The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[theshark]

I don't know what the city will do to calm traffic but something will need to be worked out quickly before that new high school opens. Otherwise that is just a disaster waiting to happen!

sprawling and the installation of un co-ordinated traffic lights at every new cross street should do the trick! :haha:

[MonctonRad]

from today's T&T

New commercial venture planned for Riverview
Published Friday December 16th, 2011

DocBraces to open new office; Cordova Realty looking for other tenants for professional building
By Eric Lewis
Times & Transcript Staff

The first business to open in a new professional building set to open in Riverview has been named.

Cordova Realty is now advertising space for lease in a planned building on Gunningsville Boulevard.

DocBraces, an orthodontic clinic, will open an office in the building, near the Riverview Toboggan Hill.

John McManaman, who operates both DocBraces and Cordova Realty, confirmed the news yesterday.

"I think a professional arts building would be an asset (in Riverview) and there is a need for it," McManaman said. He said that consistent residential growth and recent commercial successes, such as a new Canadian Tire and planned Kent Building Supplies, make it a good time for development in the town.

McManaman said the professional arts building will likely take the same shape as his building on Mapleton Road, with retail outlets on the first floor and professional offices on the second. DocBraces' main office is in that building, along with a Cora's Restaurant.

While DocBraces is one tenant, McManaman said he has spoken to others in the health field that may be interested in operating out of the building.

Cordova Realty owns six acres of land on Gunningsville Boulevard. While the professional arts building will sit on part of that land, McManaman said the company might be willing to sell or lease other portions. He suggested a drive-thru coffee shop or restaurant could find success in the area.

McManaman said he hopes to have the professional building open in about two years. He said in developments such as this one, it can take up to a year to find tenants and another to build.

[flyer99]

Morning.

Any idea what the construction is in Moncton behind the YMCA on Flanders Court? It's sure been busy with ground work the past week.

I found out yesterday that this is to be a private college. I'm not sure who the owner is, but one source said Outlon's. I have no info other than it will be open in 2012.

[q12]

I posted this in Halifax's retail thread, thought you guys might find this interesting.


http://www.thinkretail.ca/blog/page:4

Fossil is seeking to open additional Canadian locations. Markets of interest include Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, Halifax and Moncton. Size required is 1200-1500 sq.ft (minimum frontage of 23.5 ft). Fossil will consider super regional shopping centres and street-front locations.

http://www.fossil.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/HomeView?langId=-1&storeId=12052&catalogId=10052&N=0

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

Thanks for the heads up q12. :tup:

Fossil is pretty high end and would be a good acquisition for Halifax and quite a coup for Moncton.

Good to see Moncton and Halifax being considered along with Toronto and Vancouver. :)

[q12]

:previous:

Thanks for the heads up q12. :tup:

Fossil is pretty high end and would be a good acquisition for Halifax and quite a coup for Moncton.

Good to see Moncton and Halifax being considered along with Toronto and Vancouver. :)

Yeah good point, that actually impressed me as well. I think our region in general is getting more recogintion when it comes to retailers looking to expand nationally.

[nwalbert]

:previous:

Thanks for the heads up q12. :tup:

Fossil is pretty high end

I think you may have your brands mixed up, Fossil makes inexpensive trendy watches. It is not high end in anyway.

Good to see they are coming to the Maritimes however.

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

Yes, well perhaps the key word there is trendy.... :)

I have never paid any attention to the brand, but the only places I have ever seen this retailer are in higher end fashion malls in larger cities (think Yorkdale Mall or Eaton Centre). It's still a good sign that they are showing interest in Moncton and Halifax.

I would presume the Moncton location will be in Champlain Place.

[NBNYer]

:previous:

I would presume the Moncton location will be in Champlain Place.

Is there any vacant space left in Champlain?

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

There are two empty storefronts in Champlain. The mall has also decided to end a rental subsidy program for local retailers so that they can concentrate on dealing with major national chains instead.

I am pretty sure that Champlain Place expects to lure some new major national retailers and thus continue their focus on becoming a regional "fashion mall".

[Lrdevlop]

:previous:
I haven't been to the mall verry recenty but someone told me that Jon Raymond (haircutters) left.

[MonctonRad]

Abridged from today's T&T

City waits for next step (Regarding New Moncton High School)
Published Saturday December 17th, 2011

Moncton city manager says it will proceed with rezoning for school if it makes financial sense
By Aloma Jardine
Times & Transcript Staff

Moncton city manager Jacques Dubé says the rezoning process for the new Moncton High School isn't moving forward at the moment because a rezoning application has yet to be filed.

"We expect an application for the rezoning of the land," he says. "We expect that it will be submitted from the owner of the land for the school and a large residential area. The application hasn't been filed yet, but we have been working with the province and the developer."

The land in question is owned by Romspen Mortgage Investment Corporation, which also owns the Royal Oaks subdivision. Romspen currently has approval to construct more than 800 more units at the site and the application that will cover the school rezoning is also expected to include a request for zoning for even more residential units.

Dubé says they are expecting to get the complete zoning application within the next 10 days.

Because the proposed development is not in an area of the city that is currently serviced by water, sewer or storm sewer lines, Dubé says the application must include a study to see what would be required to bring service to the area.

Dubé says the study must show the development's impact on storm sewers and street infrastructure, among other things, as well as a cost-benefit analysis - i.e. how much it will cost the city to extend the service versus how much it will make off the increased tax base the development will create.

Dubé says the city has a 30-year plan forecasting all capital expenditures and where they will be on debt repayment. When an unexpected project like this comes along, he says they need to figure out how to fit it in the city's long-term plan without impacting other major projects like a downtown events centre or new parks or trails.

The city is not particularly happy with the choice of location for the school in an unserviced area on the outskirts of the city.

The province's decision to build the new Northrop Frye School on an unserviced area on Ryan Road ended up costing the city $13.2 million.

It is entirely possible a cost-benefit analysis will show the costs of extending services to the area won't be outweighed by the financial benefits of the new development.

However, the province has repeatedly assured the city it is ready to step up to the plate to help with the costs.

"Normally a rezoning of this magnitude takes four to six months, but we've been able to lay out a schedule that will make it happen as quickly as humanly possible," Dubé says. "By the last week of March it could be signed, sealed and delivered. We have a project plan with this and we anticipate completing it by the end of March. April 2 would be the absolute outside," if the rezoning application is filed next week.

The process includes a public hearing, which would be held around March 19 if this timeline is followed, before council makes its final decision.

And city council does have the final say.

Dubé says if the province wants to issue a tender in the spring and get work started by early summer, then they are still on track to accommodate that, "as long as the financial and development considerations are in the interest of the community," he says.

personal note - this seems like a pretty sweet deal for Romspen Corp. In return for a promise to renovate and repurpose the old Moncton High School downtown, they have convinced the province to relocate the school out to Royal Oaks and thus automatically multiply the value of their development out there many times over. Romspen already has approval for 800 additional residential units on the site, and it sounds as if the rezoning request will include a provision for hundreds more building lots as well. Also, by siting the school out there, the lands will have to be serviced to municipal standards which will make the whole development even more attractive than it already was as a golf course community. The value of Royal Oaks therefore will have increased by tens of millions of dollars.

The cost? Well, for one thing, the city will have lost it's inner city high school which is a huge issue for a community trying to promote densification of the core. The downtown will become a place only for empty nesters, young people who have not yet started families, bachelors and spinsters! The implications of this cannot be overstated. Another thing is the cost to service the new high school. The article states that the cost to the city to service Northrup Frye School was $13.2M. The new Moncton High School will be even more geographically remote. How much do you want to bet that the cost to the city (and the province) for servicing this development will exceed $20-25M at least.

Ultimately, if Royal Oaks ends up with a couple of thousand residential units, and with the adjacent (large) Pine Tree development, we could eventually be looking at a brand new neighbourhood in the city with at least 10,000 residents. At some point, there will be a clamour for even more services to support this community. For the province, there may be the additional cost of a new K-8 school (or two) in the neighbourhood within the next 10 years or so. How about recreational centres, rinks etc. Surely Elmwood Drive will need to be four laned the whole way into the city. Commercial developments will follow requiring new signalized intersections etc. This all costs money.....

This is a pro-development forum, but not all development is necessarily good news. The city is growing and needs new places for people to live but building a non-contiguous residential community several km beyond the Trans Canada Highway is probably not the best way to go about it. There is lots of land to the south of the TCH, especially in the "Vision Lands" area that should be developed first. This would be cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

In the long run, it might actually have been cheaper for the province to do a wholesale preservation of Moncton High School in it's current location to keep it as a functioning educational institution and to maintain it's character! This whole exercise has very serious implications for the city and we are being rushed along by the province to approve all this without having a chance to seriously debate the issue! :hell:

[MonctonRad]

And on a slightly less contentious note, I dropped into the McBun's Bakery location at Valhalla Place this morning and noticed that they are starting renovations on the old Royal Bank building in the corner of the parking lot. I asked the counterperson at McBun's what was going on, and she said that the workers at the site told her that the building is going to become a new Subway restaurant for northwest Moncton.

The changes along that short stretch of Mountain Road between Valhalla Place and Gorge Road this year have been nothing short of transformative for the entire neighbourhood. :tup:

[ballain]

I did a little Video Showing the differant constructions around the city, now I probebly missed some but alot are there, Also video is in 1080P if you click the link to watch on youtube.

Thank you

Oh and Great forum, I have been following for a while however never posted

Enjoy :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpa6VO7_B_k

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

Good job ballain and welcome to the forum. :tup:

You did miss a few things, like the major construction projects in the Caledonia Industrial Park and anything going on in Riverview (eg Bella Casa 2), but these are merely observations, not criticisms. :)

One correction, the "coffee shop" on Mountain Road is actually a lube shop under construction.

Looking forward to your future contributions.

[NBNYer]

I did a little Video Showing the differant constructions around the city, now I probebly missed some but alot are there, Also video is in 1080P if you click the link to watch on youtube.

Thank you

Oh and Great forum, I have been following for a while however never posted

Enjoy :)



Wait...there's a Gauvin Estate building 2 already under construction??? Gauvin is gonna be unrecognizable from just a couple years ago. :yes:

Also, any idea what's going on next to Ernst & Young?

[pierremoncton]

Wait...there's a Gauvin Estate building 2 already under construction???

That's what I was thinking too -- I thought it was only meant to be one building, but I just found this:

http://i.imgur.com/H7iNH.png

http://i.imgur.com/MUEw1.png

Source:
http://www.youronlineagents.com/cweast/custom_WebPage_Files/file/Domain%20Gauvin%20Estates%20Cut%20Sheet.pdf

Rent: $1,175-1,275. Obviously not worried about the economy here...

[mylesmalley]

I knew they were digging something next to Gauvin estates when they build the first one, but I just assumed they were getting that out of the way all at once. I haven't gone by that way during the daylight in a couple of weeks...maybe they have started part 2 already? I was told by someone at the city of Dieppe that there will be three towers in the end.

[mylesmalley]

Haha beat me to it!

[MonctonRad]

http://i.imgur.com/H7iNH.png

:previous:

Holy crap!!! :eek:

It's just amazing the number of large apartment developments either under construction or in the planning phase right now in the metro Moncton area.

- Gauvin Estates phases 1, 2, & 3
- Bella Casa 1 & 2
- Valmond Robichaud's two projects on East Main Street & also on Dominion Street
- Killam Properties proposal for a seven storey complex at St. George & Archibald.
- probable apartment complex at Wesley Memorial site on St. George.
- Sira Properties plan for two 100 unit buildings near Wheeler Park on Plaza Blvd.
- large apt/condo complex under construction at Mountain Woods Golf Course.

and this list doesn't include the many smaller apartment buildings also under construction at the present time. This construction activity certainly wouldn't be happening if there wasn't ongoing healthy in-migration to the metro area. :tup:

[ballain]

There has also been word that a New Fire Station is to be build at the corner of Dieppe Blvd and Melanson Rd. No word on completion date however.

[NBNYer]

Moncton city council nixes fluoride in water


CBC News Posted: Dec 20, 2011 4:57 AM AT


Moncton is joining a growing list of Canadian cities that are getting rid of fluoride in their drinking water which is added to reduce tooth decay.

City councillors voted 7 to 4 Monday night to stop the practice of adding fluoride to the city’s tap water.

Coun. Paul Pellerin said that as dental care improves, there are better ways of providing fluoride to people than putting it in the drinking water supply.

"There are many municipalities that have no fluoride in their water and, to my knowledge, there are no major issues," Pellerin said.

Coun. Steven Boyce agreed.

"If they want fluoride that badly, they can run to the pharmacy and buy a toothpaste that has fluoride in it," he said.

Coun. Brian Hicks, who also voted to eliminate the chemical, said there are already too many chemicals in our food and the environment.

"How many times do we see recalls of medicines that once were considered safe, and as research testing developed became known as harmful to our bodies and do we really know how all the chemicals and medications we digest interact with one another," he said.

But those councillors in favour of keeping fluoride said that every health and dental association in North America recommends adding fluoride to the drinking water because it is safe and effective.

Coun. Merrill Henderson said public health officials will be appalled at Moncton's decision.

“I was approached by a retired medical doctor who asked me if Moncton city council were thinking about joining The Flat Earth Society,” he said.

The city will begin phasing out fluoride immediately.

source:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/12/19/nb-moncton-fluoride-drinking-water.html

I was very disappointed to see Moncton City council fall victim to the fear mongering of the "Evil Fluoride" that first emanated from the US and is now spreading throughout Canada. This move is irresponsible and scientifically unfounded.

Yes, it is possible to find some studies that show little to no benefit to fluoridated water, however, an overwhelming amount of data collected over decades of use has in fact shown significant benefit. I'm not a pediatric dentist or public health specialist, but I do know several researchers in this field as well as prominent pedodontists and there is no debate over this within the community. It is in fact considered by many to be one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century, up there with the Salk vaccine.

To have all this data and scientifically founded conclusions attained from decades of peer-reviewed studies just thrown out the window because it was challenged by councillors that "feel" like there are "too many chemicals nowadays" is an embarrassment. :hell:

Councillor, can you explain to me what you consider to be "a chemical"? Do they know that fluoride is naturally occurring in drinking water is several areas. That last quote in the article by the retired MD is very relevant here. They are making decisions that will impact children's health without any knowledge on the topic. Sorry, this is the end of my rant, I just needed to vent a bit. Thoughts?

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

Yet another example of how stupid decisions can be made by uninformed politicians and bureaucrats when it is obvious that such decisions should be made by professionals and experts in the field.

I agree with you about fluoridation. What are they worried about, fluorosis?!? Don't they know how rare and unusual that would be?!? Give me a break.....

All I know is that all three of my kids grew up in Moncton and dental caries have never been an issue for them - and this is not because they spend a lot of time brushing their teeth. This is a paradigm shift compared to the way things were like when I was growing up in Charlottetown in the 1960's.

I think the dentists in Moncton will soon be a lot busier with their drills than they have been in the past... :shrug:

[mylesmalley]

What's next? 'Intelligent' design in schools? Why don't we stop putting iodine in salt! I hear vaccines cause autism, too!!!

[curious]

I am glad they are coming to the Maritimes lets hope it is Moncton. And no insult intended but they are great watches and I don't think $169.00 is a cheap watch!

I think you may have your brands mixed up, Fossil makes inexpensive trendy watches. It is not high end in anyway.

Good to see they are coming to the Maritimes however.

[Mattyyy]

What's next? 'Intelligent' design in schools? Why don't we stop putting iodine in salt! I hear vaccines cause autism, too!!!

There's absolutely no logic as to what you're trying to say. By comparing water fluoridation to vaccines and autism you're simply on a slippery slope. If you don't agree with removing fluoride, then at least try to respond with a somewhat intelligent argument and provide your proof. As for autism, who are you to say that vaccines may not be partially to blame? I'm sure there's a multitude of environmental factors that may be responsible, however, my point is that unless we have proof, perhaps we shouldn't be dead set in our theories?

As for the removal of fluoride from our water supply, I fully support the 5 year trial. How can we possibly say this is a stupid decision? Yes, over the past 50 years dental health has improved, but access to dental care has also improved and people simply take better care of their teeth than they did 50 years ago. People are not going to get cavities simply because our water system is not fluoridated, but because they don't maintain a healthy diet or brush their teeth on a regular basis. Moncton is not the first municipality to remove fluoride from its water system, and so far, the results have been very positive from those who have.

In regards to the Doctor's comments on a "flat Earth", it just goes to show how closed minded and ignorant some health professionals can be. I'm sure he's the type of doctor who rolls his eyes when you suggest visiting a Chiropractor for back pain instead of pain killers, or seeing a Naturopath for a cure instead of taking potentially damaging medication. We need less medical professionals like this, and more with an open mind.

I used to enjoy reading the posts on this forum, however your content lately is getting a bit too political and closed-minded for my enjoyment. On the up side, I'm going to thoroughly enjoy my fluoride-free drinking water and not worry about cavities as I'm not lazy and will brush regularly! :notacrook:

[mylesmalley]

I guess there's one in every crowd. Being 'open minded' is becoming a catch-all term for being anti-science. I'm not going to bother pointing out where your post is incorrect because I wouldn't know where to start. And honestly, I doubt you'd care.

You are right about my comment being too political for this type of forum though. I'll even grant that it was inflammatory. That said, this board is about urban issues and development and it has been going back since it was first created in 2006. Public health 'initiatives' like removing fluoride invariably have a disproportionate effect on cities because of the concentration of people.

[NBNYer]

I'm sure he's the type of doctor who rolls his eyes when you suggest visiting a Chiropractor for back pain instead of pain killers, or seeing a Naturopath for a cure instead of taking potentially damaging medication.

:rolleyes:

My first post was not meant to be political or inflammatory, I'm sorry if it was perceived that way. Since it was in the news and is an issue that other metro areas in the country are facing, and I happen to know a lot about it, I though I would bring it up. Science does not have an agenda, other than to uncover the truth. Sometimes it's inconvenient or may appear down right counterintuitive at first glance. I'm not going to pick apart your post, because like Myles said, I wouldn't know where to start and frankly don't really feel the need to do so.


People are not going to get cavities simply because our water system is not fluoridated, but because they don't maintain a healthy diet or brush their teeth on a regular basis.

On the up side, I'm going to thoroughly enjoy my fluoride-free drinking water and not worry about cavities as I'm not lazy and will brush regularly! :notacrook:

I did however feel the need to make this one and only point based on the previous quotes: laziness does not equate to caries. Yes, bad oral hygiene is an important factor, but caries development is far more complex and involves microbiological, genetic and host response factors for which the patient is not always to blame. You should not propagate this misconception. (among many others bought forth in your post, btw)

sorry I ever brought it up.... back to development rumors and urban issues! :tup:

[pierremoncton]

Lewisville-Shediac: The finish work isn't quite done yet, but I haven't seen crews on site for about 2 weeks, and the change is remarkable. In case some of you don't frequent that area often, there are now 4 through-lanes at the intersection (there used to only be 1 through-lane in each direction) and 2 left-turning lanes from Shediac Rd towards Dieppe. Also, Dieppe-bound turns from southbound Hwy 15 are no longer possible, just like Moncton-bound turns from northbound Hwy 15. Overall, all of these changes help the traffic flow significantly and should do the same with safety at the overpass.

In regards to the bike lanes on Shediac Rd, I have to admit that I don't drive (nor ride) there often, but I don't think they caused any real problems, and we never really heard anything to the contrary. Does anyone here have first-hand experience to share?

[mylesmalley]

It wasn't so much that they were going to cause traffic problems. The problem I had with them was that they weren't a good solution to the problem. However as a major thoroughfare, you are going to restrict the flow of traffic when you have slower vehicles that can't be passed anymore.

With all of the construction going on in the East End, traffic on that road is only going to increase. That's a given. It isn't a major pedestrian area though. Instead of removing two lanes of traffic, they could have reconfigured one sidewalk for bike use. I know the city's rationale for not doing that was because of the number of driveways (if I'm remembering correctly), but that problem still exists with the bike lanes as they currently stand.

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

At least Shediac Road hasn't been physically narrowed. Traffic volumes will only increase and at some point in the not too distant future, the city will realize it's folly. It will be easy to paint new lines on the roadway and revert the street back to four lanes. :)

[MonctonRad]

from today's T&T

Made You Blush to open in March
Published Wednesday December 21st, 2011
by alan Cochrane
Times & transcript staff

Made You Blush, a makeup boutique founded in Woodstock nearly six years ago, will open its third New Brunswick location in Moncton's Trinity Drive Power Centre in March 2012. Owner Suzanne DeLong founded the makeup boutique and expanded to Fredericton. Next year will mark the opening of a shop in Saint John as well.

DeLong says she was getting a lot of online orders from Riverview, Moncton and Saint John and so it seemed like the right time to expand. She said the Made You Blush store will be double the size of the Woodstock location with a total of 1,800 square feet with 1,200 square feet of retail space. The Woodstock store is 900 square feet. DeLong said Kelly Trites of Riverview encouraged her to open a shop in Moncton, and will manage the Moncton store. DeLong says she would like to open more franchises in the Maritimes.

personal note - I imagine this must be moving into the old MegaWraps location next to the Empire Theatre. It's the only empty storefront out there I can think of. We already know that Bouclair is pegged to move into the Cleve's location when they relocate to the Mapleton Centre.

[mmmatt]

[COLOR="red"]personal note - I imagine this must be moving into the old MegaWraps location next to the Empire Theatre. It's the only empty storefront out there I can think of. We already know that Bouclair is pegged to move into the Cleve's location when they relocate to the Mapleton Centre.

I always forget about that spot because its like a broom closet in comparison with the other stores haha! Nice to see Trinity go from 99.9% to 100% full nonetheless :P

[JasonL-Moncton]

Anyone know what is going in the new building that is 'rapidly' being erected at the Mapleton Center project?

It's gone up crazy fast... :tup:

[MonctonRad]

Anyone know what is going in the new building that is 'rapidly' being erected at the Mapleton Center project?

It's gone up crazy fast... :tup:

Golf Town & Cleve's Source for Sports....

[JasonL-Moncton]

Golf Town & Cleve's Source for Sports....

Thanks...good I guess...but nothing really that exciting. Interested in some 'new' stuff.

[David_99]

Golf Town & Cleve's Source for Sports....

Is there an opening date listed anywhere for both stores? I know Cleve's originally wanted to open around this time but got delayed. My brother In-Law's been asking me about Golf Town.

[MonctonRad]

Is there an opening date listed anywhere for both stores? I know Cleve's originally wanted to open around this time but got delayed. My brother In-Law's been asking me about Golf Town.

Sorry, no idea, but given the current state of construction I would estimate at least another 10-12 weeks to go. I'm sure Golf Town would like to be open well in advance of the next golfing season.

[theshark]

Question is now, what will replace those two?? I think someone was saying Bouclair for Cleve's but then what will replace Golf Town?

[MonctonRad]

Question is now, what will replace those two?? I think someone was saying Bouclair for Cleve's but then what will replace Golf Town?

Yes, Bouclair for Cleves. Golf Town is new to the market.

[theshark]

Haaaa my mistake, I taught Golf Town was that store on Mountain road. In The strip mall near Loundsbury

[MonctonRad]

We definitely seem to be in the pre-Christmas doldrums as far as development news is concerned... :(

This is not new news but is from the T&T today and includes a photo of the new main entrance to the cinemas:

Dieppe Empire Theatres reopening faces delays
Published Friday December 23rd, 2011

Project now expected to be completed in February
BY Eric Lewis
Times & Transcript Staff

Metro Moncton movie buffs will have to get by with only one set of cinemas for another few months.

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=723419&size=600x0
VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT
Empire Theatres in Dieppe is still undergoing renovations.

The theatre has been under construction since August and was originally scheduled to be reopened by mid-December. Empire Theatres confirmed Thursday that the new target date to reopen the cinemas is February. Empire Theatre's Dieppe location, in the Crystal Palace building on Paul Street, has been undergoing renovations since the summer.

The theatres were originally scheduled to reopen this month, but an Empire official confirmed yesterday that renovations aren't finished just yet.

"The latest 'target' date for our facility to re-open is mid- to late-February," said Dean Leland, vice-president of studio relations and media, in an e-mail.

Leland didn't elaborate on the project or explain what has delayed its opening, but it's common in any construction project for delays to take place due to weather or other issues that may pop up.

The multi-plex cinema in Dieppe is undergoing a complete overhaul.

When it reopens, the theatre, which is located at 499 Paul Street, will boast eight new auditoriums that will feature curved screens, Dolby Digital Surround Sound, stadium-style seating for unobstructed viewing and comfortable, wide, rocker-style seats with lots of leg room.

The auditoriums will also feature DLP Digital Cinema Projection providing crystal clear images, as well as RealD 3D capability in four of the eight auditoriums.

In addition, Empire Theatres Dieppe will feature the chain's proprietary Empire Extra experience in one of its auditoriums.

Extra boasts a custom-designed multi-channel sound system, a massive, wrap-around screen and reserved seating in comfy, high-back, leather-like rockers.

Empire Theatres Dieppe will also include an expansive main lobby including a lounge area and large rooms for community and corporate use.

Ticket prices for Empire Extra have not been announced

[porchmouse]

Thanks for posting this.

I had no idea Empire Extra existed. After researching it a little more I am very excited this is coming our way. I checked a few of the other locations that offer this and in most there is pricing for an Empire Extra 2D Experience and a separate pricing for an Empire Extra 3D Experience. It seems the prices hover anywhere from $12-$15 depending on the region. The reserved seating has me hooked...must be my OCD kicking in. Looking forward to wanting to go back to Crystal Palace to catch a flick.

Cheers,

We definitely seem to be in the pre-Christmas doldrums as far as development news is concerned... :(

This is not new news but is from the T&T today and includes a photo of the new main entrance to the cinemas:

Dieppe Empire Theatres reopening faces delays
Published Friday December 23rd, 2011

Project now expected to be completed in February
BY Eric Lewis
Times & Transcript Staff

Metro Moncton movie buffs will have to get by with only one set of cinemas for another few months.

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=723419&size=600x0
VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT
Empire Theatres in Dieppe is still undergoing renovations.

The theatre has been under construction since August and was originally scheduled to be reopened by mid-December. Empire Theatres confirmed Thursday that the new target date to reopen the cinemas is February. Empire Theatre's Dieppe location, in the Crystal Palace building on Paul Street, has been undergoing renovations since the summer.

The theatres were originally scheduled to reopen this month, but an Empire official confirmed yesterday that renovations aren't finished just yet.

"The latest 'target' date for our facility to re-open is mid- to late-February," said Dean Leland, vice-president of studio relations and media, in an e-mail.

Leland didn't elaborate on the project or explain what has delayed its opening, but it's common in any construction project for delays to take place due to weather or other issues that may pop up.

The multi-plex cinema in Dieppe is undergoing a complete overhaul.

When it reopens, the theatre, which is located at 499 Paul Street, will boast eight new auditoriums that will feature curved screens, Dolby Digital Surround Sound, stadium-style seating for unobstructed viewing and comfortable, wide, rocker-style seats with lots of leg room.

The auditoriums will also feature DLP Digital Cinema Projection providing crystal clear images, as well as RealD 3D capability in four of the eight auditoriums.

In addition, Empire Theatres Dieppe will feature the chain's proprietary Empire Extra experience in one of its auditoriums.

Extra boasts a custom-designed multi-channel sound system, a massive, wrap-around screen and reserved seating in comfy, high-back, leather-like rockers.

Empire Theatres Dieppe will also include an expansive main lobby including a lounge area and large rooms for community and corporate use.

Ticket prices for Empire Extra have not been announced

[mylesmalley]

I agree. It's been quite a while since I actually wanted to go to Crystal Palace to see a movie. I mean, it wasn't bad, but it was certainly showing its age. Interesting to see what this will do to their Trinity location. I expect Crystal Palace will be the hot place to go now.

[MonctonRad]

So, reading between the lines of the Sleuth in the T&T today, there appears to be an interesting rumour afoot.

As previously reported, Champlain Place is now so confident that they can fill the entire mall with upscale national retailers (there is in fact a waiting list to get into the mall), that they have decided to end their "local retailers subsidy".

There may have been the first move provoked by this decision on behalf of the mall.....

The rumour is that Colpitts Mens Wear is going to decamp the mall and return to Main Street, occupying the empty storefront (in the National Bank Building) between Timothy's and the Old Triangle.

The paper states that this might be the first of several moves by local retailers back to downtown......

and on that note, a Merry Christmas to all!! :)

[macas539]

Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas to everyone. I wish you and your families all the best for 2012.

I hope 2012 will be a year full of exciting developments and progress for the city of Moncton!! :)

[mmmatt]

The paper states that this might be the first of several moves by local retailers back to downtown......



Good news on both fronts...more national retailers in the mall...and more stores downtown!

And I will also wish everyone on the board a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year!! :D

[David_99]

The rumour is that Colpitts Mens Wear is going to decamp the mall and return to Main Street, occupying the empty storefront (in the National Bank Building) between Timothy's and the Old Triangle.

The paper states that this might be the first of several moves by local retailers back to downtown......

The old Rogers' store?

CIBC, on the other side of Old Triangle, will also be leaving for their new location in the New Year. I wonder if some other retailers will look at that location. They stand a much better chance of surviving if they can create a "retail area" downtown, as those small sporadic stores don't usually last too long. Especially considering the colder months. It also brings up the old parking issues. If I want to buy some clothes, I'm going to first go somewhere with an easy accessible parking lot, with plans B or C stores nearby, instead of a small, single store in the middle of a city block. With a "retail area", you could make an afternoon/evening of it. Park the car wherever and go for a walk on Main, stopping at a few stores and stay downtown for a bite.

[MonctonRad]

The old Rogers' store?

Yep, that's what "the Sleuth" was implying. :)

CIBC, on the other side of Old Triangle, will also be leaving for their new location in the New Year. I wonder if some other retailers will look at that location. They stand a much better chance of surviving if they can create a "retail area" downtown, as those small sporadic stores don't usually last too long.

Couldn't agree more. This could be a window of opportunity for the downtown. If Champlain is truly going to chase the local retailers out, then they will likely set up shop either downtown or in the new Mapleton Centre. If several of them clustered together near Colpitt's, this could establish a nidus that downtown retail could build upon. A redeveloped CIBC building would be an opportunity. The vacant lot next to the old Transcript building is also rumoured to be redeveloped. I still think there will be a downtown Starbucks within the year.

My New Year's wish is for a more retail friendly core. I think there may be a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Now, if only we could get the events centre built (and a new downtown parking garage)!! :tup:

[macas539]

I can confirm Colpitts Menswear is indeed leaving the mall. I heard this directly from the stores owner,Greg Turner,today. So it's not just rumor. Exciting news for downtown retail!

[mylesmalley]

Merry Christmas, everybody! Stay safe over the holidays!

[pierremoncton]

Not development news, but this might interest some of you: according to Radio-Canada, the next big act in Moncton might be Coldplay.

Le site Atlantic Canada Rocks précise que le concert pourrait avoir lieu le 21 juillet dans le cadre du festival de musique de Magnetic Hill.

Selon ses sources, l'entente serait sur le point d'être finalisée.


Atlantic Canada Rocks states that the concert could happen on July 21. Sources say the agreement is about to be completed.

Source: http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/atlantique/2011/12/26/002-concert-coldplay-moncton.shtml

[mmmatt]

^ Wow!!

That would be sweet!

That would shut up all the people that complain we never get any "current" acts (even though AC/DC had just released a successful album before coming here).

Coldplay have a great history of hits and excellent live shows...and they have just released one of the hottest albums of the year (I have it myself and its fantastic!).

Watch this if you haven't been keeping track of the band as of late:

1G4isv_Fylg

[mylesmalley]

I'd go see Coldplay in a heartbeat. Question is though, could they fill the Hill?

[haligonia]

Good news for Moncton! I also question how many people Coldplay could draw to Magnetic Hill. 20 000 maybe?

[brod3211]

It's cold play , they could attract at least 50,000 plus for sure, they have played to 80,000 - 100,000 easily

[mylesmalley]

I don't doubt that they're hugely successful and that in a big market they could draw huge crowds. My only thought is that the advantage of the 'older' bands like U2, ACDC, etc, is that they're able to draw on a larger following. There are boomers in their 60s who'd see the Stones with their grandkids in their teens who are just as big of fans. Coldplay is really only drawing on fans in their teens to thirties.

[Lrdevlop]

I got a newsletter from Café Cognito (the café that was located in the McSweeney Building before the Tide and Boar market opened) and it was saying that they finally found a new downtown location which is located between Catch 22 and Librairie la Grande Ourse. It's scheduled to open in March. Good news for downtown!

[JHikka]

I don't doubt that they're hugely successful and that in a big market they could draw huge crowds. My only thought is that the advantage of the 'older' bands like U2, ACDC, etc, is that they're able to draw on a larger following. There are boomers in their 60s who'd see the Stones with their grandkids in their teens who are just as big of fans. Coldplay is really only drawing on fans in their teens to thirties.

Agreed completely on this front. I'm afraid if Coldplay are announced most people over 40 would say "who?" and move on. It's unlikely that they would be able to draw the same crowds as previous bands, although there's still a faint possibility. If this summer concert affair goes on for long enough (7-10-15 years) it should begin to develop a sort of cult identity. What I mean by this is that if a prominent artist is featured every summer then the average person should be able to assume that if they're unfamiliar with a band performing that they should still have faith because they're playing Moncton Outdoor, and that all bands who play are of a certain quality or entertainment value. After a while, it changes from becoming a one-off concert to a yearly event. This would be more ideal for a weekend festival and not a single concert, but I believe the same aspects apply.

[BlackYear]

Coldplay would fit nicely at the UM Stadium. Put the stage in one of the end zones, + you have 10,000 permanent seats, + 5000 other end zone seats, + 5000 general admission on the ground. 20,000 sold out tickets would be in line with the rest of their tour.

I'm not a Coldplay fan, therefore I would pass on a Hill concert. However, since I'm walking distance of the stadium, I would go for the curiosity factor.

[MonctonRad]

From the CBC website:


McKesson merging Maritime operations in Moncton
Halifax facility will be closed between January and February
CBC News
Last Updated: Dec 29, 2011 2:21 PM AT

McKesson Canada is crediting Moncton’s central location in the Maritimes for its decision to locate its distribution centre in the city.

McKesson Canada, which distributes pharmaceuticals and products to health-care providers, has distribution centres around the country. The company is closing its Halifax facility and consolidating its Maritime operations in a new centre in Moncton’s Caledonia Industrial Park.

The new Moncton facility will start operating at the end of January. The company’s Halifax centre will be slowly phased out between January and February 2012.

David-Vincent Bone, a communications advisor for the company, said in a written response to questions that the new location will be more efficient.

“We believe it will be more efficient to serve our customers in the Maritimes from a single distribution centre, and based on our review of all possibilities, Moncton appeared to be a convenient central location in the context of our current and future business initiatives,” Bone said in an email.

The company employs 50 people at the Moncton centre. There will be approximately 90 workers at the new facility.

McKesson Canada said it was reviewing its Atlantic Canadian operations when it decided to consolidate its Maritime facilities in Moncton.

The company said the existing Moncton facility was no longer able to meet its needs in terms of space. McKesson examined the different options in Halifax and Moncton and it was eventually decided to move the new facility to New Brunswick.

“McKesson Canada is also looking at different opportunities to meet evolving market demands in New Brunswick, such as repackaging and central fill, which would represent a new vein of pharmaceutical distribution,” Bone said the email.

There will be a few positions transferred to Moncton from Halifax. Bone said the precise number of employees that can transfer has not yet been decided.

“We are committed to treating each impacted employee with great consideration, in accordance with our shared principles of respect and fairness, and we will work closely with them throughout this transition,” he said in the email.

The company says its distribution centres supply 40 per cent of the medicines used in Canada to 6,300 retail pharmacies and 1,350 hospitals, clinics and institutions.

[mylesmalley]

Nice addition to Caledonia. That building is massive!

[mmmatt]

^ indeed it is! Well this is proof that the largest of the buildings U/C in Caledonia will in fact be McKesson :)

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

Interesting that this McKesson facility is directly behind the (equally) massive Matrix (Shoppers Drug Mart) distribution centre. Between these two distribution centres, we must have the pharmaceutical distibution system for the Maritimes cornered here in Moncton! :tup:

[MonctonRad]

Some random observations at the end of 2011.......

- The local exodus from Champlain Place (due to the termination of the local retailers subsidy by the mall) seems to be in full gear. Both Jon Raymond and Boutique Cherie have closed up. They join Colpitts Mens Wear, which has recently announced that it is moving to Main Street between Timothy's and The Old Triangle.

Champlain Place apparently made the decision to end the subsidy because they are confident that they can fill the mall exclusively with higher end national retailers. Indeed, I just happened to be in Colpitts today and asked a salesperson if there was anybody going to move into their space and he said yes there was. He was not at liberty to say who it was, but did state that it would be a "casual men's and women's clothing store". It will be very interesting to see who else is lined up to fill these vacancies.

- The exterior of the Bella Casa 2 at the Moncton Golf & Country Club in Riverview is now complete (although the cladding still has to be applied). It will be identical in stature and appearance to Bella Casa 1.

- They are now starting work on the 4th floor of Valmond Robichaud's apartment building on Dominion Street.

- The new condo building at the Mountain Woods golf community development off of Gorge Road, north of the TCH is now tall enough that you can see it poking above the trees from as far away as the Mountain road/Gorge Road intersection.

The first of the new controversial condo buildings near Harrisville Blvd north of Shediac Road is now under construction.

[mmmatt]

^ Good news on all fronts

in other news, today I was on Harrisville / Dieppe Blvd and noticed a massive lot is being cleared. There were 3 excavators working on the site and there has been a large scale clear-cut done in a very short span of time.

The lot which has been cleared is boxed in red:

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/1206/harrisville.jpg
source: Bing Maps

Could this be the much rumoured Sobeys? A new industrial building? Or simply an expansion of the Impact Auto lot? Who knows...

[mylesmalley]

Hard to say. I thought Crombie owned the lot across from that though.

EDIT:

Actually, based on the city zoning map, it isn't zoned for anything... There's usually an area around highways and where major interchanges are or will be that is left unzoned, but the one on the northwest corner of Harrisville and Rt 15 is significantly larger than you see anywhere else in town.

[MonctonRad]

from today's T&T

Retail growth continues
Published Saturday December 31st, 2011

2011 saw big developments on the retail front in Metro
By James Foster
Times & Transcript Staff

In a region where shopping is akin to entertainment, perhaps the biggest retail news of 2011 involves stores where no one has even spent a dime yet.

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=724874&size=800x0
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT
The new Power Centre on Mapleton Road kicked into high gear again in 2011.

The dormant Mapleton Power Centre project is back on again after falling silent for the past two years.

The approximately $40 million project was poised to be the home of major retailers such as Best Buy and Linens N Things but when the recession struck American retailers particularly hard three years ago, it changed the retail landscape almost over night and big projects like the Power Centre were among the collateral damage.

Moncton's director of commercial and business development was ecstatic when the project was revived this past summer.

"This is a key sector, and retail is part of Moncton's brand for entertainment," Ben Champoux said.

"That particular area is key for growth. We're pleased it's taking off as it is key for our Vision Lands."

The centre is located east of Mapleton Road and north of Wheeler Boulevard, right next to the Trinity Drive shopping district. The so-called Vision Lands is a huge tract of wooded land that is poised to be developed for mixed use, east of Mapleton Road and west of McLaughlin Drive, north of the Power Centre.

Tenants have not yet been publicly named for the new Power Centre, though strong rumours abound. The names of the retailers moving in to the new shopping area are expected to be released soon.

Also in Moncton's northwest end, Target stores are expected to start renovating the existing Zellers location on Mountain Road in 2012.

New retail developments were not restricted to Moncton during the past year, however.

In Dieppe, much of the focus was on the wrap-up of Cadillac Fairview's multi-million-dollar revamp of Champlain Place that gave the venerable shopping centre a modern, snazzy look that extended outside the mall to its cladding, signage and a complete repaving of its parking lot.

But just as this year's new aspects of Moncton's retail sector is not restricted to Mapleton Road, nor is Dieppe's all about the region's largest single-level shopping mecca, with a complete overhaul of the city's Canadian Tire outlet as well as the Pharmasave pharmacy on Acadie Avenue, which is expanding to more than triple its former size, mostly to accommodate medical clinics.

About 25 new businesses set up shop in Dieppe this past year, says Louis Godbout, Dieppe's director of business development, and many of those fall into the health and medical field, including a purveyor of medical wear.

The uptown area of Dieppe is thriving as well, home to many of those new businesses, including a new NB Liquor outlet and several new boutique-style retailers. You can expect a new hardware store to be announced for that area soon, among other developments waiting in the wings.

Godbout notes that a number of franchises want to move to Dieppe, but are struggling to find franchisees.

"It's our biggest problem in this area," he says.

Meanwhile, Riverview's biggest retail news in 2011 involves Kent Building Supplies taking over the expansive former Sobeys location on Coverdale Road.

The new Gunningsville Bridge between Moncton and Riverview has made travelling to Riverview to shop easier than travelling to some better known shopping areas in Moncton and Dieppe, the town's manager of economic development Shane Thomson notes, and in the coming year you'll see that message more often.

"That's something we need to leverage, really," Thomson says.

Site selectors are taking note of Riverview's growing retail mix, for example at Findlay Park and in its downtown, and its growing population. Thomson describes those two factors as nearing the "tipping point," where retailers see the right mix of stores and population growth that factors greatly into where they want to set up shop.

The Metro Moncton region is attractive to retailers as it boasts the kind of demographics they seek: a younger population than the provincial average, higher disposable income, high home-ownership, high employment rates and far higher sales per square foot than the Canadian average, to name but a few.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Personal note - not that much new here, but this article provides a reasonably good summary of the current state of retail development in the city. I posted it mostly because it included a photo of the new Cleves/Golf Town building in the Mapleton Centre. :)

It is interesting to hear that the Dieppe development official has come out and predicted the imminent announcement of a new hardware retailer for the uptown area. There was speculation in our forum earler this year about a Rona Supercentre moving into this part of town. I wonder if this is it?

[Lrdevlop]

From yesterday's T&T

Downtown Moncton centre took steps forward and back
Published Saturday December 31st, 2011

City still determined to make facility happen despite setbacks
D1
BY BRENT MAZEROLLE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF


The dream of a multi-purpose events centre in downtown Moncton took a few baby steps forward and then one really big step backward in 2011.

Nevertheless, the year ended with the City of Moncton, its mayor, and many of its citizens as determined as ever to make the facility happen.

Much of the first part of the year was taken up with City of Moncton staff doing the mounds of paperwork required to apply for funding from Public Private Partnerships Canada, an agency variously known as PPP Canada or P3 Canada. It is a federal Crown corporation created to fund public projects through public-private partnerships.

The application sought the maximum $25 million available in federal funds and required multiple supporting documents including an independent economic impact analysis from Grant Thornton and a business study from Sierra Planning Consultants.

The fact the fund would have only paid for a quarter and not a third of the estimated $100 million centre gave some councillors pause even as they voted to proceed with the application last spring, but city manager Jacques Dubé urged councillors to go ahead with pursuing the money anyway, even if it didn't give council all that it wanted.

He argued at the time that deciding whether or not to take the $25 million and build something with funds from elsewhere was a better position than not having any money at all.

"This keeps our options open because at the moment no other sources of funding exist," Dubé said. He also said staff would be preparing a parallel application for a more traditional three-way Infrastructure Canada arrangement. While there is no program offering that traditional arrangement running right now, "that doesn't mean there won't be another federal program" down the road a bit, the Parliament Hill veteran suggested.

All that might prove handy in the future, because the bad news from Ottawa in November was that P3 Canada wouldn't give Moncton even a dollar toward the project.

The $1.2-billion fund had an overwhelming number of applications for various projects across the country and unable to help all of them, P3 Canada dropped sport and recreational facilities from consideration.

Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc told the Times & Transcript the turn of events is "extremely disappointing," but the city will forge ahead on a project that enjoys overwhelming public support, as well as the support of the area's federal and provincial political leaders of all stripes.

"Now it's time for a made-in-Moncton solution," he said. "I have faith in the people of Moncton, I have faith in our future, and I have faith that we will get this done."

As part of the process, the city provided a procurement plan, a value-for-money and risk analysis, as well as reports from expert consultants IBI Group and the report of a broad-based citizens task force that called for pursuing the project.

They also prepared an internal "projection of how this would affect the city's finances for 30 full years," LeBlanc said. "We had planned to go public with that as soon as we could get the land tied up. The timing of this is ironic because we are really close to securing the preferred site for this project. I'm hoping that we're still going to be able to but I'm concerned word that P3 Canada has turned us down might undermine that."

"We're not going to hang our hat on the feds," he added. "We've been down this road now and hopefully something will come through. But we don't want to go down the same path for another two years only to be told it doesn't work.

"We are going to hit the reset button and we are going to recast this as a true three-P partnership with private companies," LeBlanc said.

"Frankly we've had some investors sniffing around and asking about that kind of thing but we didn't really pursue it because we were in the process with P3 Canada."

[pierremoncton]

Population counts from the 2011 census will be released on Feb 8: http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2011/rt-td/rt-td-eng.cfm

Growth estimates since 2006:

CMAs: http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo05a-eng.htm
Provinces: http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo02a-eng.htm

If these estimates are correct, then the CMA would be just under 140,000 in 2011. Provincial estimates also show a 15k (2%) jump from 2006 to 2007, which I find suspicious.
My feeling is that both of these sets are too high.

My predictions:


Community 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Moncton 56,823 59,313 (+4.4%) 61,046 (+2.9%) 64,128 (+5.0%) 68,950 (+7.5%)
Dieppe 10,463 12,497 (+19.4%) 14,951 (+19.6%) 18,565 (+24.2%) 22,650 (+22.0%)
Riverview 16,270 16,684 (+2.5%) 17,010 (+2.0%) 17,832 (+4.8%) 18,925 (+6.1%)
Tricities 83,556 88,494 (+5.9%) 93,007 (+5.1%) 100,525 (+8.1%) 110,525 (+9.9%)
CA/CMA 107,436 113,495 (+5.6%) 118,678* (+4.6%) 126,424 (+6.5%) 138,400 (+9.5%)
NB 723,900 738,133 (+2.0%) 729,428 (-1.2%) 729,997 (+0.1%) 751,500 (+2.9%)


* The 2001 community profile shows the 2001 count to be 117,727, while the 2006 profile shows the number I used (I assume this is due to adjustments that were made when the CA became a CMA). Using the lower number would mean a 3.7% increase in 1996-2001 and 7.4% in 2001-2006.

Community profiles:

1991-1996:
Moncton CA: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/c1996-r1996/4129976-eng.htm

1996-2001:
Moncton: http://www12.statcan.ca/english/profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=1307022&Geo2=PR&Code2=13&Data=Count&SearchText=moncton&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=
Dieppe: http://www12.statcan.ca/english/Profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=1307045&Geo2=PR&Code2=13&Data=Count&SearchText=dieppe&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=
Riverview: http://www12.statcan.ca/english/Profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=1306020&Geo2=PR&Code2=13&Data=Count&SearchText=riverview&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=
Moncton CA: http://www12.statcan.ca/english/profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CMA&Code1=305__&Geo2=PR&Code2=13&Data=Count&SearchText=moncton&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=

2001-2006:
Moncton: http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=1307022&Geo2=PR&Code2=13&Data=Count&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=
Dieppe: http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=1307045&Geo2=PR&Code2=13&Data=Count&SearchText=dieppe&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=
Riverview: http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=1306020&Geo2=PR&Code2=13&Data=Count&SearchText=riverview&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=
Moncton CMA: http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CMA&Code1=305&Geo2=PR&Code2=13&Data=Count&SearchText=moncton&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=

[MonctonRad]

If these estimates are correct, then the CMA would be just under 140,000 in 2011. Provincial estimates also show a 15k (2%) jump from 2006 to 2007, which I find suspicious.
My feeling is that both of these sets are too high.

Hard to say pierre. There are parts of the CMA (particularly NW Moncton and Dieppe) which have been growing like stink over the last decade. I personally don't think a CMA population of nearly 140,000 would be far off the mark.

Also, the population of the city itself continues to grow, so it is not inconcievable that the City of Moncton could supersede the City of Saint John as the largest municipality in the province in the next census.

I can't wait for the stats to be released in February. The curiosity is killing me.

[NBNYer]

If these estimates are correct, then the CMA would be just under 140,000 in 2011. Provincial estimates also show a 15k (2%) jump from 2006 to 2007, which I find suspicious.
My feeling is that both of these sets are too high.



Out of curiosity, what makes you think the CMA estimates are too high?

I don't know what Statcan's track record is, but if their estimates are accurate, I would expect quite a bit more that 138,000 for the census based only on the following data taken from their website:

Moncton (CMA): (2007:131.0) (2008:132.6) (2009:134.9) (2010:137.3)

[pierremoncton]

Out of curiosity, what makes you think the CMA estimates are too high?

I could be entirely wrong, of course. I'm no statistician. I question the estimates mostly because they show a 2% (15,000 new residents) growth estimate in the provincial population from 2006 to 2007 when official numbers show a decrease of 1.2% from 1996 to 2001 and stagnation until 2006. I know there's a growth in Moncton, but if the provincial numbers are off, then the CMA's might also be. Just speculation.

If you add 1.7% growth (like the previous two years) to the 2010 estimate, then you hit 140k in 2011. I suppose I just find that number surprising. Maybe I stay downtown too much and haven't seen all that's going on in the suburbs.

[NBNYer]

I could be entirely wrong, of course. I'm no statistician. I question the estimates mostly because they show a 2% (15,000 new residents) growth estimate in the provincial population from 2006 to 2007 when official numbers show a decrease of 1.2% from 1996 to 2001 and stagnation until 2006. I know there's a growth in Moncton, but if the provincial numbers are off, then the CMA's might also be. Just speculation.


Good point, as I mentioned in my last post, it all depends on how accurate they were in their estimates and what you just pointed out really makes me wonder.


If you add 1.7% growth (like the previous two years) to the 2010 estimate, then you hit 140k in 2011. I suppose I just find that number surprising. Maybe I stay downtown too much and haven't seen all that's going on in the suburbs.

My family is in Dieppe I don't think there was much of a slowdown in growth the past couple years (if there was it sure wasn't too noticeable) and I would be surprised if they find that.

[JHikka]

My family is in Dieppe I don't think there was much of a slowdown in growth the past couple years (if there was it sure wasn't too noticeable) and I would be surprised if they find that.

I'm sure mylesmalley can elaborate on the growth on Gauvin, among other places. As well, MonctonRad mentioned NW Moncton, which is also seeing considerable growth. I would be surprised if it remained under 140K.

[mylesmalley]

Gauvin is just the start, haha. I just happen to live there, so it's the street I see most often.

It's worth noting that the satellite imagery on Google Maps for Dieppe is from around 2006. Looking at those photos, it's easy see just how much the city has changed in just 5 years. For starters...


downtown wasn't there. City hall was built in 2006, as was Place 1604. he market is new, too
Paul Street has been completely redeveloped
The strip mall with Quiznos and Bulk Barn was built
Both Champlain Place and Crystal Palce have been expanded
There have probably been a dozen large apartment blocks put up along Gauvin alone in that time
Plus the five more going up right now
The eastern half of the Dieppe Industrial Park went from nearly empty to nearly full, including a hotel
Uptown Dieppe didn't exist at all... Dieppe Blvd went as far as the Ernst and Young building
The Dieppe Industrial Park has expanded to the other side of the airport and is starting to fill up. One building there now, one under construction, and quite a bit of interest
Fox Creek Golf Course is new (I believe)
The Dieppe Operations Centre is U/C
The flight college expanded
Literally dozens of new streets and subdivisions...look at the city zoning map to see what I mean
...and there's definitely more


And that's just Dieppe! The changes in Moncton aren't nearly as dramatic because of the scale of things, but there's been just as much or more construction there than in Dieppe. Even Riverview has gotten in on some of the action.

We've had a phenomenal five years in the city. There's no way to know if it will continue or slow down, but I don't think it's at all unreasonable for the city to hit 140,000 this census.

The big thing I'm going to be looking for is where those people are coming from though. It's completely anecdotal, but I've noticed a big increase in the number immigrants and newcomers, especially from Korea. If we have any hope of seeing the region's population continue to grow, we're going to need as much immigration as we can. Sooner or later the flow from the North Shore is going to slow down.

[JHikka]

It's completely anecdotal, but I've noticed a big increase in the number immigrants and newcomers, especially from Korea. If we have any hope of seeing the region's population continue to grow, we're going to need as much immigration as we can. Sooner or later the flow from the North Shore is going to slow down.

Completely agreed with all of this. The number of Koreans is increasing in the Maritimes, particularly in Moncton. They very usually get into business, and then their children attend universities and contribute to society positively. As an example, nearly 75% of the convenience stores in Saint John are owned by Koreans. I'm unsure of the Moncton numbers, but I know there are enough across the country to warrant their own Korean Convenience Store Magazine.

Immigration is going to be absolutely vital in the next few decades, and it's going to be interesting to see which areas/provinces are quicker to the draw.

[MonctonRad]

There are many Korean families who have moved into the Kingswood neighbourhood in the last five years. I think it's a favourite location for them. The city of Moncton is also actively pursuing Vietnamese immigrants as well.

Completely anecdotal I know, but I was at Champlain Place the last weekend before Christmas and was completely struck by the number of Black people in the crowd.

I have mentioned it before, but the Moncton Hospital processes about 450 people per year for immigration chest x-rays. I think the city is holding it's own in the immigration derby.....

[JHikka]

Completely anecdotal I know, but I was at Champlain Place the last weekend before Christmas and was completely struck by the number of Black people in the crowd.

I know that UdeM attracts students from French-speaking countries. Possibly that's the explanation?

Koreans will generally group together as much as they can. They generally create regional groups or associations for information sharing and business. It works well for them, and they usually all know each other. It's pretty remarkable how interconnected they can become in their own respective cities.

[pierremoncton]

CanadaEast's paywall is up. $19.95/mo? I was expecting it to be a few bucks. Bye bye!

[Taeolas]

Ouch. Yup, bye-bye Gleaner. I guess I'm sticking with the CBC.ca now for most of my local feeds; which sucks. Well that and whatever FoxRocks puts on their news feeds.

[MonctonRad]

Well, there you have it.

From now on my posts will be prefaced by "It was reported in the T&T today that....." :(

The news will still get out but accuracy may suffer and there will be fewer photographs. A sad day.

$19.95/mo is way too high. Nobody will subscribe. (This isn't the NY Times or Wall Street Journal). I don't think this will last....

[gehrhardt]

The worst part is that there doesn't seem to be any access for current subscribers of the print version. Yeah, you can have access to both for $16.99/mo, but come on. I pay for the print version, give me access!

I think it's time to cancel my print subscription now too.

[JHikka]

$19.95/mo is way too high. Nobody will subscribe. (This isn't the NY Times or Wall Street Journal). I don't think this will last....

That's insanely high pricing.

[mylesmalley]

I give it a month.

[kirjtc2]

It's ridiculous. I've only come across 2 people who would even consider paying, and I talked to a ton of hardcore news junkies.

Brunswick News has no idea how to handle the internet, and I think it's finally coming back to bite them.

[MonctonRad]

The worst part is that there doesn't seem to be any access for current subscribers of the print version. Yeah, you can have access to both for $16.99/mo, but come on. I pay for the print version, give me access!

I think it's time to cancel my print subscription now too.

If even print subscribers have to pay $16.99/mo, then Brunswick News is really out of line!! :hell:

I think the readership for the new news portal will be measured in the dozens, not the thousands....

Stupid, stupid, stupid.... :koko:

[JHikka]

If even print subscribers have to pay $16.99/mo, then Brunswick News is really out of line!! :hell:

I think the readership for the new news portal will be measured in the dozens, not the thousands....

Stupid, stupid, stupid.... :koko:

Pretty sure those of us in Saint John are already aware of stupid decisions to come out of Brunswick News. Times Globe, anyone? Glad to see us all suffering equally, if anything. :haha:

I'm on board with Myles on this one. Month tops.

[theshark]

wow, even the french section l'etoile, a FREE paper!!! I jump in the Month wagon

[BlackYear]

telegraphjournal.com web portal is doomed. Online advertisers will quickly run away because of the sheer low number of subscribers. No advertisers + no subscribers = shut down.

I fully understand the cost of running an online news portal and I understand they need to make money to survive. However, whomever is in charge of their CanadaEast online division should be replaced.

CanadaEast attempted this pay wall a couple of years ago and it failed. It will fail again just as quickly.

Irving, if you're reading this, please listen to me. I really enjoyed accessing your online content free of charge all of this time. I appreciated that. But sorry, I'm not willing to pay $20 to access 19 newspapers in 2 different languages. I only want access to 1, Times & Transcript in English. That's it! I'd be willing to pay $4.99/month, not a penny more!

End of rant!

[David_99]

I just caught the tail end of a radio commercial where I heard the end of Source for Sports jingle, and someone said "Visit us at our new location at 20 Record Street". That's the old Coop, is it not? Did anyone else here this?

EDIT: Nevermind, just a temporary location...

[alienc]

I just caught the tail end of a radio commercial where I heard the end of Source for Sports jingle, and someone said "Visit us at our new location at 20 Record Street". That's the old Coop, is it not? Did anyone else here this?

EDIT: Nevermind, just a temporary location...

Was over at their current location last night, they were having a moving out sale. The manager was saying they have to be out of that location by January 15th as their lease is up.

Their new location (I believe in the new long-dormant site across from Costco) isn't ready yet so they basically have no choice but to move somewhere else temporarily.

Definitely sucks have to move twice like that but being out of business during that gap in time isn't an option either.

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

I guess that means that Bouclair is really antsy to get started on their renovations so that they can move into Cleve's current space at Wheeler Park.

[JasonL-Moncton]

CanadaEast's paywall is up. $19.95/mo? I was expecting it to be a few bucks. Bye bye!

Ok now that's just silly! So 20 papers for $20 huh...well, ok...how about offering me access to ONE paper for $1.

It shouldn't cost more for the online version over the Print version (should cost less!)...and the print version actually is easier to find things in.

I'm on the 'month' band wagon...this is just a dumb move and an even dumber price point.

JL

[brod3211]

If you know anyone who works for the paper, you may be able to
Get the password and login from them :p ..... That's what I did ..

[macas539]

Brunswick News isn't worth paying $1.00 for in my opinion let alone $20! The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and other major worth reading papers have free online access to recent articles (older archived articles must be purchased). Whoever is in charge at Brunswick News needs to give their head a shake people will simply not pay for news content online when there are numerous free sources out there. I know I won't.

Bye bye Times and Transcript, hello CBC and CTV!

[MonctonRad]

This information was obtained from an unnamed local newspaper publishing in the English language, owned by a family oligopoly and based in southeastern NB.

Moncton Building Permits Big in 2011

The total value of building permits in the City of Moncton for the year 2011 (not the CMA, just the city) was $185M which is the second highest on record. The highest year was 2009, with $218M in permits.

The breakdown is as follows:

- $24M for single family homes
- $25M for duplexes
- $10.5M for multi unit apts & condos
- $90M for commercial & industrial
- $22M for governmental & institutional.

The point was made that growth in the city was quite impressive given the absence of any "signature" developments and the relative dearth of governmental investment.

[pierremoncton]

If even print subscribers have to pay $16.99/mo, then Brunswick News is really out of line!! :hell:

How much is a regular print subscription to the T&T? The wording on the registration page isn't clear to me. It sounds like you have the option of getting all papers online for $19.95, OR one paper, which includes both the print subscription and access to the online version, for $16.95.

[Steelcowboy]

I dropped by the UPS store on Mapleton yesterday and while I was waiting for my papers to be printed, I got talking to one of the guys and asked him what's UPS's plans for this area and he told me that UPS is building a warehouse here in Moncton (I don't know where) and they want to be in full swing by May, their own trucks and airplanes. Has anyone heard anymore about this? I also stopped by the old airport terminal and noticed that the SHELL office has moved from the hangar were Prince Edward Air was to the old terminal...is that building vacant now? is that maybe where UPS might move to? interesting developments anyhow :) I'd love to see more planes at our airport. I am going to miss the 1 727 but, who knows what UPS will bring. What would be neat is if UPS starts a European service from here...on their many planes that fly across the pond, maybe one will stop here :P Having UPS will make it a first as an international cargo company. FedEx planes are owned by Morningstar and leased to Fedex.

:cool: Steelcowboy

[Norshorer]

Hey everyone,

Long time reader, 1st time poster. I've been following these forums over the past few years and finally decided it was time to sign-up. I enjoy reading about new retail stores coming to the GMA & other development news going on around the area.

With the recent paywall activity on Canada East's website, I started looking around for alternatives. While CBC.ca/NB has the occasional news story about Moncton, a better choice would be Rogers News 91.9's website at news919.com

There's a tab for "news' where you can sort local news, world news, etc. Plus you can listen to a live stream of the radio station while you browse through the articles.

Figured I'd post this since I didn't see anyone else talking about it.