The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[jonny golden]

Originally Posted by MonctonGoldenTri

Given that Moncton is at least a decade away from meeting its housing demand, it makes no sense that an 18-storey development wouldn’t be viable, unless the owners are facing financial difficulties. Otherwise, why take on a project of this scale in the first place?

The specific market for this building is very strong according to CMHC.

Central Moncton vacancy rates:
Rental rate $1250 - $1499 0.9%
Rental rate $1500 and over 2.4%

It doesn't appear as though they would have any trouble leasing these units. If the $40 million project slated to start in November is indeed St. Bernard's, we should know what their plans are in the next 3-4 months.

I hope it is, and I hope it stays at 18 floors. It's my most anticipated project in Moncton.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by jonny golden

I hope it is, and I hope it stays at 18 floors. It's my most anticipated project in Moncton.

It isn't the most ambitious project in the pipeline for downtown Moncton, but, in some ways it will be the most impactful for creating a sense of density in the core since it is so close to FiveFive Queen, the city hall complex, the Blue Cross Centre, the Delta Beausejour and the Assumption Place tower.

I also hope it remains at 18 storeys.

[jonny golden]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

It isn't the most ambitious project in the pipeline for downtown Moncton, but, in some ways it will be the most impactful for creating a sense of density in the core since it is so close to FiveFive Queen, the city hall complex, the Blue Cross Centre, the Delta Beausejour and the Assumption Place tower.

I also hope it remains at 18 storeys.

Totally agree MonctonRad. It's the location that does it for me. Not right on Main Street, but in that core downtown area.

Another file that interests me, although we're likely a few years away, is the RCMP station. They've got to be getting close to vacating it and moving to their new digs. The current building is in a very prominent location would be a prime development opportunity. I hope it doesn't sit vacant for years. Do you know if the city owns the existing RCMP building?

[Riberview]

Yes they do.

[jonny golden]

Originally Posted by Riberview

Yes they do.

Hopefully that bodes well for the property being developed. City owned "surplus" property that they'd want to unload, conditional on development. Better for the city if it were to be a major development, generating tax revenue.

[new kid in town]

Since NB has been able to negotiate for an increased max on immigration this year (4,250 instead of 1,500), will Moncton attract most of them?

Should it? On the one hand it would continue to drive the construction and development of more apartments and housing, but on the other, our services are also strained.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by new kid in town

Since NB has been able to negotiate for an increased max on immigration this year (4,250 instead of 1,500), will Moncton attract most of them?

Should it? On the one hand it would continue to drive the construction and development of more apartments and housing, but on the other, our services are also strained.

Since Moncton is the principle growth node in the province, I would assume close to 2,000 of these new immigrants would come to Monctn.

Immigration is important as a stimulus to the economy. It helps to drive new construction, and demand for additional services (health & education), which in trun causes additional growth. It is a virtuous circle.

Of course growth has to be managed. You can't outstrip the housing situation or community services. Iy is a balancing act.

Still, it is immigrants who staff the entry level job positions in the city. Out population is rapidly aging. We need workers.

[MonctonRad]

Moncton doing away with hundreds of parking meters, moving to digital system
30 new payment stations will still allow cash payment
Shane Magee · CBC News · Posted: Jun 17, 2025 6:00 AM ADT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/moncton-parking-meters-changes-1.7562586

Moncton is getting rid of parking meters in favour of a mostly digital payment and enforcement system.

Councillors voted unanimously Monday in favour of a five-year, $1.4-million contract with HotSpot Parking Inc. for the switch.

The new system, similar to one in place in Saint John and Halifax, will rely on payment through the HotSpot phone app, a website, or through 30 new payment kiosks

— apps.

As a senior citizen who is becoming increasingly technologically challenged, I will withhold judgement on this new "system,"

My own preferred payment option is a person sitting in a kiosk. Are there even Commissionaires any more???

But, I suppose things change. I gather the upcoming year will be the last year for physical tickets for Wildcats games. After that the only option will be Ticketmaster.

Having a cellphone is becoming a human right. You can't navigate modern society without one. What if you are too poor to own one, or have physical or intellectual impairments which preclude their use? Have the tech nerds thought about that???

[Monctoncore]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Moncton doing away with hundreds of parking meters, moving to digital system
30 new payment stations will still allow cash payment
Shane Magee · CBC News · Posted: Jun 17, 2025 6:00 AM ADT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/moncton-parking-meters-changes-1.7562586



— apps.

As a senior citizen who is becoming increasingly technologically challenged, I will withhold judgement on this new "system,"

My own preferred payment option is a person sitting in a kiosk. Are there even Commissionaires any more???

But, I suppose things change. I gather the upcoming year will be the last year for physical tickets for Wildcats games. After that the only option will be Ticketmaster.

Having a cellphone is becoming a human right. You can't navigate modern society without one. What if you are too poor to own one, or have physical or intellectual impairments which preclude their use? Have the tech nerds thought about that???

I think that’s what the last part is for, the Payment kiosks, you go, tap your card, put in cash etc, it gives you a ticket which you then either leave in your car or take with you. I assume the hotspot will only be for metered parking. Which again I agree, even as a younger person is annoying.

[habs33]

Also mentioned at council yesterday was:

-Approved the purchase of land required for the Worthington Avenue extension
Was this known already?

-Council also approved a tentative subdivision agreement for a development off Elmwood Drive. Could this be for the Eastgate subdivision?

Here's full council meeting: https://bit.ly/4dieiGp

[adamuptownsj]

I'm sorry, who can afford a car but not a cell phone? It's not 2005 anymore. Homeless people usually own cell phones.

After working at a liquor store in the mid 2010s, my views on seniors and technology hardened a lot. You'd see seventy-year-olds who didn't know how to use debit cards... which were common when they were 50! These aren't the children of the Great Depression anymore. Seniors are baby boomers. My parents are both approaching 70 and navigate technology just fine after a couple tries.

HotSpot is about as simple of an app as you can get. You type in a 4 digit number. You pick your time. You click pay. You can extend your time or refund early with another click. It tells you when you're close to expiring. You don't have to interact with QR codes, connect social media, etc.

Meter maids collecting bags of quarters probably loses money. Paying someone to sit in a kiosk waiting to collect three bucks a car DEFINITELY loses money. If parking is a cost centre, why even have paid parking?

[Patapouf26]

A very interesting partnership between l'Université de Moncton and a French 3D design software corporation. They'll be recreating a 1,000 km2 digital area of SE NB and be able to simulate various development scenarios mostly around Dieppe and Moncton. It's a great idea for the region as it develops, seeking sustainable data-driven planning tools.

Source : Financial Post

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

I'm sorry, who can afford a car but not a cell phone? It's not 2005 anymore. Homeless people usually own cell phones.

After working at a liquor store in the mid 2010s, my views on seniors and technology hardened a lot. You'd see seventy-year-olds who didn't know how to use debit cards... which were common when they were 50! These aren't the children of the Great Depression anymore. Seniors are baby boomers. My parents are both approaching 70 and navigate technology just fine after a couple tries.

HotSpot is about as simple of an app as you can get. You type in a 4 digit number. You pick your time. You click pay. You can extend your time or refund early with another click. It tells you when you're close to expiring. You don't have to interact with QR codes, connect social media, etc.

Meter maids collecting bags of quarters probably loses money. Paying someone to sit in a kiosk waiting to collect three bucks a car DEFINITELY loses money. If parking is a cost centre, why even have paid parking?

Well, as a diagnostic radiologist, I am hardly a technophobe.

My mammography work station consists of three linked PCs and a grand total of nine monitors. I am adept at CT, MRI, nuclear medicine (including SPECT/CT) as well as ultrasound and general radiography. Several of these are multiplanar imaging modalities requiring sophisticated imaging manipulation and 3D analysis. Imaging interpretation requires detailed anatomic knowledge and familiarity with broad ranging pathological analysis.

Even despite this, apps can sometimes be frustrating, until you get used to them. I am often pissed off when, after a number of years, you get really good at using a particular piece of software, and some IT minion comes along and decides to change things up and get a new vendor for no good reason. Then you have to learn the interface all over again, and this really screws up productivity.

In some ways I have become a Luddite.

[Taeolas]

Freddy's been using HotSpot for years now, and seems to work well enough. If you don't have a phone (or your phone is dead or has no data), they make sure to have kiosks handy you can register at, especially for the parking lots/parking garages.

We do still have meters on the streets, but usually there's a kiosk available nearby to service a bunch of the meters too. I suspect the city may be toying with the idea of ultimately taking out the last meters and leaving the kiosks.

[Nashe]

I love Hotspot app in places it's used. Just put in your plate #, your spot # and pay for how long you want. Can even remotely top it up, if the location allows it (I think it should allow for more than 2h, for sure)

[darkharbour]

Originally Posted by Nashe

I love Hotspot app in places it's used. Just put in your plate #, your spot # and pay for how long you want. Can even remotely top it up, if the location allows it (I think it should allow for more than 2h, for sure)

Yeah usually the number for any given spot tells the app whether there are time restrictions on it or not, so if it is a 1 or 2-hour zone you cannot extend the parking beyond that limit, whereas if it is a parking lot or spot that allows all-day parking, you can go as far as you want with the number of hours.

The system works great, and I love that with the same app I can park here in SJ, or when I'm in Fredericton, Halifax, etc. I just wish the developer optimised the app a little better, it can be painfully slow even on a new phone sometimes, I'll often be all the way down the block walking to my destination while it's still processing my parking.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Nashe

I love Hotspot app in places it's used. Just put in your plate #, your spot # and pay for how long you want. Can even remotely top it up, if the location allows it (I think it should allow for more than 2h, for sure)

No offence BTW regarding my "IT minion" comment. I truly appreciate the IT people we have here in medical imaging. My frustration is directed more towards "change for changes sake", and replacing perfectly functional software with an even shinier version with a steep learning curve which slows productivity and creates confusion amongst the users.

[Nashe]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

No offence BTW regarding my "IT minion" comment. I truly appreciate the IT people we have here in medical imaging. My frustration is directed more towards "change for changes sake", and replacing perfectly functional software with an even shinier version with a steep learning curve which slows productivity and creates confusion amongst the users.

None taken! You'd be surprised how many IT folks (esp in govco) are of a similar "if it ain't broke, don't fix it..." mentality. Esp given, since like the rest there aren't technically enough of us to work on the projects we've been given.

A lot of times the factors that go into why a system is swapped out is less about "shiny, new" and more about "old one is now end of support" or "company went bankrupt" or "glaring security loopholes we can't plug" or "company realizes how niche they are and has jacked their maintenance fees by 5x"... We don't like changing stuff out for those reasons either, but unfortunately we have to.

I've literally seen systems that took 18 months to RFP, purchase and implement then have to be ripped out in less than 2 years because the RFP winner (usually cheapest) went belly-up and now we're stranded without fixes/support.

[Antigonish]

Originally Posted by Patapouf26

A very interesting partnership between l'Université de Moncton and a French 3D design software corporation. They'll be recreating a 1,000 km2 digital area of SE NB and be able to simulate various development scenarios mostly around Dieppe and Moncton. It's a great idea for the region as it develops, seeking sustainable data-driven planning tools.

Source : Financial Post

Would like to see what this looks like (if they ever release it?) - is 3DEXPERIENCE similar to solidworks?

[Riberview]

The switch to a more centralized parking station system rather than parking meters, could have something to do with the Bylaw officers continuously finding the parking meter tops smashed to pieces in the woods..