 per cent over the past year, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation says.

Historically for the Metro area, says senior market analyst Claude Gautreau of CMHC, a vacancy rate of around four or five per cent offers a good balance where apartment building owners can earn a healthy return on their investment while there are enough vacancies that prices don't face too much upwards pressure.

For example, rents jumped markedly back in 2000 and 2001 when the vacancy rate in the Moncton area bottomed out at about two per cent, Gautreau notes.

Moncton's vacancy rate of 5.5 per cent represents the middle of the pack for New Brunswick, when compared to other cities in the province. The comparison period is from April of 2007 to April of 2008.

Gautreau also notes that despite the fact New Brunswick's overall apartment vacancy rate of 5.3 is the highest of any province in Canada, that's no cause for alarm because again that is historically not far off the traditional vacancy rate for this province. Other than this province's leading rate, other provinces' rates ranged from a low of one per cent in Manitoba to a high of 4.9 per cent in Prince Edward Island.

Longtime Moncton area residents sometimes marvel at the rapid pace of apartment development in the Metro area and wonder how landlords have managed to fill those buildings, but Gautreau says in-migration to Metro Moncton is the main reason.

Moncton has enjoyed the biggest population influx of any region of New Brunswick in recent years and has coincidentally had the biggest leap in the number of apartment units built, far outstripping other New Brunswick centres. Since 2000, there have been 492 apartment units built in Saint John, 1,610 built in Fredericton and 2,458 built in Moncton and yet the vacancy rate declined anyway, attesting to the Metro area's significant population growth.

With the decline in Moncton's apartment vacancy rate comes an increase in rents, however.

"It's a function of supply and demand," Gautreau says.

The average rent in Metro Moncton in April of 2007 was $631 per month, while last April it had reached $665. That compares to Fredericton rents, which top the province at $696, and the provincial average of $635. With "limited" in-migration in Saint John, rent prices are comparatively low, reaching $604 last April from $568 in April of 2007.

Provincially, Miramichi had the lowest vacancy rate, at 2.9 per cent, though that rate was more than double what it was a year ago.

The provincial average vacancy rate was 5.3 per cent, very close to the Moncton rate. Edmundston had the highest rate, at 8.2 per cent, with Campbellton and Bathurst tieing for the second highest rate at 6.3 per cent.

Nationally, the vacancy rate declined to 2.6 per cent from 2.8 per cent a year earlier.

[mmmatt]

Thats awesome news! with the ammount of new apartments in on the market these past few years its very good to hear that not only they are being rented..but they are being rented faster than they are being built! Hopefully this trend will continue with plenty of multiple unit projects on the table :)

[ErickMontreal]

Thats awesome news! with the ammount of new apartments in on the market these past few years its very good to hear that not only they are being rented..but they are being rented faster than they are being built! Hopefully this trend will continue with plenty of multiple unit projects on the table :)

I think the trend will carry on in 2008, only in my neighborhood on Mclaughlin street nearby fire station there is a (maybe two) new apartment building that's going to be built to complete the devlopement of that land. Moreover at the corner of my street (Grant/Mclaughlin) there is a 20-units condo project.

[mmmatt]

I think that the trend will carry on in 2008, only in my neighborhood, on Mclaughlin street nearby fire station there is a new apartment building that's going to be built to complete the devlopement of that land and at the corner of my street (grant/Mclaughlin) there is a 20-units condo project.

Yeah theres tons around...like that big condo project in riverview with underground parking, and a few in Dieppe as well...lots on the go :)

[ErickMontreal]

Yeah theres tons around...like that big condo project in riverview with underground parking, and a few in Dieppe as well...lots on the go :)

Cool, when the condo in Riverview gets started ?

So, I passed by Dieppe last week and I saw the Uptown/Aquatic centre project, both buildings frame are up and the 5-story apartment building nearby is completed.

The signs are up for the Keg/Marriott, it looks great !

[ErickMontreal]

I find out a great devlopment on Croasdale road the location is weird for a such high-end project though.

http://www.youronlineagents.com/listingphotos/1750/large_61335_274117_01.jpg.jpg

http://www.youronlineagents.com/listingphotos/1750/large_61335_274117_12.jpg.jpg

http://www.youronlineagents.com/listingphotos/1750/large_61335_274117_02.jpg.jpg

http://www.youronlineagents.com/listingphotos/1750/large_61335_274117_11.jpg.jpg

[mmmatt]

Yeah that looks great! A step away from the usual suburban housing style. (around here anyways)

[ErickMontreal]

Students show convention centre vision
NBCC projects show what future multi-use facility might look like

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=139230&size=500x400
City of Moncton representative Ian Fowler, right, looks over a student concept design for a downtown arena/convention centre yesterday with NBCC Moncton students Randy Gallant, left, and Sebastien Duval. This design shows the arena and convention centre complex replacing what is now the Highfield Square shopping mall on Main Street. At the foreground is the existing Bay store. The towers in the background are existing office buildings on West Main Street near the intersection at Vaughan Harvey Boulevard.

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=139227&size=500x400
This student-made design for a Moncton convention centre/arena sits on land between Lutz and Westmorland Streets along Assomption Boulevard. It is one of four designs displayed by students at NBCC Moncton yesterday for City of Moncton and Downtown Moncton officials.

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=139228&size=500x400
This is one of four designs for a convention centre/arena displayed by students at NBCC Moncton yesterday for City of Moncton and Downtown Moncton officials. It sits on land formerly known as the Beaver Lumber property.


http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=139229&size=500x400
This is another of the four designs for a convention centre/arena displayed by students at NBCC Moncton yesterday for City of Moncton and Downtown Moncton officials. This one sits on land where the ball fields are currently along the river.

Published Saturday June 7th, 2008
A4
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

The scale models showed how the facilities would be wedged into four existing spaces in the downtown area. The estimated costs are in the area of $55 million to $70 million, which is in the ballpark of what the city believes a real centre would cost.

"Obviously, a lot of thought and detail have gone into these projects, and they have some unique features that cause the mind to stir," said Ian Fowler, general manager of recreation and parks for the City of Moncton.

Although they are concepts done as a student project and have no bearing on what might actually be built, NBCC instructor Wallace Brooks said he hopes they will help people envision what a downtown arena and convention centre might look like.

"Who knows, they may have hit the nail right on the head," Brooks said. He hopes that architects who design the actual complex may use some of the ideas.

Fowler said the city is now looking at a feasibility study and is almost ready to hire a consultant to start work on the project. In time, the city could make a request for proposals (RFP) from developers interested in building what Fowler describes as an entertainment mixed-use facility.

After briefly studying the designs and listening to the presentations, Fowler told the students he was very impressed with the ideas and the details.

However, he said some practical details appeared to be left out, like quick and easy access to the building by the transport trucks used to haul equipment and gear for concerts and big shows.

"Time is money in the entertainment industry," he said, and the practicality of getting people in and out of the building quickly is a major concern.

The design of a downtown mixed-use facility is the latest practical project by Brooks' architectural technology students. In past years, NBCC Moncton students have come up with designs for casinos, a CFL stadium, a convention centre, redesign of the NBCC building and the 4-Ice Centre. In each case, the students have worked with the city and other organizations as if it was a real project and they were the architectural firm hired to do the job. The idea is to give the students a sense of working in the real world.

Brooks said the students started working on the projects shortly after Christmas and carried on through the strike by NBCC janitors. The 18 students were split into four groups and given the task of designing a multi-use facility in assigned spaces in the downtown. In doing their research, some of the students made field trips to look at the Saint John Harbour Station and Halifax Metro Centre.

The four locations were the existing site of the Highfield Square shopping mall, the area around the downtown market and Robinson Street, the former Beaver Lumber property behind Assumption Place and the current site of the ballparks near the Gunningsville Bridge.

Brooks said the locations themselves presented problems because it would mean tearing down existing buildings -- like the bulk of Highfield Square, or the landmark Tuttle Bros Funeral Home -- to make room for the project.

The students also had to give their buildings a name, design a logo, and provide explanations for site preparation, what materials would be used, cost of the development and how they would meet environmental standards for the future.

[JasonL-Moncton]

I like the third picture...the one that seems to be all 'glass' on the front.

[ErickMontreal]

The Keg to open Monday
Moncton's newest restaurant is 100th outlet of the B.C.-based chain

Published Saturday June 7th, 2008

D2
By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff

The Keg Steakhouse & Bar will open to the public on Monday. This week, the staff went through a get-ready run with invited guests. The restaurant features a smaller private dining room, a bar and other dining area options.

The new restaurant inside the Marriott Residence Inn on Main Street is the 100th outlet of the steakhouse chain, which first opened in North Vancouver back in 1971.

"That makes this one special for two reasons," general manager Kevin Mineault said yesterday as he stood in the midst of a flurry of activity. "It's a milestone number for us, and it's also exciting whenever we open in a new market."

The flurry of activity was the staff of roughly 100 people going through a third straight day of dress rehearsals. The steakhouse and bar opened to invited guests to practice getting things right and to raise money for local charities.

And when the Times & Transcript dispatched a reporter to investigate, he found things both right and tasty.

The sirloin was as tender as the halibut was firm and the staff was as warm as the decor was cool.

The ambience is contemporary chic, with dark woods, cool greens and frosted glass, a floor-to-ceiling glass liquor cabinet and two towering sandstone fireplaces -- one each for the restaurant and the bar.

The real atmosphere, though, comes from the layout, a labyrinth of zigs and zags on split levels. Forget open-concept design. This is closed concept, not so great for large gatherings, but really intimate and cosy for smaller groups.

While the Moncton operation contains the design elements of the most recent Kegs being built, "each one's got its own little signatures," Mineault said.

The menu, for those who haven't been to a Keg elsewhere, is somewhere between family dining and upscale dining, with prices that you would expect in that market niche.

Entrees run anywhere from $13 to the highest priced item, steak and lobster tail, for $36.95.

The range of steak and prime rib options are supplemented by chicken dishes, fajitas, barbecued ribs, and a good selection of salads. As well, the soups and starters section of the menu boasts 14 choices.

There is not much besides salad for vegetarians, however those who avoid meat but eat seafood will find dinners like grilled salmon with Asian raspberry barbecue sauce and sweet potato fries in addition to the halibut.

The desserts are huge.

The Billy Miner mocha ice cream cake, for instance, is a belly-buster. Named for Canada's first train robber, who's a bit of an antihero folk icon in British Columbia, the dessert is the sort of thing you'll want to eat with two spoons and a friend.

Reservations are not necessary at the Keg, at least in the first few months.

Like most downtown eateries and watering holes, the Keg does not have its own parking, but is close to three municipal lots.

The parking on site at the Marriott will be for hotel guests when the Residence Inn opens in July. Early indications are it will be more than worth crossing the street for.

[JasonL-Moncton]

Mmmm...can't wait for the Keg...it'll likely take forever at first, kind of like going to Montana's ;)

[mmmatt]

Sounds tasty :D I saw the signage today aswell, looking very nice! and they have some nice stonework up around the entrance to The Keg as well, very nice looking at street level for sure! :)

[mmmatt]

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=139229&size=500x400
This is another of the four designs for a convention centre/arena displayed by students at NBCC Moncton yesterday for City of Moncton and Downtown Moncton officials. This one sits on land where the ball fields are currently along the river.



That one looks pretty cool...I dont like the location at all, but with some tweaking (a big tweak would be to nix the fields of above ground parking) and a better location I might go for it.

[JasonL-Moncton]

That one looks pretty cool...I dont like the location at all, but with some tweaking (a big tweak would be to nix the fields of above ground parking) and a better location I might go for it.

Too far away from downtown...imho.

[mmmatt]

Too far away from downtown...imho.

Yes I very much agree, It needs to be right in the core to make a large impact, on the Beaver Lumber property or perhaps assumption parking lot if it would fit...another possible location would be the endless parking lot by the rogers call center, which was where they were gonna put the casino downtown I think.

[JasonL-Moncton]

Yes I very much agree, It needs to be right in the core to make a large impact, on the Beaver Lumber property or perhaps assumption parking lot if it would fit...another possible location would be the endless parking lot by the rogers call center, which was where they were gonna put the casino downtown I think.

Agreed...That's why I like this one and said this one looks best:

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=139228&size=500x400