The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Thanks

I've been reading the forums for over a year, now. Finally got around to joining them just recently. I take it you're at STU? i'm taking business at UNB.

Cool...Im pretty sure everyone just reads as a guest for a while and finally builds up the courage to join, thats how I did it, and now Im a seasoned member (haha not really)...and hey! let this be a message to all you other guests in this forum...join! we wont bite

yeah Im at STU...taking Criminology.

[mmmatt]

September 18, 2007 - 4:54 am
News 91.9


MONCTON, NB-People will soon be able to travel the Vaughan Harvey Boulevard extension to the Gunningsville Bridge in Moncton.

City Engineer, Jack MacDonald, tells us the road will open to traffic Wednesday, September 26th.

The overall project, that includes the new Gunningsville Bridge, which was completed two years ago, is funded in three equal shares by the municipal, provincial and federal governments.

Meanwhile, the new Sobeys store, to be located at the corner of Vaughan Harvey and Main, is expected to be done before Christmas.

It will replace the one in the Highfield Square Mall, and will include an NB Liquor store that will cause the St. George NB Liquor location to close.

[ErickMontreal]

Welcome MylesMalley!
_______________________________________________________________________

Metro ignored by feds?
Political analysts say federal Tories may be holding back funding announcements until they can be used in an election campaign

HELPBy Kate Wright
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Wednesday September 19th, 2007
Appeared on page A1

OTTAWA - Despite the urgent need for federal funding for a handful of projects in Metro Moncton, political leaders are growing frustrated that the federal government has seemingly ignored their requests for help.

There is a growing list of projects on city council's agenda that require pressing attention from the federal government, including money for a city convention centre and sports stadium, increased customs staff at the Greater Moncton International Airport and funding for the restoration of the Petitcodiac River.

The city's MP said municipalities across the region have become weary of the promises made by the federal government because of the lack of movement on many of these files.

Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe MP Brian Murphy said the area is receiving the "short end of the stick" from the federal Conservatives and the prime minister sees no urgency in being a friend to New Brunswick.

Despite the growing list of projects the federal government claims to have money to spend on, Murphy said Stephen Harper's lack of action speaks volumes.

"They're taking old money and making new announcements and there are a lot of nervous communities in Atlantic Canada," he said. "I would say there are no big electoral gains for him here, so why bother."

One of the major points the federal Tories have touted is an improved, multi-billion dollar infrastructure fund, aimed at giving municipalities a shot at federal funds to get major economic generating projects off the ground.

But Murphy said it remains unclear how much of that fund is old money with a new title.

"They claim this is the largest fund ever, but they better make clear what they're doing for communities because it's not clear right now," he said. "There's a heavy dose of nervousness and shyness in municipalities about saying anything -- it's biting the hand that feeds."

Harper has been careful to limit his promises to the region since taking office in 2006. Some funding, including the recent $400-million highway announcement, was money set aside last year but only announced this summer.

Some government spending programs, such as the gas tax rebate for municipalities, were introduced by previous governments.

The province's political observers say that the federal Tories may be holding back funding announcements in the province until they can use them to transition into an election campaign.

Rick Myers, a political science professor at St. Thomas University, said Harper is likely holding off on putting his cheques in the mail until they have maximum political value. "Momentum is the key word," he said. "He wants to be able to do that in run up to an election, to make these announcements in succession and ideally, you'd want to do that a couple of months before an election is called."

Until there is a better sense of when the next federal election may come, Myers said many projects may end up on hold.

While "election goodies" can be a popular strategy for political leaders, Tamara Small, a political scientist at Mount Allison University, said infrastructure projects may never have been on Harper's radar.

She said the Tories set out their priorities, such as cracking down on crime, cutting the GST and increasing financial assistance to parents; Anything beyond that may have been on the chopping block.

"The Conservatives were clear that everything else in platform, if it wasn't in their five priorities, was up for debate," she said. "Now that Parliament is prorogued and there will be a new throne speech, they won't be apologetic about not doing the other things."

Small said Harper is careful not to dedicate more to provinces than he can deliver on. "You can't say he's the biggest promise breaker in Canadian history," she said. "He keeps promises because he's not promising too much. It gives one level of credibility about who they are and the way they govern, which may not be a bad thing."

[ErickMontreal]

Moncton mayor will not seek re-election

September 20, 2007 - 11:52 am
By: Rebecca Davis, News 91.9 Staff

MONCTON, NB-The mayor of Moncton has announced that he will not be running again for mayor in the next municipal election in May.

Lorne Mitton announced today that he's decided to end his time on the political stage.

Mitton spent 13 years on the Greater Moncton District Planning Commission, 10 years on city council, and more than three of those years as mayor of the city.

He says, after 23 years in service it's time to turn his attention elsewhere.

He says he wants to spend more time with his family, and catch up on long neglected political pursuits.

There are numerous things Mitton says he's proud of from his political career.

He says, to name a few, he's proud of the signed agreement for the kay Community Centre, and the secured funding for a new stadium.

Mayor Mitton says though, there will be no coasting up until the next election.

He says he'll still be in the office everyday, as often the first one there in the morning, and the last one gone at night.

He says his focus will stay on what's best for the city.

[mylesmalley]

I have to say, I'm a bit surprised there hasn't been more buzz around that Assumption announcement. You'd think something so potentially significant would have sparked a little more debate...

[PinballWizard]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

I have to say, I'm a bit surprised there hasn't been more buzz around that Assumption announcement. You'd think something so potentially significant would have sparked a little more debate...

me too

[ErickMontreal]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

I have to say, I'm a bit surprised there hasn't been more buzz around that Assumption announcement. You'd think something so potentially significant would have sparked a little more debate...

Well, I tend to be agree with you, the news has been launched in a french newpaper though. Maybe, they will include the tower project in their courthouse proposal as the government requires 10 % of extra office space outside of courthouse.

At the end of the day, Assumption seem to be the only corporation in Moncton who know the meaning of urbanity and vision as well.

[mmmatt]

Times & Transcript (Moncton)
Sat 22 Sep 2007
Page: A8


The 10th annual Communities in Bloom National Symposium goes into the history books tonight when the awards gala celebrates those communities that best exemplify civic pride, environmental awareness and municipal beautification through community involvement through the challenge of CIB's national program.

And the winners are?

"Of course we won't be releasing anything until the ceremony," teases CIB spokeswoman Ann Carriere.

The more than 200 delegates -- the most ever for a CIB symposium -- had a busy week. This year's theme was Parks and Green Spaces for Healthy Living. Experts spoke on the value of parks and green spaces, the protection of urban forests, the principles of active living, the impact of global warming on green spaces and the direct benefits of green tourism.

It's the first time Metro Moncton has hosted the organization's premiere event, which promotes quality of life and civic pride in communities across the nation.

Local groups and experts played a prominent role in the sessions.

For example, delegates took tours of the Westmorland Albert Solid Waste facilities on Berry Mills Road and to the Greater Moncton Sewerage Commission plant in Riverview.

They also visited the Moncton SportPlex, where sports fields and a four-ice- surface complex was built on a reclaimed, once-contaminated industrial site.

One presentation reviewed the history of the Moncton waterfront from downtown to Hall's Creek and how it was reclaimed by the public thanks to an extensive boardwalk system.

Delegates also were offered an in-depth view of Riverview's proposed Fundy Gateway project, designed to brand the town as the official gateway to the Bay of Fundy tourism zone.

Those are just a sample of the busy week that is now behind them.

Yesterday, the event was capped with a town hall meeting where everyone could share their suggestions with CIB's network of community leaders, volunteers, judges and board members and their partners.

There was also a tree-planting ceremony honouring the 10th national symposium, held with delegates from Winnipeg, the city that hosted the very first such event a decade ago.

A cocktail hour and gala banquet wrapped up the official functions last night.

This morning, next year's hosts, the city of Lethbridge, Alta., hosts a western pancake breakfast at the Delta Hotel Beauséjour, the site of most of the conference. The breakfast is designed to give delegates a taste of what awaits them in 2008.

The national awards ceremony takes place at the Capitol Theatre this afternoon at 4 p.m., ending with a Maritime kitchen party for the delegates at the Moncton Coliseum tonight.

The party has been dubbed a celebration of pride in our communities.

[mmmatt]

Times & Transcript (Moncton)
Fri 21 Sep 2007


There were a lot of doubters at first, and in fact some people still get a quizzical look on their faces when they learn that one of Canada's finest professional ballet companies is based in Moncton.

Those reactions are getting fewer all the time, Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada CEO Susan Chalmers-Gauvin said yesterday during the official opening of their dazzling new quarters at 68 Highfield St., the site of the former YMCA building.

"It was not an easy sell," Chalmers-Gauvin said, recalling her first glimpse of the inside of the building after it had been abandoned for more than two years.

"When we first came through, the pigeons had roosted in the building. It was dark. It was damp. It was dirty. I thought, 'I think I might have made a mistake.'"

Now that new owners Ashford Investments have finished the building's transformation, there is no thought of mistakes. The open spaces and high ceilings are exactly what a six-year-old and growing ballet company needs for work space -- and to expand their community-outreach initiatives.

Located on the second floor of the building, the dancers have gone from cramped, older quarters downtown to airy, bright confines -- and even a rooftop patio right beside their kitchen and rest area. In the old Y, this beautiful, sunny relaxation area was the mechanical room -- so cramped you couldn't even walk through it.

"These dancers work very long hours, so it's important they have a place to relax in," she notes.

The dancers in this professional, internationally touring company, do indeed work hard -- six days per week and sometimes seven. And they now have two spacious, bright studios in which to work, fashioned out of the former gym.

The studios feature mirrored walls and a floating floor with a special rubberized covering designed to be easier on a dancer's body as they toil for the sake of their art. The floor is so specialized that it can add five years to a dancer's career, which is significant since a dancer's career span is notoriously short.

It's such an asset that when the company is on tour, they roll it up and take it with them.

Office space is separate from the dancers' noisy work areas.

The dancers are from all over the world, though two have recently secured their Canadian citizenship.

"This is their home away from home," Chalmers-Gauvin said of the new headquarters.

"It is wonderful that they now have a comfortable and suitable space to create."

Artistic director Igor Dobrovolskiy heaped praise on the new building, which was pretty much gutted and rebuilt. "So many companies in the world would be lucky to have what we have," he said.

Chalmers-Gauvin noted their new premises would help attract and retain some of the great performers of the ballet world.

Moncton Mayor Lorne Mitton pointed out that when outsiders consider investing in Moncton, they always ask about the local cultural scene, making the ballet company not only an integral part of the city's cultural community but much more than that.

"And the dancers have become unofficial ambassadors for our region," Mitton said after a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The occasion was also used to launch the company's new season, which starts Oct. 12 at the Capitol Theatre with the world premiere of Don Juan, which will feature Dobrovolskiy's comedic, revisionist take on the old classic.

"I wanted to consider the story from a new perspective and I read much of what has been written around the legend, including Byron, Pushkin," he said.

"In the Spanish legend, Don Juan is the archetype villain, a heartless, remorseless seducer. The Don Juan character in this ballet is young and somewhat naive. Every woman who meets him finds him irresistible and he agreeably returns their affections with hilarious consequences."

The company will perform more than 40 times in the new season, including two showcases at prestigious performing arts conferences in the United States.

[JasonL-Moncton]

Originally Posted by stu_pendousmat2

Law School, U de Moncton

Hello all...first time poster...I discovered this forum/thread yesterday upon searching for something else and started to read through it. I love the thread and what it is doing in keeping us up to date of the 'growth' our city is experiencing, but... To my surprise I found two photos that I had taken used in this thread with no noting that they were taken by me or used with my permission (which they were not).

Now, not that I mind, as I realize I have placed these photos in a public storage site (flickr) and are readily available, I also would have very likely been happy to allow the use of these photos...but it would be my recommendation that if you do use someone's photo's in this manner that you 1) ask their permission and 2)that you 'credit' the owner/photographer of the photo.

Thank-you...and keep up the good work.

Jason Lorette

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by JasonL-Moncton

Hello all...first time poster...I discovered this forum/thread yesterday upon searching for something else and started to read through it. I love the thread and what it is doing in keeping us up to date of the 'growth' our city is experiencing, but... To my surprise I found two photos that I had taken used in this thread with no noting that they were taken by me or used with my permission (which they were not).

Now, not that I mind, as I realize I have placed these photos in a public storage site (flickr) and are readily available, I also would have very likely been happy to allow the use of these photos...but it would be my recommendation that if you do use someone's photo's in this manner that you 1) ask their permission and 2)that you 'credit' the owner/photographer of the photo.

Thank-you...and keep up the good work.

Jason Lorette

Hey Jason...that was me posting your pics, sorry bout that. We have already spoken on facebook about the same issue (after I posted these). Welcome to the forum though, hope to see you around!

[JasonL-Moncton]

Oh! You're the same person...cool!?

I don't mind with some photos...just want credit for it...

JL

[mylesmalley]

Does anyone know what the parking situation for the new Mariott is? Are they building a parking structure, or are they going to use the rest of that lot for (another) god-awful surface lot? That lot is easily large enough to fit another large building.

[ErickMontreal]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Does anyone know what the parking situation for the new Mariott is? Are they building a parking structure, or are they going to use the rest of that lot for (another) god-awful surface lot? That lot is easily large enough to fit another large building.

"Adjacent to the Hotel structure will be an above ground parking garage, also constructed from pile foundations and structural concrete floors similar to the Hotel. " from Marco groups construction.

I don`t know where it will exactly be located on the land though

[ErickMontreal]

Construction begins



Construction has started on a Hampton Inns hotel on the northwest corner of Mapleton Road and Highway 2 (the Trans-Canada Highway).
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Vaughan Harvey Extension opens to public

September 26, 2007 - 5:30 am
By: Rebecca Davis - News 91.9 Staff

MONCTON, NB - Today is the day many motorists in Greater Moncton have been waiting for.

The new Vaughan Harvey Boulevard extension to the Gunningsville Bridge opens this morning.

The new section of road runs between connects Vaughan Harvey Boulevard to Assomption Boulevard and the Gunningsville Bridge, improving traffic flow throughout the Tri-Communities.

There are still minor construction projects left to be completed on the road.

An official opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony and all three levels of government will take place at a later date.

Meantime....the first phase of the Riverview East-West Corridor is expected to open later this Fall.

That runs from the Gunningsville Bridge to Pine Glen Road in Riverview.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Metro business needs surveyed
In effort to promote growth and retention, initiative to assess needs, challenges of 300 area companies

By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Wednesday September 26th, 2007
Appeared on page A1

Where does the lion's share of our community's economic growth come from?
Advertisement

It comes from right here.

A community's existing business base, at any given time, accounts for 80 per cent of the growth it can expect in the future, so that's why Enterprise Greater Moncton unveiled an initiative yesterday to assist in the retention and future growth of local companies.

The BRE, or Business Retention & Expansion initiative, targets businesses in Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview.

Between now and spring, Enterprise Greater Moncton will conduct one-on-one interviews with 300 area companies to better assess their needs.

The companies will be contacted in a mail out and publicity blitz planned for mid-October. Denis Melanson, EGM's Chief Operating Officer, said the companies they hope will take part have been identified based on factors such as numbers of employees, their representation in the three communities, and whether or not they have their head offices here.

Melanson said the interviews would focus on issues like local workforce development, export markets, product development and other challenges.

"It's not meant to be an interrogation," he said. "We hope to keep interviews within an hour, but business people are very passionate about their businesses. If they want to spend the time and give us a tour, we'll spend the three or four hours if that's what it takes."

"We want to identify issues affecting businesses in our region," said John Thompson, the CEO of Enterprise Greater Moncton, who noted even the seemingly good economic news about things like a strong Canadian dollar and a low local unemployment rate can represent real challenges in some business sectors.

The belief is the collective information will identify common challenges that affect individuual companies. The goal is also to make EGM ever more responsive to the needs of the communities and businesses it serves.

The BRE will also be used as a tool when promoting the region as a viable location to live and do business, said Terry Malley.

Malley, the president of Malley Industries, was one of the key community and business leaders invited to a breakfast of champions yesterday in the sixth floor boardroom of Moncton's city hall. With the room's bird's-eye view of all three communities, the space was judged the perfect location to kickstart the initiative, which is being championed by members of various sectors of the economy in the various communities.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Moncton Technology Planning Group releases its first report

times & transcript staff
Published Wednesday September 26th, 2007
Appeared on page A8

The Moncton Technology Planning Group, a partnership of community leaders whose aim is to accelerate the growth of technology sectors in Metro Moncton, has released its first implementation report.
Advertisement

The report highlights lessons learned from a visit by a Moncton delegation last spring to Oulu, Finland, a city recognized as a technology industry leader in Europe and beyond.

It also outlines nine recommendations for action, including the development of a technology incubator facility and the founding of Innovation Moncton, an organization to see that the MTPG's strategy is realized.

It would be an entity organized in a similar way that economic development agencies are run.

"Every successful community we've looked at has some sort of organization in place," said city councillor Doug Robertson, chairman of the technology planning group. Robertson said he hoped Innovation Moncton would be up and running by spring.

The report comes as delegates from Oulu visit the area this week to further build a relationship between the cities.

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by HalifaxMtl666

"Adjacent to the Hotel structure will be an above ground parking garage, also constructed from pile foundations and structural concrete floors similar to the Hotel. " from Marco groups construction.

I don`t know where it will exactly be located on the land though

Ahh. good stuff. thanks.

[ErickMontreal]

Vaughan Harvey link opens to traffic
New connection to Gunningsville Bridge expected to change Metro traffic





By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Thursday September 27th, 2007
Appeared on page A3

Admit it. You drove the new Vaughan Harvey Boulevard Extension yesterday not because you needed to go somewhere, but just because.
Advertisement

Lots of cars took the newly opened link between the Gunningsville Bridge and Main Street yesterday, and a surprising number of them could be seen coming in the opposite direction just moments later.

Maybe it's because Metro Moncton is still a small enough community that simple pleasures excite us. Or maybe it's because we have all been waiting so long to see what seems such a natural transportation link finally come to pass.

It's hard to imagine anyone being happier about the opening of those last few hundred metres than City of Moncton traffic guru Stephane Thibodeau.

"It's been an exhausting 15 years," he said yesterday, estimating that is how long it's been since planning began in earnest for a Vaughan Harvey link to an extended Assomption Boulevard and new Gunningsville Bridge.

Probably the only thing people complain about more than the weather is roads and traffic, so it is Thibodeau who often has to shoulder the criticism of every irked motorist, cyclist and pedestrian. That's why it was a refreshing change for the engineer to have motorists honking their appreciation and giving their thumbs up as he was interviewed by a reporter yesterday at roadside.

The roadway looks good, even though the landscaping is not finished. The rail overpass, like the nearby Gunningsville Bridge, was given a decorative stone facade. The bridge's decorative lighting continues along the new stretch and it is hard to remember the last time a Moncton roadway had trees planted along its length from day one.

Thibodeau said he hoped the public could appreciate that when it comes to most of the cosmetic work, "we got that much accomplished in just the past two-and-a-half weeks." It's in those last couple weeks that a public able to see the end in sight has been most impatient for the road to open, but Thibodeau says the work wouldn't have run so smoothly -- and safely if they'd opened earlier.

Workers are still on-site, but have got to a stage they can generally stay well away from the traffic. However, with a road worker killed on a Moncton roadway just last week, Thibodeau was asking the public to use extra caution.

Meanwhile, the anticipation for years has been that the link would have a radical impact on traffic patterns and commercial development in Metro Moncton. Though it was hard to detect any significant changes after just one day, they are liable to grow over the years and decades.

We at the Times & Transcript did some completely unscientific but interesting experiments yesterday afternoon to gauge what the road might mean for people on the move. It is now an eight-minute drive from the Riverview end of the Gunningsville Bridge to the front door of The Moncton Hospital, that after we managed to hit every intersection at a red light. Every single one.

Repeating the experiment, but detouring around those few hundred metres the way motorists had to do until yesterday added four-and-a-half minutes to the travel time to get to the hospital. That detour to downtown was travelled via Assomption Boulevard, Foundry Street and Main. Take Lutz instead of Foundry and attempt a left turn onto Main and anyone who works downtown will tell you can double that four-and-a-half minutes.

More interesting yesterday, the same trip from the south end of the Gunningsville Bridge to the hospital via the causeway, Wheeler Boulevard and Connaught Avenue took just 10 minutes yesterday, with the 100 km/h speed limit on Wheeler strictly obeyed. How the four-and-a-half minute downtown detour and 10 minute Wheeler trip may have been sped up by all the traffic diverted to the Vaughan Harvey Extension was not so simple to calculate, though the Causeway traffic circle at least seemed to have less traffic than usual for the time of day.

Stephane Thibodeau was not surprised to hear that the trip between Riverview and The Moncton Hospital took roughly the same travel time whether Wheeler or Vaughan Harvey was used. He said the new roadway should "balance out" a lot of traffic flow rather than assuming the bulk of it as some might have guessed.

Vaughan Harvey might be a direct route and central north-south artery, but it with 10 sets of traffic lights from Coverdale Road to Connaught, it is by no means an expressway.

The Riverview bypass road may look complete at the Gunningsville Bridge end may look complete, but it will not open until December. When that happens, the way all the recent road projects link together is sure to have a significant impact on Riverview development and how people get around.

On the Moncton side of the bridge, Mayor Lorne Mitton said people had to look no further than the Sobey's and NB Liquor outlet being built at Main and Vaughan Harvey to see the development impact of the this final Moncton roadway link. He said he could also see a future when the Emmerson Technology Park and the Greater Moncton YMCA were seen as part of downtown, thanks to road links such as the one completed yesterday.

An official ribbon cutting with three levels of government represented will come at a future date once the landscaping and other crews are gone.

"Our intention all along was to get it opened up for traffic. We'll have the official opening later on."

[ErickMontreal]

( :: Moncton downtown :: )


www.branchdesign.com

[mmmatt]

cool picture...Brian can sure take em...It really shows just how much of an impact the new Marriott is making downtown. It looks great!

On an unrelated note, I want that Mini cooper!

Soooo happy that extension is finally open, been waiting for that now forever. Looks really good too from the pictures. Ill have to see for myself next time I go up. cant wait!

[mmmatt]

September 27, 2007 - 11:47 am
By: Darrell Quann - News 91.9 Staff

MONCTON, NB - The Moncton Molson Brewery opens in 15 days.

It is the first new brewery in Canada in 52 years.

So it will be a party and that means that bracelets for the backyard barbeque and brewery tours are now available.

Molson has planned a number of events for that weekend including some bands and the Coors Light FX freestyle motocross team.

Also, if you are of legal age, you just might get to test some brew.