The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[David_99]

Still, if you can find the pdf. of your design proposal, it wouldn't hurt to post it here so that you could get some comments.:)

Found the PDF. I built it at work on my spare time so I was looking over my shoulder most of the time haha. So if any details are missing I'll just blame it on that. Basically I extended Elmwood through the marsh and added a new overpass.

I know the city/province would never spend the money. It's just that I live off Elmwood and drive by that intersection every day and it's frustrating to see the mall/Superstore/Main st from the stop light and know I will have to drive through a few more busy intersections just to get where I want to go.

The process of leaving the mall to get back to Elmwood is also usually brutal. Plus alleviating any traffic away from the Champlain/Paul street intersection can't hurt. One of the major issues is that terribly thought out 4 lane bridge on main that exits to the traffic circle. Did they not realize when building it that more then 3-4 cars would be turning there at a time? It holds up an entire lane for no reason, leaving one lane to get to Dieppe or even the Elmwood area should you find yourself going in that direction.

http://geocities.com/davidchenard99/trafficcircle.pdf

[MonctonRad]

New picture of Fundy Gateway was printed in today's "Riverview Review" newsletter.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/kylosaurus/gateway.jpg


Not as classic as the original render but it might grow on me.

[MonctonRad]

Just to let everyone know, they have opened the new portion of the Humphrey Brook Trail extending from Mill Road to Lewisville Road.

I walked down the new section of the trail this afternoon. It is quite nice. It parallels the stream, and lies on the opposite side of the stream from the CNR mainline. When walking south, it gives you a very interesting perspective of the downtown skyline framed by the woodland on either side of the valley that the stream lies in. There is a surprising amount of wildlife to be seen, especially since you are essentially surrounded by city. I saw more than a few pheasants during my hike. While walking back, a 100+ car container train went by on the CNR mainline heading inland from Halifax. This provided for some excitement. Finally, the old spillway near Mill Road is an interesting place to dally for a few minutes.

I must give kudos to the city administration for their ongoing commitment to enhancing the trail system in Moncton. I'm sure that it is already the most extensive in the Maritimes. The Humphrey Brook Trail is now complete from Lewisville Road as far as Harrisville Blvd. This has to be a distance of at least 6-7 km. This does not include the Riverfront Trail or the trail systems in Centennial, Mapleton and Irishtown Parks. The city still plans to connect all of these trails together in the future.

:tup:

[mylesmalley]

Found the PDF. I built it at work on my spare time so I was looking over my shoulder most of the time haha. So if any details are missing I'll just blame it on that. Basically I extended Elmwood through the marsh and added a new overpass.

I know the city/province would never spend the money. It's just that I live off Elmwood and drive by that intersection every day and it's frustrating to see the mall/Superstore/Main st from the stop light and know I will have to drive through a few more busy intersections just to get where I want to go.

The process of leaving the mall to get back to Elmwood is also usually brutal. Plus alleviating any traffic away from the Champlain/Paul street intersection can't hurt. One of the major issues is that terribly thought out 4 lane bridge on main that exits to the traffic circle. Did they not realize when building it that more then 3-4 cars would be turning there at a time? It holds up an entire lane for no reason, leaving one lane to get to Dieppe or even the Elmwood area should you find yourself going in that direction.

http://geocities.com/davidchenard99/trafficcircle.pdf

Nice job with the map!

I think the only real solution your'e going to see to the Elmwood area is an improvement with the intersection at Morton, allowing more traffic to be funneled towards wheeler. That's not much consolation for everybody living south of Morth/Mill Road though.

I like the idea of a direct connection from Wheeler to the Veterans Highway. The only real problem i can see with your map is, if you're on main and want to get on to Wheeler, you would need to either brave the traffic on Paul and get directly on to Rt 15, or go up the extended elmwood to Botsford/Paul/Lewisville and get on wheeler where the train crosses.

You are totally right about Main at that intersection though. That whole stretch of road should be 5-6 lanes. I'd say from King/Assumption to the Intersection of Champlain and Acadie Avenue.

And another thing:

It drives me CRAZY when the city reconfigures roads so that lanes disappear at intersections! Champlain street narrows to three lanes when it hits Acadie Avenue, one of the busiest in the city.

Lewisville road is the same way. the 2nd lane coming from Dieppe gets directed onto Shediac Road, and then a little further up onto Elmwood. Every time they do that they create bottlenecks of cars trying to merge into the only lane of through-traffic.

[mylesmalley]

New picture of Fundy Gateway was printed in today's "Riverview Review" newsletter.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/kylosaurus/gateway.jpg

that looks good.

I still think they're making a mistake putting it where the fire station used to be, even with the cost associated with the bridge site.

[mmmatt]

Welcome David! :)

As far as the botsford-wheeler intersection goes I could be mistaken but I think I read in the paper a while back they were gonna put an overpass there soon-ish...and I cant wait til they do...it beyond me how they ever got away with a set of lights on a 4 lane expressway in the first place...its bizarre.

[MonctonRad]

As far as the botsford-wheeler intersection goes I could be mistaken but I think I read in the paper a while back they were gonna put an overpass there soon-ish...and I cant wait til they do...it beyond me how they ever got away with a set of lights on a 4 lane expressway in the first place...its bizarre.

I'm not aware of any plans like that. Building an overpass at this intersection would mean eliminating access to Wheeler from Botsford/Lewisville unless on/off ramps were constructed. With the CNR mainline overpass there, it would be extremely tight. It might be possible however; with creative engineering (something like the exit ramp from the 102 in Halifax to Joseph Howe Drive).

I totally agree with the absurdity of the current Wheeler/Botsford intersection. It has one of the highest accident rates in the city. Traffic on Wheeler frequently travels at 110-120 km/hr and to suddenly be confronted by a traffic controlled intersection is ludicrous, no matter how good the signage.

[mylesmalley]

I'm not aware of any plans like that. Building an overpass at this intersection would mean eliminating access to Wheeler from Botsford/Lewisville unless on/off ramps were constructed. With the CNR mainline overpass there, it would be extremely tight. It might be possible however; with creative engineering (something like the exit ramp from the 102 in Halifax to Joseph Howe Drive).

I totally agree with the absurdity of the current Wheeler/Botsford intersection. It has one of the highest accident rates in the city. Traffic on Wheeler frequently travels at 110-120 km/hr and to suddenly be confronted by a traffic controlled intersection is ludicrous, no matter how good the signage.

I think the only possible configuration for ramps would be the one used by Killam Drive at Wheeler. All the ramps would be on the traffic-circle side of the street. The problem there, again, is a lack of room to build a proper interchange.

I suppose though, if the traffic circle stays put, they wouldn't need to build the ramps nearly as long. You would only need to accelerate to 60, not 100 there because you're so close to the circle approach.

[Sony500]

I lived in Saskatoon before and they have intersections coming from 100km/h zones like here, its called Circle Drive. Its alot like Wheeler here. Unfortunately, the police uses it as a speed trap, they sit close to Botsford and wait for someone that didn't slow down fast enough. The city of Dieppe did screw up the intersection of Champlain and Acadie. Just when i thought they were going to do something about the traffic problem at that intersection, they made it worse, they could have made two lanes heading eastward going up Champlain. The should have made a road going beside the Irving Mainway going along the marsh to connect to Acadia just after the new pharmacy. And they severly messed up Gauvin Rd. and Acadie. We also need more streets leading into Dieppe somehow. Even if they made a tunnel to go under Veteran's Highway from Highlandview. There are only two roads leading into Dieppe not counting Veteran's Highway, its just not enough.

[Sony500]

To me a Gateway is something that you have to go through to get to the other side, if that building is a gateway, then it should be the Petitcodiac River Gateway, go through it, then they would have to call the rescue team to get you out of the mud.

Here is an off the wall idea: Build a huge building going across the road that you have to drive through it to get to Hillsborough, now that is a gateway. haha

[Sony500]

About a hundred pages back, we had a discussion along those lines. I posted some potential layouts for an improved Botsford-Wheeler interchange.

As MonctonRad said, however. The cost of such an undertaking would be high. Probably higher than the cost of building the 1-Mile House interchange in Saint John just because of the number of roads that would have to be reconfigured, built, or eliminated. Complicating the whole thing, is the main line between Halifax and Montreal running directly through the area. Any plan to fix Botsford would almost certainly require have botsford go over wheeler. This creates quite the space constraint, however. Where do you put the ramps without tearing out a lot of houses? There would also almost definitely be a tradeoff in terms of access. I.e. some turns would be possible, but others not.

As for the traffic circle. I have given an unhealthy amount of thought towards how they could/should fix it. I'm not entirely convinced it needs replacing. Traffic flows efficiently except when someone panics. I'd wager though that if you built an equally accessible and efficient interchange, you'd quickly end up with a tall spaghetti junction that would be quite an eyesore and not much better.

I will say though. I am a huge fan of roundabouts. They're cheap, efficient and can handle much higher volumes of traffic than a traditional intersection would. I think we should be building more, not less of them.
I understand that it would be really expensive to make changes to these intersections, but they should start building more bridges to get around better. Like the new Frampton Lane and Mapleton Rd. We have enough freaking traffic lights already, maybe we need them there, but there are other places that could use bridges. Look at Vaughn Harvey extension; to go from the Moncton Hospital to Riverview, you now have to go through 9 sets of traffic lights. It really makes me mad when I have to pick up my wife from work at midnight, and I have to stop at the red light by the new Shoppers Drug Mart that they are building, and there are no cars at the intersections. Whatever happend to the flashing lights at intersections with no traffic at night???

[bam63]

Travelling along vaughn harvey boulevard towards riverview these days i have to remind myself that i'm still in moncton.
The new roadway to the bridge is beautiful in itself.Along the way there is a new office bldg about to break ground(ashford),a new sobeys/liquor store,and a new shoppers drug mart. Once your on the new bridge(by the way good job on the top portion only) the first thing you notice is a major new condo project rising out from the treeline on the riverview side.
I've lived in riverview for twenty three years,this is a huge change from what it was like only a couple of years ago.
It's just an example of a new roadway that can work,and spinoffs to boot.

[gehrhardt]

This is a little off topic, but in the same area. I think that the off ramp from Veterans highway (westbound) to Paul st by the Shediac road should be right turns only.

Traffic should only be allowed to turn towards the Shediac rd or Lewisville rd. I have no idea who actually thinks they can get across the traffic there. I can't count the times I've seen someone just edging off of that ramp so that they can block traffic and force their way out. It's dangerous and causes even more tie-ups.

Traffic wanting to head to Paul st and the mall should have to go around the traffic circle and get off by Crystal Palace. I know that exit is is busy already, but at least they have a chance to get out of there reasonably quickly.

Besides, doing this will cause the out of towners going to the mall to practice driving around the roundabout. :haha:

[mylesmalley]

This is a little off topic, but in the same area. I think that the off ramp from Veterans highway (westbound) to Paul st by the Shediac road should be right turns only.

Traffic should only be allowed to turn towards the Shediac rd or Lewisville rd. I have no idea who actually thinks they can get across the traffic there. I can't count the times I've seen someone just edging off of that ramp so that they can block traffic and force their way out. It's dangerous and causes even more tie-ups.

Traffic wanting to head to Paul st and the mall should have to go around the traffic circle and get off by Crystal Palace. I know that exit is is busy already, but at least they have a chance to get out of there reasonably quickly.

Besides, doing this will cause the out of towners going to the mall to practice driving around the roundabout. :haha:

Not a bad idea. At Christmas time, the ramp down to paul street is often backed up onto the traffic circle.

The problem with that part of town is access. there are really only two roads into Dieppe, Paul and Champlain. Dieppe Blvd. is just too far away to have any benefit to traffic near downtown. I doubt it'll ever happen, but I really think the province should look at building an overpass/interchange at Macaully St / College St. I think that would alleviate a lot of congestion in both the East End and Dieppe.

[MonctonRad]

This is a little off topic, but in the same area. I think that the off ramp from Veterans highway (westbound) to Paul st by the Shediac road should be right turns only.

Traffic should only be allowed to turn towards the Shediac rd or Lewisville rd. I have no idea who actually thinks they can get across the traffic there. I can't count the times I've seen someone just edging off of that ramp so that they can block traffic and force their way out. It's dangerous and causes even more tie-ups.

Traffic wanting to head to Paul st and the mall should have to go around the traffic circle and get off by Crystal Palace. I know that exit is is busy already, but at least they have a chance to get out of there reasonably quickly.

Besides, doing this will cause the out of towners going to the mall to practice driving around the roundabout. :haha:


Not off topic at all!! We seem to be talking about traffic problems a lot lately.

If I recall, it seems to me that the province had been planning to do just that to the westbound Paul St. offramp from Veteran's Highway a couple of years ago but then nothing was done. I don't know why that was. Bureaucratic lethargy perhaps.

I agree, attempting to turn left onto Paul St. from that exit is damn near suicidal! At the very least, traffic lights are required but, since the exit is right on the city boundary, I imagine that Moncton is reluctant to install them because the main beneficiary of this would be the City of Dieppe.

I agree that another interchange off of Veteran's Highway between Paul St. and Dieppe/Harrisville Blvd. is necessary. This would also improve access to the Dieppe Industrial Park

[Sony500]

I don't think its off topic at all, after all its the traffic that brings people to the city, and for us locals to get around, and it all leads to economic development and that leads to building more buildings and that is what this forum is all about. But that is what I was saying, we need some intelligent minds to come up with some ideas to make traffic go more smoothly, and not just widening roads, or reducing lanes like they seem to think is going to work. duh!

[Sony500]

Travelling along vaughn harvey boulevard towards riverview these days i have to remind myself that i'm still in moncton.
The new roadway to the bridge is beautiful in itself.Along the way there is a new office bldg about to break ground(ashford),a new sobeys/liquor store,and a new shoppers drug mart. Once your on the new bridge(by the way good job on the top portion only) the first thing you notice is a major new condo project rising out from the treeline on the riverview side.
I've lived in riverview for twenty three years,this is a huge change from what it was like only a couple of years ago.
It's just an example of a new roadway that can work,and spinoffs to boot.

Don't get me wrong, the Vaughn Harvey extension is great, it reduces time considerably, but still too many traffic lights.

[riverviewer]

In the future a fourth river crossing could provide another entrance to Dieppe. Riverview is building the East/West Corridor to intersect Coverdale Road at Bridgedale. Right across the river is the intersection of Melanson Road and Amirault. How's that for a back door into Dieppe's new developments?

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/kylosaurus/BridgedaletoStAnselme-1.jpg

[mmmatt]

^^ The Gateway project looks pretty good now I think...its basically the old design with an added clock and an extension added to the right.

I agree the location isn't the best, but Riverview is kinda tight for money at the moment with the new road just being finished and the expansion of their town hall going on now as well...need to pinch those pennies.

[bam63]

We all know turning left onto Paul from wheeler is only attempted by the same meatsticks that cruise at 40km per hour in passing lanes so they are always in position for a left turn.
Its not like its the only way to get to that area.Make it a right turn only,that way you make normal people happy and the meatsticks will just take their left turn to another intersection.

[mmmatt]

Restaurant brings taste of Italy to Moncton

Portofinos promises authentic and healthy cuisine in a true Italian atmosphere

BY ALAN COCHRANE
Times & Transcript
Published Tuesday November 11th, 2008

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=208487&size=500x0
Father and son Tony and Fabio Scichilone are owners of Portofino at 40 Weldon St.

Tony Scichilone is excited and proud this week as he prepares to swing open the doors of Portofinos, a new restaurant he promises will bring the true taste of Italy to downtown Moncton.

"It's a beautiful thing," says Scichilone, a native of Italy who has been in the restaurant business since 1972. He's been in Moncton for six years and promoting his products through sales at the Dieppe Market and an Italian deli across from Champlain Place. He promises patrons a unique dining experience with genuine Italian atmosphere and healthy food at reasonable prices.

The deli will close soon because the lease ran out on the space. Scichilone says he will move the deli products to the restaurant for the winter and hopes to re-open the deli in Dieppe as soon as he can find a suitable location and set it up. For now, his attention is focused on last-minute preparations at Portofinos, his dream restaurant which is named for a tiny Italian village said to be one of the most beautiful places in the country.

"It's not a business, it is a passion," says Scichilone, who will run the restaurant with his son Fabio and about 15 other staff members. Located at 40 Weldon St., just across from Highfield Square near the former Tim Horton's, the new restaurant is done in white marble tile floors and walls. There is seating for about 120 people on wood-framed booths with upholstered leather seats. A back room has seating for about 35 people and an outdoor patio is covered and screened. Photographs of Italy adorn the walls and white statues stand guard under stained glass windows.

Tony admits the only thing missing right now is the smell of food. And that will come soon.

Everything on the menu will be made from scratch. That includes meat sauces, pastas, pizza dough and Fabio's home-made sausages. The complete line of different sausages include lamb, salmon and buffalo, apples, cranberries, goat cheese, spinach and many other varieties. Fabio, who is also a body-building champion and nutritional consultant, prides the sausages as being about 87 per lean and healthy to eat with no preservatives.

The menu at Portofinos will include a full line of appetizers, pastas, pizza, salads, entrees and desserts. The list of dishes is enough to make your tummy growl with antipasto, fried calamari, Italian mussels, escargot, linguini, lasagna, vegetarian lasagna, seafood lasagna and spaghetti. The restaurant will offer several pizzas, all made with fresh ingredients and dough made in the kitchen. There will be spicy vegetarian pizza, Mediterranean pizza, Sicilian pizza and others made with both white and whole wheat flour. Entrees include shrimp, grilled lamb, marinated lamb kabobs and veal sirloin. For dessert, there will be amaretto cake, fresh strawberries, hazelnut chocolate torta cake and panna cotta, an Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar and mixing it with gelatin.

The bar will include Italian, German and French whine, and imported Italian-made Moretti beer.

Since it is located just off Main Street near Highfield Square and the federal government building, Portofinos is geared to the lunch-hour crowd with a noon buffet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will also be a Sunday brunch buffet.

"The buffet will have a lot of beautiful stuff and it will change every day," Scichilone said.

As the days turn to night, Scichilone promises the restaurant will take on a more serene and romantic tone for couples looking for a dinner together. If they really want privacy for a very special moment (bring the ring, guys), he says they can get the little wine cellar room that has only one table.

For now, the air will be filled with recorded traditional music straight from Italy. But in time, Tony hopes to have real accordion and violin players to complete the atmosphere.

Portafinos is expected to be open for business shortly. Many of the sauces, meatballs and other products that had been available at the Dieppe deli will be available at the Weldon Street location.

[MonctonRad]

Restaurant brings taste of Italy to Moncton

Since it is located just off Main Street near Highfield Square and the federal government building, Portofinos is geared to the lunch-hour crowd with a noon buffet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will also be a Sunday brunch buffet.


The brand new federal office building under construction is just across the street.......that should help. I can hear all those civil service tummies growling right now. Mmmmmm pasta!!
:haha:

[mylesmalley]

In the future a fourth river crossing could provide another entrance to Dieppe. Riverview is building the East/West Corridor to intersect Coverdale Road at Bridgedale. Right across the river is the intersection of Melanson Road and Amirault. How's that for a back door into Dieppe's new developments?

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/kylosaurus/BridgedaletoStAnselme-1.jpg

I think you mean third :cheers:

[gehrhardt]

:previous: Unless you mean the bridge in Salisbury. :haha:

[riverviewer]

I think you mean third :cheers:

I was allowing for the "third" to be the already planned crossing at Hall's Creek. I expected that one would be completed well before the Melanson Road bridge would be started. But I have been wrong before... from time to time.

[MonctonRad]

I drove down Ryan Road this evening for the first time in about three months. The upgrading of the eastern half of the road is now nearly complete....only a portion of the topcoat of paving is left to do. What a difference!!!!

- culverts on both sides of the road, gone.
- sidewalks on both sides of the road, installed.
- curbing, done.
- widening, done (and the road is quite wide now, enough for on street parking and/or bicycle lanes)
- access points for new subdivisions, created (I count at least three new subdivisions planned on this section of the road, with one under construction already)

The middle portion of Ryan, as far as the new Evergreen Drive connector will get the same treatment next year. I gather that the intersection of Ryan and Horseman will be completely reconfigured.

BTW, it looks to me that they are planning to extend Evergreen Drive beyond Ryan Road, presumably as far as Berry Mills Road. They are cutting trees along a presumed right-of-way and it looks as if they are building a bridge across Jonathon Creek directly across from where Evergreen Drive now intersects Ryan. Does anyone out there know if this is indeed the case?

This section of Moncton is no longer in the middle of the country!!!

[tw31]

I drove down Ryan Road this evening for the first time in about three months. The upgrading of the eastern half of the road is now nearly complete....only a portion of the topcoat of paving is left to do. What a difference!!!!

- culverts on both sides of the road, gone.
- sidewalks on both sides of the road, installed.
- curbing, done.
- widening, done (and the road is quite wide now, enough for on street parking and/or bicycle lanes)
- access points for new subdivisions, created (I count at least three new subdivisions planned on this section of the road, with one under construction already)

The middle portion of Ryan, as far as the new Evergreen Drive connector will get the same treatment next year. I gather that the intersection of Ryan and Horseman will be completely reconfigured.

BTW, it looks to me that they are planning to extend Evergreen Drive beyond Ryan Road, presumably as far as Berry Mills Road. They are cutting trees along a presumed right-of-way and it looks as if they are building a bridge across Jonathon Creek directly across from where Evergreen Drive now intersects Ryan. Does anyone out there know if this is indeed the case?

This section of Moncton is no longer in the middle of the country!!!

Actually I have a friend that lives fairly close, just a few houses over and yes They're extending Evergreen. There is a bridge being constructed there and I heard there was a possibility that the subdivision they're building is going to connect to Rural Estates, Boundary Drive area.

[mylesmalley]

Actually I have a friend that lives fairly close, just a few houses over and yes They're extending Evergreen. There is a bridge being constructed there and I heard there was a possibility that the subdivision they're building is going to connect to Rural Estates, Boundary Drive area.

A bridge over what?

[David_99]

This is a little off topic, but in the same area. I think that the off ramp from Veterans highway (westbound) to Paul st by the Shediac road should be right turns only.

Traffic should only be allowed to turn towards the Shediac rd or Lewisville rd. I have no idea who actually thinks they can get across the traffic there. I can't count the times I've seen someone just edging off of that ramp so that they can block traffic and force their way out. It's dangerous and causes even more tie-ups.

Traffic wanting to head to Paul st and the mall should have to go around the traffic circle and get off by Crystal Palace. I know that exit is is busy already, but at least they have a chance to get out of there reasonably quickly.

Besides, doing this will cause the out of towners going to the mall to practice driving around the roundabout. :haha:

I always feel bad for the people trying to turn there when I drive by. Even the ones wanting to turn right seem to have a hard time. This probably isn't even possible, but I always wanted them to extend the off-ramp around the Comfort Inn, so that it connected to the Old Shediac Road. Then change that whole intersection to have 2 lanes going towards the mall. That way the regular Old Shediac road left turning lane and the new off-ramp left turning lane can turn onto Paul st at the lights into their own lanes.

[MonctonRad]

A bridge over what?

A bridge over Johnathon Creek (it parallels Ryan Road at that point). Evergreen Drive now runs from Mountain Road south to Ryan Road. It is in the process of being extended even further south, entailing the construction of this new bridge over the creek.

[MonctonRad]

I always feel bad for the people trying to turn there when I drive by. Even the ones wanting to turn right seem to have a hard time. This probably isn't even possible, but I always wanted them to extend the off-ramp around the Comfort Inn, so that it connected to the Old Shediac Road.


That's actually a damn good idea. I like it a lot. Maybe you should suggest it to the Department of Transportation. (Tell them to ban left hand turns at the off-ramp while you're at it).:haha:

[mmmatt]

I heard from a reliable source a large apartment building will be put up on this lot:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/stu_pendousmat/Wikipedia%20stuff/apartment.jpg

Right now there is a building that has flea markets there or something.

(you can tell the date of this photo easy...there was still a crane up on that Belmar building haha.)

[mylesmalley]

I heard from a reliable source a large apartment building will be put up on this lot:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/stu_pendousmat/Wikipedia%20stuff/apartment.jpg

Right now there is a building that has flea markets there or something.

(you can tell the date of this photo easy...there was still a crane up on that Belmar building haha.)

Myles Avenue, eh.

Any idea how big/how many units?

[mmmatt]

Myles Avenue, eh.

Any idea how big/how many units?

mmm figured you'd notice that haha

not a clue really...just that there will be an apartment complex there. It was from a second hand source who wasnt sure on the specifics...

[mylesmalley]

mmm figured you'd notice that haha

not a clue really...just that there will be an apartment complex there. It was from a second hand source who wasnt sure on the specifics...

Doesnt' really matter. Anything there would do a lot to increase density.

[MonctonRad]

Myles Avenue, eh.

Any idea how big/how many units?

Sorry to disappoint you Myles, but your namesake street is pretty short. Looking at the satellite photo, I'm not even sure that there would be any civic addresses on the street. :haha:

Seriously, I recall something about this in the T&T several months back. It's not going to be a grand edifice and I believe that it may be low income housing. There was some sort of a dust up in council over the fact that there was not going to be enough on site parking for the residents of the complex. The answer to this was "that's OK, most of the residents wouldn't be able to afford cars anyway". Pretty stupid :koko:

[mylesmalley]

Sorry to disappoint you Myles, but your namesake street is pretty short. Looking at the satellite photo, I'm not even sure that there would be any civic addresses on the street. :haha:

Seriously, I recall something about this in the T&T several months back. It's not going to be a grand edifice and I believe that it may be low income housing. There was some sort of a dust up in council over the fact that there was not going to be enough on site parking for the residents of the complex. The answer to this was "that's OK, most of the residents wouldn't be able to afford cars anyway". Pretty stupid :koko:

Aye, it's short now. But in twenty years...? :jester:

[JasonL-Moncton]

Ok...first, wow holy new members! Welcome to all.

I can't believe they tore down that building (ICR)...sad in a way, to be replaced with a mall and a grocery/booze store and now a shoppers too...blech.

Justice Center...if they move it I don't mind, just as long as they make substantial design improvements.

The traffic circle....as far as I'm concerned, there is nothing wrong with it, I think it works great. The problem is when you have someone from 'rural' NB who isn't used to working it, that 'stops' on an on ramp that problems occur. If you don't like driving on it...don't, it will make it that much quicker for those of us that do. As far as the intersection at Botsford, that is intentional, it's is used to get people to slow down before entering the circle. Plus, that intersection is the whole reason they built the new fire station there...easy access to wheeler and surrounding areas.

Fundy Gateway...that new rendering is ugly. Why do they have to make everything look 'modern', I like the original rendering much better. I agree, calling it the FG is ridiculous.

Bridges...I've always said they should take out the causeway (which they are working on) and restructure the roundabout and have a bridge. I too have said that there should be a bridge and the end of the Dieppe traffic circle where Paul and Main meet that connects to Riverview's Point Park area.
I too have always said that there should be a bridge crossing wheeler at the intersection by East Side Mario's, over into behind Wal-Mart to Plaza Blvd and connect in front of Future Shop.

Trails...I am so happy to see Moncton's commitment to these trails. I was in Mapleton Park for the first time yesterday and was amazed, 300 acres right in the city is fantastic. Along with the other parks and trails this is something Moncton should be proud of!

Traffic...Moncton always has had a 'build it small and fix it later' attitude, which hopefully with all of the 're-construction' they will change their attitude for one of 'build it for the future'.

Mapleton Expansion...is not surprising...wait until they connect Frampton with Crowley Farm Rd. (which they intend to do)...things between there and McLaughlin Dr will boom like crazy.

Sprawl...they will run out of space eventually downtown...they realize they should have went "up" instead of "out".

Jason

[mmmatt]

First phase of Mapleton upgrade now complete

Project expected to be completed this time next year

By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Wednesday November 12th, 2008

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=208937&size=500x0
After months of construction the first section of Mapleton Road from Wheeler Boulevard to Frampton Lane is now open.

The traffic lights are being flipped on, a first layer of asphalt is down and, yes, that concrete Jersey barrier at the top of the hill by Costco is just temporary.

And with that, the first season of construction on the upgrade of Mapleton Road is now completed.

Alcide Richard, the City of Moncton's director of design, said yesterday, "Everything we were planning to do this year is done."

Even though the wonderful weather this week might make continuing work a few weeks longer a bit tempting, it must be remembered that the first snowstorm of last winter came on Remembrance Day and after that the snow never left.

With the planned section complete and the project on track to be fully completed this time next year, including the doubling of the Wheeler Boulevard overpass from three lanes to six, Richard said it was time to pack up until spring.

In fact, he said, the Province of New Brunswick was asked to delay some preparatory work it originally planned to start this month, because the city didn't feel the benefits justified tying up traffic at the overpass this close to the holiday shopping season.

"I often describe road work as short-term pain for long-term gain," he said. "But, in this case, we looked at it and decided the pain was just too great for the gain."

He said the loss of a couple of weeks now should not delay the project next year.

Meanwhile, Richard said credit for getting the first large phase of the project done on schedule was certainly good work by the contractor, but also because of a citizenry that understood the importance to the city of getting the work done.

"The project went very well because of the co-operation of the public. They were courteous and patient and the flag people at the site even said they had a lot of people roll down their windows and say, 'Good job, guys.'"

Richard said a joint effort by the City of Moncton, the Province of New Brunswick and the Times & Transcript to better inform the public about road work this year also seemed to help. At the outset of the roadwork season, the newspaper prepared detailed maps with the input of both levels of government so that motorists could get a big-picture view of where they could expect bottlenecks and plot alternate routes.

The city also carefully timed two other projects on the key routes of Mountain Road and Botsford Street to minimize the pressure on Mapleton Road and Wheeler Boulevard, which the province upgraded this year.

When the gravel pits open in late-May, the city expects to begin working outward from the section of Mapleton completed so far, with at least some widening taking place from Hopper Street North to the bridge and further widening from the Aliant building to Highway 2.

[JasonL-Moncton]

I still say all that work they recently did on Wheeler should have been done at 'night'...they tied up wheeler in a ridiculous way.

Question: are they widening Mapleton from the overpass to Mountain Rd...I thought that was the plan? It is surely needed.

Jason

PS> Someone should contact that Alcide Richard guy to join here and read our ideas :p

[C_Boy]

Question: are they widening Mapleton from the overpass to Mountain Rd...I thought that was the plan? It is surely needed.



Unfortunetly not. The plan is near the intersection of Plaza/Carson and Mapleton. So basicaly right from Skipper Jack's to the TCH

[JasonL-Moncton]

Unfortunetly not. The plan is near the intersection of Plaza/Carson and Mapleton. So basicaly right from Skipper Jack's to the TCH

So coming off Mapleton from the highway they are creating a bottleneck at the Skipper's intersection...smart (sarcasm).

Jason

[mylesmalley]

So coming off Mapleton from the highway they are creating a bottleneck at the Skipper's intersection...smart (sarcasm).

Jason

At least most of it is being widened to 4-6 lanes. I get the impression though that the city expects most of the traffic using Mapleton to get there via Wheeler or the TCH. It's supposed to be the city's new gateway after all. I think for most people, getting there from Mountain Road probably involves a trip down Trinity Drive or Plaza anyway.

[MonctonRad]

Mount Allison top university again
Published Wednesday November 12th, 2008

Mount Allison University was once again named the top undergraduate school in Canada by Maclean's magazine in its 18th annual University Rankings Issue.

"This is another great news day for Mount Allison University as we celebrate once again being named the top undergraduate school in the country by Maclean's," said university president Dr. Robert Campbell. "Our combination of small class sizes, award-winning faculty, engaging extracurricular activities, and a safe and caring campus community environment is clearly a recipe for student success. The Maclean's rankings news is the icing on the cake, and we want to thank our entire community for their commitment and efforts to create this superb result."

Mount Allison received top or high marks in many categories in the 2008 Maclean's rankings, including student awards, library holdings and support, student to faculty ratio (16:1), scholarships and bursaries, and reputation survey, which surveyed nearly 12,000 experts, educators and community leaders, asking for their views on quality, innovation, and leadership at Canadian universities.

Other Maritime schools on the list included Acadia (3), St. F.X. (4), UPEI (7), and Saint Mary's (10).

[alienc]

Sorry to disappoint you Myles, but your namesake street is pretty short. Looking at the satellite photo, I'm not even sure that there would be any civic addresses on the street. :haha:

Seriously, I recall something about this in the T&T several months back. It's not going to be a grand edifice and I believe that it may be low income housing. There was some sort of a dust up in council over the fact that there was not going to be enough on site parking for the residents of the complex. The answer to this was "that's OK, most of the residents wouldn't be able to afford cars anyway". Pretty stupid :koko:

Here is the article, it was in the paper back in August:

Parking issue dominates debate on apartments

Planning commission works out a compromise for area residents and developers working on downtown complex

By Yvon Gauvin
Times & Transcript Staff

A request to reduce the number of parking spaces for a proposed 50-unit residential complex on Moncton’s High Street north of Mountain Road turned into a marathon debate Wednesday night as members of the Greater Moncton Planning District Commission sought to find the right compromise for all concerned.

At one point, there were amendments to the motion to approve the variance request from Tannery Court Cooperative on behalf of Lotusland Holdings Ltd., 430 High St.

The request was to reduce the required 50 regular and three handicapped parking spaces to 17 regular and three handicapped spaces.

The location of the proposed subsidized residential complex intended for single occupants earning under $10,000 is a one-time supermarket between High and Jones Streets. The building’s parking lot merges with Myers Avenue, a short cross-street.

The parking questions grew in stature as area residents wondered where the new tenants and their friends were going to park with the street already clogged with vehicles parking on one side. The situation would become even worse during the winter months when a parking ban on city streets is in force, they said.

There already are apartment buildings in the immediate area further complicating the parking issue, said one resident.

Mike Cahill, representing the non-profit co-operative group, said the feeling is that most of the tenants
won’t need parking spaces with existing bus service in the area.

Similar residential projects operated by the co-operative have shown that only a few tenants needed parking spaces including a Fredericton 50-unit complex outside the city centre area where only 20 tenants requested parking privileges.

He said the planners have enough space for 34 regular and three handicapped parking spots but wanted to use part of the land for landscaping rather than paving. The plan was to add green to the project, he explained.

Debate centered on whether or not to use the available space for parking now or wait and see if the need it there.

One commissioner noted that it could create undue hardships and problems if the area was paved now when only to realize the extra parking wasn’t needed.

The debate prompted commissioner Boyd Anderson to question the developer about improvements to Myles Avenue which has no curb or gutter and is almost indistinguishable from the existing parking lot.

Anderson wanted the developer to pay for improvements to the street, eliciting further discussions.

Commission director Bill Budd reminded commissioners that they do not have the jurisdiction to force developers to fix curbs and gutters in this instance.

Anderson then moved to recommend the developer and city engineers meet to discuss street improvements and financial arrangements.

The commission passed the motion and its amendments denying the original request to reduce parking spaces from 50 plus three to 17 plus three in favour of creating 34 regular and 3 handicapped paving spots, establishing a substantive completion date for the project and the recommendation to meet with city engineers regarding Myles Avenue.

Four commissioners voted against the motion.

A request to extend a cul-de-sac off Ammon Road was granted despite objections from local residents who worried about traffic and the area’s water table.

The request on behalf of Lawton Hicks will allow for the creation of a subdivision and street linking up
with McLaughlin Road.

[MonctonRad]

Thanks AlienC, thats the article that I saw.

[MonctonRad]

Things are very busy at the Mapleton Power Centre these days; lots of earth moving equipment, the pads for four buildings have been laid and I see that they are beginning to pave the internal roadway. I presume this is being done to help expedite ongoing construction during the winter season.

[mmmatt]

Snapped this one last night of the new entrance design at Champlain...much much better in my opinion. Simple and clean, with recessed lighting, like the new interior.
much better than the hideous pink and blue logo they had up there before *shudders* haha.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/stu_pendousmat/3%20Years%20of%20Moncton/Champlain.jpg

[mmmatt]

Things are very busy at the Mapleton Power Centre these days; lots of earth moving equipment, the pads for four buildings have been laid and I see that they are beginning to pave the internal roadway. I presume this is being done to help expedite ongoing construction during the winter season.

Yeah its looking really good now, I hope Best Buys economic difficulties don't prevent them opening their store here.

[MonctonRad]

Yeah its looking really good now, I hope Best Buys economic difficulties don't prevent them opening their store here.

I haven't heard anything to suggest Best Buy is having any second thoughts. Canadian retail sales are a relative bright spot in North America. They have done a recent survey that showed only about 15% of Canadians are planning to cut back on their Christmas buying habits this year.

Moncton and New Brunswick seem to be doing better than southern Ontario these days. About the only stores in Moncton going under seem to be franchises of national chains declaring bankruptcy. I would say that the plans must still be "full steam ahead".

Besides, the store probably won't be open until next fall. Hopefully by that time the recovery will be starting to occur.

[mmmatt]

^ Sounds good...with the ammount of retail under construction in Moncton you would never think there is a "slump" in retail at all.

U/C right now there is a large power center, 4 retail strips with 4+ stores each (3 on Mountain Rd and the center on Mapleton). Plus our mall is undergoing a huge renovation, with new stores opening and moving around. And on top of that stores that had closed down before are re-opening, like Midas on Mountain and Don Cherrys. :) The outlook is good for Moncton.

[mylesmalley]

From Ye Olde Times&Transcript:

Casino on track
Published Saturday November 15th, 2008

Developer pledges $500K to N.B. universities
A1
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

Construction of the $90-million hotel and casino near Magnetic Hill is on schedule for its opening in the spring of 2010 and about 99 per cent of the 400 full-time employees will be hired locally, the project developer said yesterday.

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=210291&size=500x0
RON WARD/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT

Michael Novac, president and CEO of Sonco; Dr. Neal Boucher, academic vice-president of l'Universite de Moncton; Finance Minister Victor Boudreau; and Dr. Stephen McClatchie, provost and vice-president academic and research at Mount Allison University, share a laugh yesterday after Novac announced Sonco's grants to the two schools.

"It's unlikely that there are very many experienced casino workers locally, so we will have to bring in some of the senior casino people from other areas," said Michael Novak, president and CEO of Sonco Group. "We also will be training local people, so I would say 98 to 99 per cent of the employees will be local people."

Ground has already been broken for the casino next to the Amsterdam Hotel on Mountain Road near Magnetic Hill. Novak said the foundation should be poured this fall and other tenders for construction will be going out soon.

"We are very pleased. We are on time."

Sonco Gaming, based in Halifax, was awarded the contract to build and operate the casino, the first of its kind in New Brunswick. The casino could turn out to be a lucrative cash cow for the provincial government. Finance minister Victor Boudreau said the casino is expected to generate about $50 million a year and the province will get a 50 per cent cut of that, or $25 million.

Novak and Boudreau were on hand yesterday to announce that Sonco Gaming would contribute a financial gift of $500,000 over five years to establish a Joint Research Chair in arts, culture and tourism for New Brunswick. The money will be shared by l'Université de Moncton and Mount Allison University.

Dr. Stephen McClatchie, a spokesman for Mount Allison, said the money would basically be used to hire a research chairperson, who would in turn direct what kind of research would actually be done. The money -- which will amount to $100,000 a year from 2010 to 2015 -- will not be going directly to artists and musicians. The specific direction of the research won't be known until a person is actually hired.

The intent of the research chair is to find ways to stimulate arts and culture in New Brunswick and use it to make the province more attractive to tourism and eventually create more jobs in those sectors.

"l'Université de Moncton has always been a key partner in the development of cultural and artistic activities and this joint-chair will enable us to build stronger ties with various community groups," said UdeM president Yvon Fontaine.

"It will allow our two institutions to establish a more structured collaboration, and to build on the tradition that has been established, especially in the artistic field."

The contribution is Sonco's way of living up to its promise of community involvement, which was part of its bid to land the casino contract. Novak said the casino will include a 1,800-seat entertainment complex and gallery space which will eventually host concerts and exhibits by local artists.

The casino is also expected to draw more visitors to Metro Moncton, so putting money into arts and culture seemed appropriate, he said. New Brunswick is already home to many museums, historic sites, performing arts companies, galleries and cultural events. There are tour companies and cruise lines looking for new products. The research chair funded by the casino will look at ways to expand these industries and make them more attractive to tourists.

The Casino New Brunswick complex will include a casino with 600 slot machines, 20 tables, eight poker tables, a high limit room, restaurant, lounge, 128-room hotel and the entertainment/convention facility.

Novac dismissed the notion that the complex will lead to an increase in criminal activity in Metro Moncton.

"That concern has been addressed by law and order people after researching other communities where casinos have been built. I think people have seen too many old movies," Novac said.

He said the casino would be loaded with about 400 surveillance cameras and its own team of more than 24 security guards, "so this is the last place that any criminals would select for their enterprise."

Novac said his company is deep in construction planning at the moment but would be doing more to get closer to the community once the casino is up and running.

Novac and the Halifax-based Sonco Group have been involved in many property development projects throughout North America, including the Great Blue Heron Charity Casino in Port Perry, Ont., and the Grey Eagle Casino on the Tsuu T'ina Nation just outside Calgary.

[MonctonRad]

Big plans apparently in works for Shediac
Published Saturday November 15th, 2008
From the sleuth

The hottest tip reaching these shores this week came from Sleuth's pals in Shediac, where gossiping over a pint or two at the Boishebert Club is a weekly ritual. It seems some big plans are afoot for property at Chapman's Corner, where the entrance/exit ramps to the Shediac four-lane and Highway 11 connect with the main road into town.

Sleuth hears property next to Glenwood Kitchens has been assembled for a mega-project that will include a new Sobeys store, a Canadian Tire outlet and a new New Brunswick Liquor Corporation store.

The location is perfect to catch all of those summer beachgoers and the cottage crowd up and down the Northumberland Strait coast.

The big question: who is behind the multi-million plan? Shediac's own little version of a "power centre" might really shake up the retail environment there.

[mmmatt]

^ Ouch, in a market like Shediac that might not be such a good thing...Sobeys might end up forcing another well established Co-op to close down.

The Can Tire and Liquor Store are needed though Im sure.

[mmmatt]

Kay Arena
http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=210294&size=500x0
credit: Times and Transcript

[bam63]

There were rumours about a year ago about a new sobeys to be built in riverview's findlay park and a canadian tire would replace the current store.The plan makes sense.It would be great to have a canadian tire over here.
Sorry,homehardware fans but i not impressed with little selection and high prices.

[mylesmalley]

Big plans apparently in works for Shediac
Published Saturday November 15th, 2008
From the sleuth

The hottest tip reaching these shores this week came from Sleuth's pals in Shediac, where gossiping over a pint or two at the Boishebert Club is a weekly ritual. It seems some big plans are afoot for property at Chapman's Corner, where the entrance/exit ramps to the Shediac four-lane and Highway 11 connect with the main road into town.

Sleuth hears property next to Glenwood Kitchens has been assembled for a mega-project that will include a new Sobeys store, a Canadian Tire outlet and a new New Brunswick Liquor Corporation store.

The location is perfect to catch all of those summer beachgoers and the cottage crowd up and down the Northumberland Strait coast.

The big question: who is behind the multi-million plan? Shediac's own little version of a "power centre" might really shake up the retail environment there.

Maybe I'm nit-picking, but I wouldnt' really characterize a power centre as a mega-project...

Now the tar sands, or Dubai...

[MonctonRad]

There were rumours about a year ago about a new sobeys to be built in riverview's findlay park and a canadian tire would replace the current store.The plan makes sense.It would be great to have a canadian tire over here.
Sorry,homehardware fans but i not impressed with little selection and high prices.

If they built a new Sobey's in Findlay Park, what would happen to the current one on Coverdale Road? It was only built about 5-7 years ago. Also, there are currently five Sobey's store in metro Moncton (with a sixth one planned for Harrisville Blvd.). Do you think the market could stand a seventh store (and a second one in Riverview)?

[MonctonRad]

Maybe I'm nit-picking, but I wouldnt' really characterize a power centre as a mega-project...

Now the tar sands, or Dubai...

We are all well acquainted with T&T hyperbole. I think the sleuth should take some Prozac. :haha:

[bam63]

If they built a new Sobey's in Findlay Park, what would happen to the current one on Coverdale Road? It was only built about 5-7 years ago. Also, there are currently five Sobey's store in metro Moncton (with a sixth one planned for Harrisville Blvd.). Do you think the market could stand a seventh store (and a second one in Riverview)?

The plan had canadian tire taking over the current sobeys location on coverdale,when sobey's moved into their new digs on the hill,so there would still only be one sobeys in riverview.

[mmmatt]

The plan had canadian tire taking over the current sobeys location on coverdale,when sobey's moved into their new digs on the hill,so there would still only be one sobeys in riverview.

This could work...I like the design of the Sobeys there but its a bi*** getting in and out of that place...might be more convienent at another location. Also it would put more space between Super Store and them.

And Can Tire opening a store in Riverview would mean one for each of the "areas" of Moncton...Its too bad Riverview doesnt want to become a city...they could fairly easily Im sure...then I could just say "tri-city area" haha.

[mmmatt]

Maybe I'm nit-picking, but I wouldnt' really characterize a power centre as a mega-project...

Now the tar sands, or Dubai...

For Shediac its a sizable project...if you think in relation to population this would be equal to something like the new Hampton Inn in Moncton or some random 30 floor condo in Vancouver, or a Subway opening in St Andrews. Its all relative :P

[David_99]

...Its too bad Riverview doesnt want to become a city...they could fairly easily Im sure...then I could just say "tri-city area" haha.

Or they could just join Moncton :cheers:

[riverviewer]

[QUOTE=stu_pendousmat2;3913942]This could work...I like the design of the Sobeys there but its a bi*** getting in and out of that place...might be more convienent at another location. Also it would put more space between Super Store and them.

I had heard that rumour too, but I didn't hear when it would occur. A grocery store makes the most sense near high density development. Perhaps Sobeys’s plan is waiting for more development to occur off the new Gunningsville Blvd. :shrug:

[mmmatt]

Or they could just join Moncton :cheers:

True, Ive always been all for an amalgamated Moncton/Riverview/Dieppe concept...I mean in reality they are the same city besides a few minor differences.

However the differences seem to great for some people...the language thing keeps coming up...i.e. Dieppe majority French and Riverview majority English...but honestly they could keep these cultural differences intact even through amalgamation I believe. For example in Halifax when people go across the bay to Dartmouth they still call it Dartmouth, and it retains a unique identity. Or in Freddy, Devon and Nashwaksis still retain unique identities.

The whole area would benifit from joining up...the "city" population would be over 100,000 which looks better when attracting business and tourism etc. :cheers:

Maybe in 25 years it might be possible...but people still have a wierd mentality about this for some reason.

[riverviewer]

True, Ive always been all for an amalgamated Moncton/Riverview/Dieppe concept...I mean in reality they are the same city besides a few minor differences.....

Maybe in 25 years it might be possible...but people still have a wierd mentality about this for some reason.

I've lived in Moncton, Dieppe, Lakeburn, and Riverview in neighborhoods from Magnetic Hill to downtown to St. Anselme. I can honestly say that Riverview feels homier. I wonder what amalgamation would do to the neighborhoods?

[mylesmalley]

From what I've heard, it's entirely a cost issue.
Cities in New Brunswick need to be bilingual. Riverview, as you've said is almost entirely English. I think the difference with Dieppe is that it is quite a bit more bilingual even though it is majority french. As well, Dieppe has a huge commercial and institutional base compared to Riverview. I would guess the cost of becoming a city would just be too high for them.

Also, what would they really gain?
The three communities share policing costs, water utilities, and district planning. if three communities almalgamate, those would probably be the main services that would overlap where they could see savings.

[mylesmalley]

The whole area would benifit from joining up...the "city" population would be over 100,000 which looks better when attracting business and tourism etc. :cheers:


I don't think 'city' size is all that important to most businesses. They're really just arbitrary lines on a map. CMA is a much more accurate approximation of a city size.

Before Toronto almalgamated, it had 1 or two million people. the CMA has over 5 though, and i think that's the number businesses see when they're looking at a market.

[mmmatt]

^ Yeah I agree completely with you on that...CMA is the "real" measure of a city size, or at least the closest thing that exists with our census system. However it does have flaws, for example Moncton not having Shediac in its CMA :koko:

Just because someone drew inaginary lines between the completely continuous urban area that is Moncton/Riverview/Dieppe doesnt mean it isnt one urban area...I just wasnt sure how outsiders would see it, just from looking at stats etc.

[David_99]

Maybe in 25 years it might be possible...but people still have a wierd mentality about this for some reason.

Well I think Dieppe has other issues. After working there, shopping there and having friends there, I found a sort of "seperation attitude" in the air when they became a city. My friends seemed to feel "liberated" from Moncton and don't mind paying much higher property tax because of it. I got attitude at the new Shoppers across from the mall when it first opened when I spoke English. I was like ok, not shopping here anymore. I can't see any way shape or form that Dieppe will ever join Moncton in the future. But that's just me!

[mmmatt]

^ Thats the weird mentality I was referring to...

The fact that these little attitudes persist is beyond me...I think all three of the places are great in thier own way, and they all have something unique to offer.

Anyways haha...

Ill post this link to my photo thread in the USA & CANADA photos section for you guys to check out...perhaps leave a comment if you feel compelled to do so :)

Moncton All Time Favorites (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=160837)

[ErickMontreal]

Well I think Dieppe has other issues. After working there, shopping there and having friends there, I found a sort of "seperation attitude" in the air when they became a city. My friends seemed to feel "liberated" from Moncton and don't mind paying much higher property tax because of it. I got attitude at the new Shoppers across from the mall when it first opened when I spoke English. I was like ok, not shopping here anymore. I can't see any way shape or form that Dieppe will ever join Moncton in the future. But that's just me!

Well, a Acadien will get the same attitude if he goes to Riverview in speaking french...

[MonctonRad]

Well, a Acadien will get the same attitude if he goes to Riverview in speaking french...

The language debate has happily avoided this thread in the past. Lets hope the spirit of mutual coexistence continues into the future.

Some issues are just beyond any form of resolution. This is one of them.

[MonctonRad]

Well, a Acadien will get the same attitude if he goes to Riverview in speaking french...

Dieppe is on one extreme of this debate (80% francophone)

Riverview is at the other extreme (95% anglophone)

Moncton is stuck as the "monkey in the middle".

Gee, I wonder if that's why one of Moncton's nicknames is "Monkeytown". :haha:

[ErickMontreal]

The language debate has happily avoided this thread in the past. Lets hope the spirit of mutual coexistence continues into the future.

Some issues are just beyond any form of resolution. This is one of them.

Since we have started this thread in 2006 this debate has been avoided and I do not see why that would change. I just wanted to respond to him.

Moreover, as a outsider, I won't be involved in that debate by any means as at the end of the day this is not my debate.

However, I have to say as the Acadiens are, for the most part, fully bilingual and therefore, they are quite able to deal with everybody in both languages wherever you go in the city.

[Dmajackson]

^^Well being from an amalagated city I think its great! Just one thing I would defenitely be cautious about is the boundaries of the RM. HRM's is way too big (same size as PEI).

Of course you guys do have the language issue but well i can't say anything about that. Halifax's second biggest language is Arabic aparently.

I do have one question. What are the rough populations of Riverview, Moncton and Dieppe. The last I heard it was around 120'000 but i think that might be an older number.

[MonctonRad]

^^Well being from an amalagated city I think its great! Just one thing I would defenitely be cautious about is the boundaries of the RM. HRM's is way too big (same size as PEI).

Of course you guys do have the language issue but well i can't say anything about that. Halifax's second biggest language is Arabic aparently.

I do have one question. What are the rough populations of Riverview, Moncton and Dieppe. The last I heard it was around 120'000 but i think that might be an older number.

I would be in favour of metropolitan amalgamation in Moncton as well but I think that this would be a linguistic and cultural impossibility. That being said however, the tricommunities do tend to cooperate reasonably well on most issues so the present situation is not intolerable.

I agree, HRM is way too large. The deep south enders of the penninsula (the known world ends north of Quinpool Road) have absolutely nothing in common with the fisher people of Ecum Seecum. I think this makes your council unwealdy and unable to achieve consensus.

Halifax amalgamation should have been limited to Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford and Sackville. Halifax County should have been left alone.

The 2008 populations (estimate) up here in the Moncton Googleplex are roughly as follows:
Moncton - 68,000
Dieppe - 19,000
Riverview - 18,000
Moncton CMA - 131,000

[mylesmalley]

^^Well being from an amalagated city I think its great! Just one thing I would defenitely be cautious about is the boundaries of the RM. HRM's is way too big (same size as PEI).

Of course you guys do have the language issue but well i can't say anything about that. Halifax's second biggest language is Arabic aparently.

I do have one question. What are the rough populations of Riverview, Moncton and Dieppe. The last I heard it was around 120'000 but i think that might be an older number.

All numbers from 2006:

Moncton (City) : 64,128
Riverview (Town) : 17,832
Dieppe (City) : 18,565

Moncton (Census Metropolitan Area) : 126,424

Assuming the GMA continues growing at 6.5%, that will mean a 2011 population of just over 134,000. We had quite a discussion about population estimates a couple hundred posts ago. My best estimate is anywhere between 128,000 and 130,000 at the moment, and between 132,000 and 137,000 by 2011.


Language numbers from 2006:

Moncton (City)
of the 62,965 respondents, 20,795 were French, 665 spoke both, and 1,775 spoke neither.

Riverview (Town)
Of 17,605 respondents, 16,015 were English, 1,285 were French, 50 were both, and 255 spoke neither.

Dieppe (City)
of 18,320 who responded, 4,185 spoke English, 13,600 spoke French, 180 spoke both, and 355 spoke neither.

Moncton CMA
of 124,055 respondents, 77,345 were English, 42,925 were French, 1,085 spoke both, and 2,700 spoke neither.

EDIT:
Sorry, those numbers are all from Statcan (as if that wasn't obvious :p)

[bam63]

So my daughter was in town this weekend and my wife and i thought it would be a good idea to take her out to a restaraunt before going to a movie up at trinity.
First stop Swiss Chalet,we ran into 50 or so people waiting in line.Oh well lets try Montanas same story there waiting time was one hour.Next stop Jungle Jims,but guess what when we get to the parking lot i see at least three people jumping from their cars and running to the door just to find a long waiting line.So it wasn'nt only us running across town like people who must look like haven't eaten in a week.We went back home and ordered take out.

When we get to trinity for the 9:30 movie we find the parking lot full and the scotia bank parking lot also full.Inside you would swear you were in line for an Elton John concert.
This city is CRAZY man,my question in all of this is has anyone ever figured out what the real population of moncton is from thursday thru sunday.Is it just me but i can see the difference in traffic starting on thursdays on my way home from work.
Obviously someone's doing the math and knows that moncton can handle much more retail and hotels and even apartment/condo units.I think we are just seeing the beginning of what could be an explosion of growth a few years down the road.
I'M OUT OF BREATH!

[mylesmalley]

So my daughter was in town this weekend and my wife and i thought it would be a good idea to take her out to a restaraunt before going to a movie up at trinity.
First stop Swiss Chalet,we ran into 50 or so people waiting in line.Oh well lets try Montanas same story there waiting time was one hour.Next stop Jungle Jims,but guess what when we get to the parking lot i see at least three people jumping from their cars and running to the door just to find a long waiting line.So it wasn'nt only us running across town like people who must look like haven't eaten in a week.We went back home and ordered take out.

When we get to trinity for the 9:30 movie we find the parking lot full and the scotia bank parking lot also full.Inside you would swear you were in line for an Elton John concert.
This city is CRAZY man,my question in all of this is has anyone ever figured out what the real population of moncton is from thursday thru sunday.Is it just me but i can see the difference in traffic starting on thursdays on my way home from work.
Obviously someone's doing the math and knows that moncton can handle much more retail and hotels and even apartment/condo units.I think we are just seeing the beginning of what could be an explosion of growth a few years down the road.
I'M OUT OF BREATH!

Here's hoping :cheers:

There are three or four thousand hotel rooms in the city. I dont' know about vacancy rates though. That's probably the best indicator you'll find.

[bam63]

I know when i have company come to town for the weekend they stay at my place.I imagine a safe count would be that just as many people stay at friends or relatives as people who do the hotel.Agree?

[mylesmalley]

I know when i have company come to town for the weekend they stay at my place.I imagine a safe count would be that just as many people stay at friends or relatives as people who do the hotel.Agree?

Probably a fair statement. That's probably impossible to quantify though.

[bam63]

All i'm really trying to say is moncton is begining to burst at the seams.Small city but big city busy.

[mylesmalley]

All i'm really trying to say is moncton is begining to burst at the seams.Small city but big city busy.

I hear ya.
I dread the traffic in Dieppe around Christmas.

[MonctonRad]

All i'm really trying to say is moncton is begining to burst at the seams.Small city but big city busy.


This is the thing that a lot of Haligonians just don't seem to get.....Moncton may only have a CMA population of 130,000 but the city is so convenient to so many other people in the central Maritime region that it can behave like a city 2-3 times that size on the weekends and especially towards the holiday seasons.

I have always found that Moncton seems to have a special type of energy and verve not found elsewhere in the Maritimes. Certainly not in my hometown of Charlottetown (very sleepy) or even in Halifax itself (where I lived for 9 years).

I think that the dynamism of Moncton has been noticed on the national stage. This is why we tend to get major retailers setting up here earlier than in other Maritime communities (sometimes even before Halifax). This is all good.

Now, if only we could do something about the traffic situation.....:D

[Aya_Akai]

the city is so convenient to so many other people in the central Maritime region that it can behave like a city 2-3 times that size on the weekends and especially towards the holiday seasons.

I have always found that Moncton seems to have a special type of energy and verve not found elsewhere in the Maritimes.

I think that the dynamism of Moncton has been noticed on the national stage. This is why we tend to get major retailers setting up here earlier than in other Maritime communities (sometimes even before Halifax).

Now, if only we could do something about the traffic situation.....:D

1) Sure Moncton can *seem* like a city bigger than itself on weekends or holidays... don't forget Halifax does all the time, and then WE get an influx of people from all over on weekends and holidays, making US seem larger than we normally are.

2) Halifax has an energy unmatched to anywhere on the planet. I've been to Europe, and many other Canadian cities, and nowhere feels as unique as Halifax.

3) Halifax has more people, therefore will always be leading in the buisness sector, sorry. Burnside Park is about 1/3 the size of the entire central city of Moncton, and it is *just* business, and they are crammed in there, and Burnside is expanding on a weekly basis and there are HUGE additions in the works for the next 2 years that will blow it's current size out of the water.

4) Don't get started on traffic, the best way I can describe Moncton's worst traffic is like Chain Lake Dr. in Bayers Lake park in Halifax on a moderate saturday afternoon. Triple your population, then worry about "traffic." Talk to us again next year when our Tall Ships Festival is going on an our population is estimated at over 1 million for about a week, THEN we are talking traffic issues.

One thing Monctonians always seem to forget is that Moncton is smaller than Halifax, and far less available to real business opportunities. We have the people in Halifax that can support it, our population is growing, and not just from people moving from other parts of the province. Population is here, the reputation is here, and we've got the location.

[riverviewer]

Why would anyone want to be big? I love the Maritimes because we are small! We can get anywhere in town in under 7 minutes (except for the half hour of rush hour when it is best to avoid Dieppe). I hope we are never as crowded as New York, Toronto, or Tokyo. Great places to visit, but I'd never want to live there.

[Wishblade]

Why would anyone want to be big? I love the Maritimes because we are small! We can get anywhere in town in under 7 minutes (except for the half hour of rush hour when it is best to avoid Dieppe). I hope we are never as crowded as New York, Toronto, or Tokyo. Great places to visit, but I'd never want to live there.

I figure if you want small, stay out of the cities. There's plenty of small towns that are near the cities if that's what you desire.

And personally, I'd love to live in a mega city.

[mylesmalley]

1) Sure Moncton can *seem* like a city bigger than itself on weekends or holidays... don't forget Halifax does all the time, and then WE get an influx of people from all over on weekends and holidays, making US seem larger than we normally are.

2) Halifax has an energy unmatched to anywhere on the planet. I've been to Europe, and many other Canadian cities, and nowhere feels as unique as Halifax.

3) Halifax has more people, therefore will always be leading in the buisness sector, sorry. Burnside Park is about 1/3 the size of the entire central city of Moncton, and it is *just* business, and they are crammed in there, and Burnside is expanding on a weekly basis and there are HUGE additions in the works for the next 2 years that will blow it's current size out of the water.

4) Don't get started on traffic, the best way I can describe Moncton's worst traffic is like Chain Lake Dr. in Bayers Lake park in Halifax on a moderate saturday afternoon. Triple your population, then worry about "traffic." Talk to us again next year when our Tall Ships Festival is going on an our population is estimated at over 1 million for about a week, THEN we are talking traffic issues.

One thing Monctonians always seem to forget is that Moncton is smaller than Halifax, and far less available to real business opportunities. We have the people in Halifax that can support it, our population is growing, and not just from people moving from other parts of the province. Population is here, the reputation is here, and we've got the location.

Woah there! Tone down the hyperbole. While I don't dispute Halifax has a good vibe, describing it as unmatched on the planet is just ridiculous.

I sincerely doubt anyone is under the illusion that Moncton is larger than Halifax.

I'm not going to comment on the rest of your points because I agree most of them have some truth to them.

Don't forget though. Just because Halifax is biggest, doesn't mean nobody else matters. There are always other places waiting in the wings.

[mylesmalley]

I figure if you want small, stay out of the cities. There's plenty of small towns that are near the cities if that's what you desire.

And personally, I'd love to live in a mega city.

Absolutely.
Large population doesn't mean crowding and congestion. A well planned city can work extremely well, while a poorly laid out town can be in constant gridlock.

[MonctonRad]

I figure if you want small, stay out of the cities. There's plenty of small towns that are near the cities if that's what you desire.


There is that option here in the Maritimes, more so than in other more populous areas of the world. Communities like Shediac, Sackville, Hillsborough, Petitcodiac and Salisbury are all in a decent commuting distance of Moncton and provide all the comforts of rural or small town living. Even Riverview (pop. 18,000) feels like a small town because of the relative absence of commercial development.

To be able to live in a rural or small town environment and at the same time be only a half hour drive from the centre of the regional city is a particulary Maritime gift. We should relish it while we still can.

[Haliguy]

Yes other parts of the Maritimes matter, but I'm not sure if people Moncton realize this. I have noticed over time that people in Moncton seem to think they are the only ones that are booming and that nothing goes on anywhere else when the truth is that what is going in Moncton is the same as what is going on in Saint John, Halifax Charlottetown, etc.

[MonctonRad]

1) Sure Moncton can *seem* like a city bigger than itself on weekends or holidays... don't forget Halifax does all the time, and then WE get an influx of people from all over on weekends and holidays, making US seem larger than we normally are.

2) Halifax has an energy unmatched to anywhere on the planet. I've been to Europe, and many other Canadian cities, and nowhere feels as unique as Halifax.

3) Halifax has more people, therefore will always be leading in the buisness sector, sorry. Burnside Park is about 1/3 the size of the entire central city of Moncton, and it is *just* business, and they are crammed in there, and Burnside is expanding on a weekly basis and there are HUGE additions in the works for the next 2 years that will blow it's current size out of the water.

4) Don't get started on traffic, the best way I can describe Moncton's worst traffic is like Chain Lake Dr. in Bayers Lake park in Halifax on a moderate saturday afternoon. Triple your population, then worry about "traffic." Talk to us again next year when our Tall Ships Festival is going on an our population is estimated at over 1 million for about a week, THEN we are talking traffic issues.

One thing Monctonians always seem to forget is that Moncton is smaller than Halifax, and far less available to real business opportunities. We have the people in Halifax that can support it, our population is growing, and not just from people moving from other parts of the province. Population is here, the reputation is here, and we've got the location.


Whoa......touched a nerve did we.

When I stated that Moncton has more energy and verve than Halifax, I was perhaps subconsciously referring to the Halifax that I remember (from the 1980's). It could be that dynamism is on the rise in your fair city and certainly, developments such as Dartmouth Crossing are very impressive but I would however be hard pressed to accept your statement that "Halifax has more energy than anywhere else on the planet".

Regardless of your statements re: traffic in Moncton vs. traffic in Halifax, there is no question that the traffic situation here in Moncton has begun to decompensate over the last several years. I made the comment here recently that perhaps the city and province should consider a metropolitan traffic study to look at the situation. I stand by that. The warning signs are there. If nothing is done soon, the situation could become intolerable.

I do take offense to your statement that "Moncton is less available to real business opportunities". That is just not the case. We are open for business and we in fact have three large industrial parks in our city (Moncton, Caledonia and Dieppe). Individually they are smaller than Burnside but if you combined them, with their hundreds of companies and thousands of employees, you would be very impressed. These industrial parks are also all growing. The next time you drive past Moncton on the TCH, cast your eyes towards the right and look at all the development in the Caledonia Park paralleling the highway. None of that was there 3-4 years ago.

You also imply that population growth in Moncton is only from intraprovincial migration. I know as a fact that substantial interprovincial migration also occurs into Moncton. A study several years ago noted that 13% of new city residents came from Nova Scotia and 9% came from Ontario. Other provinces had lesser totals but overall, more than 1/3 of immigrants to the city came from provinces other than NB.

Finally, re: your last statement, Halifax may have the population but Moncton has the location. :D

[Haliguy]

Whoa......touched a nerve did we.

When I stated that Moncton has more energy and verve than Halifax, I was perhaps subconsciously referring to the Halifax that I remember (from the 1980's). It could be that dynamism is on the rise in your fair city and certainly, developments such as Dartmouth Crossing are very impressive but I would however be hard pressed to accept your statement that "Halifax has more energy than anywhere else on the planet".

Regardless of your statements re: traffic in Moncton vs. traffic in Halifax, there is no question that the traffic situation here in Moncton has begun to decompensate over the last several years. I made the comment here recently that perhaps the city and province should consider a metropolitan traffic study to look at the situation. I stand by that. The warning signs are there. If nothing is done soon, the situation could become intolerable.

I do take offense to your statement that "Moncton is less available to real business opportunities". That is just not the case. We are open for business and we in fact have three large industrial parks in our city (Moncton, Caledonia and Dieppe). Individually they are smaller than Burnside but if you combined them, with their hundreds of companies and thousands of employees, you would be very impressed. These industrial parks are also all growing. The next time you drive past Moncton on the TCH, cast your eyes towards the right and look at all the development in the Caledonia Park paralleling the highway. None of that was there 3-4 years ago.

You also imply that population growth in Moncton is only from intraprovincial migration. I know as a fact that substantial interprovincial migration also occurs into Moncton. A study several years ago noted that 13% of new city residents came from Nova Scotia and 9% came from Ontario. Other provinces had lesser totals but overall, more than 1/3 of immigrants to the city came from provinces other than NB.

Finally, re: your last statement, Halifax may have the population but Moncton has the location. :D

Most of Moncton's population growth is coming from the Acadian population moving down from the north. Yes, I'm sure there is in migration from outside the province, but the the precentage is low.

"These industrial parks are also all growing."

Yes and so are most industrial parks around the Maritimes. Burnside is growing in leaps and bounds as well as Bayers lake, Woodside, Bedford, etc.

As far as traffic goes I don't think it is all that bad in Moncton really.

[MonctonRad]

Most of Moncton's population growth is coming from the Acadian population moving down from the north. Yes, I'm sure there is in migration from outside the province, but the the precentage is low.

Population growth in Moncton is not just from unemployed francophones moving down to the city from the Acadian Penninsula. This is a fallacy.

The same study I mentioned above (prepared for the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce) found that 62% of immigrants to the city were anglophone and 38% were francophone. More than 1/3 of immigration was from other provinces. Inmigration from elsewhere in NB is pretty well equal from the north and from the south.

[Haliguy]

Population growth in Moncton is not just from unemployed francophones moving down to the city from the Acadian Penninsula. This is a fallacy.

The same study I mentioned above (prepared for the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce) found that 62% of immigrants to the city were anglophone and 38% were francophone.

Kind of funny that's what the last census indicated was happeing.

[Helladog]

Since we're talking about the Maritimes and how big your city is...

How big is your city???

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v203/Obsceneeyedog/Misc/condisizequeen.jpg

[MonctonRad]

Since we're talking about the Maritimes and how big your city is...

How big is your city???

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v203/Obsceneeyedog/Misc/condisizequeen.jpg


good one!!! :haha: :haha: :haha:

[bam63]

I think all major centers in atlantic canada are holding thier own and are seeing more construction than recent memory.
Part of what i do at work is hire people so i see some of my own stats.Of course most will be local people that apply,but it's surprising the interest from people returning from out west,ontario,and even central nova scotia.My stat is ten percent are out of province.
As far as companies attracted to what cities I consider myself to be very fortunate to work for a large US curtainwall and glass company with completed jobs like comcast in philly,and trump soho in nyc.
We in the maritimes are getting noticed, the major players look at atlantic canada as one,with this company i work for moncton just happened to be the right location to serve the eastern seaboard.

[mylesmalley]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/88/Chile_signs_UN_Charter_1945.jpg
Truce?