The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[mmmatt]

If we do get the Eagles I will flip...one of the best bands of all time, legends to be sure...Im excited already even though its not confirmed

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by HalifaxMtl666

New articles have been posted on Urbanmoncton.ca

Check it out, thank you.

Looking great Erick! I see you changed over to the new domain a plus for sure...and your English is top notch to say the least!

[ErickMontreal]

Originally Posted by stu_pendousmat2

Looking great Erick! I see you changed over to the new domain a plus for sure...and your English is top notch to say the least!

Thank you for the comments Matt!

[ErickMontreal]

Moncton CFL franchise not in cards
League commissioner says proposed Moncton stadium is not 'CFL size'

TOOL HELP
By MARC HUDON
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Wednesday March 26th, 2008
Appeared on page A7

OTTAWA - The opportunities created by CFL expansion to New Brunswick would be a boon for youth, businesses and aspiring players, says a former high school football standout from Fredericton.

"I think about (a Maritime team) all the time," said Ottawa Gee-Gees all-star quarterback Josh Sacobie, who starred at Leo Hayes High School.

"There's an urgency for some professional football on Canada's East Coast."

Yesterday, the CFL announced it was expanding again, but not far enough east to satisfy Maritime appetites, yearning for a taste of Canadian-style football.

League commissioner Mark Cohon was at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa to award a conditional franchise to a group of heavyweight businessmen from the nation's capital, headed by Ottawa 67's junior hockey club owner Jeff Hunt.

The Ottawa entry is the league's ninth team.

"It's great for Canadian football. You like to see the league grow," said Sacobie. "It means more Canadian faces in the league and more opportunities for people like myself."

The Ottawa deal hinges on the group's ability to hammer out an agreement to rebuild and resurrect 28,000-seat Frank Clair Stadium.

It's a caveat Maritime football fans know all too well.

Talk of a CFL franchise in Atlantic Canada hit a crescendo in 2005 when Halifax was awarded Touchdown Atlantic -- a CFL exhibition game between the Hamilton Tigercats and Toronto Argonauts.

Moncton, in its never-ending battle with Halifax for urban supremacy in the region, saw the same opportunity to bring the game to New Brunswick.

The city formed an exploratory committee to look at CFL expansion. Mayor Lorne Mitton even travelled to Halifax with a delegation of city officials to watch the exhibition game and rub shoulders with CFL brass.

But both cities continue to face the same trifecta of stumbling blocks -- ownership with deep pockets, a strong fan base and a big stadium, said Cohon.

"I think Moncton has the same type of challenges that we have in Ottawa," he said. "Part of the challenge in bringing the CFL to Moncton or Halifax is building a stadium."

Cohon said he's encouraged by talk of a new $13-million 10,000-seat stadium at the Université de Moncton, scheduled to be completed by spring 2009.

"But it's not CFL size," he said. "We need about 25,000 seats."

A Moncton bid would also have to contend with creating a fan base from scratch, said Cohon, whereas in Ottawa, the embers in the hearts of former Rough Rider faithful are set ablaze easily by talk of storied CFL gridiron legends such as Russ Jackson and Tony Gabriel.

Sacobie said growing Canadian football on the East Coast has to start somewhere, adding an expansion franchise can quickly shore up a fan base by focusing on youth.

"Any kind of expansion -- junior football, CFL would give kids more opportunities and role models to look up to," he said. "The CFL is really good at outreach work."

Cohon said the league hasn't decided what to name the Ottawa club, adding the team won't begin play until 2010 at the earliest.

"I think what's happened in Ottawa is a good step," he said, adding no exhibition or preseason games are scheduled for the region any time soon. "The progression from nine teams to 10 teams makes sense. Now I have my homework cut out for me, looking for opportunities on the East Coast."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dieppe council adopts new municipal plan
Plan outlines where future development of city will take place

By James Foster
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Wednesday March 26th, 2008
Appeared on page A5

Dieppe has started the process of adopting its new municipal plan, essentially a map of future development of the city.

It's the first updated plan in Dieppe since 1995. Experts suggest updating municipal plans about every five years -- particularly in cities growing as fast as Dieppe -- however most municipalities in New Brunswick use their existing plans much longer than that.

While council gave first reading to the new plan at their council meeting last night, one councillor opposed its adoption. Ward 4 Councillor Gille Savoie opposed adopting it at this time because some residents and developers still have objections to some aspects of it, particularly where zoning would affect their neighbourhoods or, respectively, their potential property developments.

On the advice of Greater Moncton Planning District Commission executive director Bill Budd, council opted to proceed.

"Your plan is 95 per cent there," Budd told council. "You're never going to have a plan that will make everyone happy."

The reasoning behind adopting it now despite 26 objections to it was that those objections could be met despite the plan becoming law in Dieppe. For example, Budd suggested roundtable consultations with objectors to hear what their issues are and come to agreements on how to address them.

Such a process would only take a few months, Budd noted, adding that the plan is "a living, breathing document," and not cast in stone. Councils amend their municipal plans all the time.

The plan sets out where residential, industrial, commercial and other development will take place in Dieppe. That the plan can be amended later on did little to assuage developers who don't like the zoning of properties they are eyeing for certain types of development, nor of homeowners who cast objections to having commercial areas too close to their homes or high-density housing in the backyards of their single-family-home neighbourhoods.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Forum targets vacant lots
Making money with contaminated properties

Published Wednesday March 26th, 2008
Appeared on page C2

Leading experts in transforming empty, contaminated commercial and industrial properties into viable developments will be in Moncton today to take part in the Brownfield Awareness Forum.

The forum, taking place at the Delta Beauséjour Hotel from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is a follow-up to regional information sessions held this winter in several cities on developing vacant and under-utilized urban properties known as brownfields into a profitable venture and asset to the neighbourhood and community in terms of aesthetics, recreational and business use and increased municipal tax revenue.

The economic development initiative is being hosted by the Downtown Moncton Centreville Inc.

Keynote speakers are James Evans, senior manager of Environmental Risk in the Corporate Environmental Affairs group at RBC Financial Group, and Carolyn Reid, Brownfield Office Co-ordinator for the City of Hamilton.

Making Money with Contaminated Properties: Seizing the Opportunities features national and regional experts on financing options, incentives, insurance tools, economic and social spin-offs and potential legislative changes affecting liability relief.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Bob Dylan to play Moncton May 20
Tickets for show at Moncton Coliseum go on sale Saturday

Times & Transcript Staff
Published Wednesday March 26th, 2008
Appeared on page A2

Moncton has scored another world-class concert. As mentioned in the Times & Transcript this week, legendary songwriter Bob Dylan, known for hits like "Knockin' On Heaven's Door", "Like A Rolling Stone", "Mr. Tambourine Man" and countless others, will perform at the Moncton Coliseum on Tuesday, May 20.

The show was confirmed yesterday by promoter Gillett Entertainment Group out of Montreal. The tour is part of a four-date Maritime tour that will see Dylan perform in Saint John on May 19, Moncton on May 20, Halifax on May 21 and St. John's on May 24.

Tickets to the Moncton show go on sale this Saturday, March 29, at 9 a.m.

In a career spanning five decades, Bob Dylan has released 44 albums and sold nearly 100 million worldwide.

His records have earned Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy Awards, and he has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1999, Dylan was included in TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people of the 20th century, and in 2004, he was ranked number two in Rolling Stone magazine's list of Greatest Artists of All Time, second only to The Beatles.

His most recent album, Modern Times, was released in 2006 and it received rave reviews. It was his first number one album in the U.S. since 1976.

Dylan last performed in Moncton five years ago.

n Tickets to Bob Dylan's show on Tuesday, May 20, at $49.50 and $69.50. They go on sale this Saturday and will be available at the Moncton Coliseum box office, by phone at 857-4100 or online at www.monctoncoliseum.com or www.geg.ca.

[kwajo]

Moncton, in its never-ending battle with Halifax for urban supremacy in the region...

I think this needs to be re-worded as "The Times & Transcript, in its never ending battle with every other city in the region for a sense of self-fulfilled superiority..."


Seriously though, while Moncton makes a strong case for a CFL franchise because of its location, and is a very good city overall, it is statements like these (usually from the T&T) that make people from outside the city feel a bit of resentment toward it. I'd probably feel a lot better about Moncton as a whole if I didn't feel like their media outlets were constantly trying to pick fights with other cities (first it was SJ, now it's Halifax).

I know its only perception, and it probably doesn't reflect the attitudes of the residents at all, but it still goes toward public image, and there are other ways of making your city seem attractive to business other than "battles" of words.

I'm not trying to start another Saint John-Moncton debate - I think they're a waste of time - I just wanted to complain about how silly some of our region's newspapers can be.

[Haliguy]

Originally Posted by kwajo

I think this needs to be re-worded as "The Times & Transcript, in its never ending battle with every other city in the region for a sense of self-fulfilled superiority..."


Seriously though, while Moncton makes a strong case for a CFL franchise because of its location, and is a very good city overall, it is statements like these (usually from the T&T) that make people from outside the city feel a bit of resentment toward it. I'd probably feel a lot better about Moncton as a whole if I didn't feel like their media outlets were constantly trying to pick fights with other cities (first it was SJ, now it's Halifax).

I know its only perception, and it probably doesn't reflect the attitudes of the residents at all, but it still goes toward public image, and there are other ways of making your city seem attractive to business other than "battles" of words.

I'm not trying to start another Saint John-Moncton debate - I think they're a waste of time - I just wanted to complain about how silly some of our region's newspapers can be.

Very True

[JasonL-Moncton]

Originally Posted by kwajo

I think this needs to be re-worded as "The Times & Transcript, in its never ending battle with every other city in the region for a sense of self-fulfilled superiority..."


Seriously though, while Moncton makes a strong case for a CFL franchise because of its location, and is a very good city overall, it is statements like these (usually from the T&T) that make people from outside the city feel a bit of resentment toward it. I'd probably feel a lot better about Moncton as a whole if I didn't feel like their media outlets were constantly trying to pick fights with other cities (first it was SJ, now it's Halifax).

I know its only perception, and it probably doesn't reflect the attitudes of the residents at all, but it still goes toward public image, and there are other ways of making your city seem attractive to business other than "battles" of words.

I'm not trying to start another Saint John-Moncton debate - I think they're a waste of time - I just wanted to complain about how silly some of our region's newspapers can be.

Very true...but hey...all our papers ARE owned by Irving, they are allowed to do whatever they want are'nt they?

[mmmatt]

Whoever wrote that sentence is a fool, moncton cannot compete with Halifax for urban superiority, Halifax is like 4 times bigger haha...we can compete for mega-concerts and sporting events a little bit mainly because we are more centrally located and have a larger population within 2.5 hours than Halifax, but besides that they are way out of our league. Moncton and Saint John are easier to compare and have competition between because that are basically the same size, so I can understand that...but Halifax is way out there...I can understand a little competition, keeps people on their toes...but the T&T takes it too far sometimes.

[Wishblade]

Originally Posted by stu_pendousmat2

Whoever wrote that sentence is a fool, moncton cannot compete with Halifax for urban superiority, Halifax is like 4 times bigger haha...we can compete for mega-concerts and sporting events a little bit mainly because we are more centrally located and have a larger population within 2.5 hours than Halifax, but besides that they are way out of our league. Moncton and Saint John are easier to compare and have competition between because that are basically the same size, so I can understand that...but Halifax is way out there...I can understand a little competition, keeps people on their toes...but the T&T takes it too far sometimes.

It kind of makes me wonder if the people who write some of these articles have ever even been to Halifax before.

[JasonL-Moncton]

It has nothing to do with who writes the articles, it the "editor" that edits them and 'twists' them to sensationalize them and then put them in the paper.

[ErickMontreal]

Moncton ranked top business city

Times & Transcript staff
Published Thursday March 27th, 2008
Appeared on page A11

Moncton has been named the best city in Atlantic Canada and New England in which to do business for the second year in a row.

The top ranking was confirmed yesterday by the KPMG Competitive Alternatives Study which is conducted every two years and looks at more than 100 cities worldwide and compares numerous factors from labour costs, taxation levels, real estate, energy and infrastructure.

After being named top city in 2006, it's pretty exciting to once again win top spot, said John Thompson, chief executive officer of Enterprise Greater Moncton, noting the city has done well despite changes to taxation regulations and the rise in Canadian dollar.

This third-party analysis validates Moncton as a "great place to live, work and do business," he said.

The ranking, he says, is an important promotional and marketing tool.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dieppe council awards several construction contracts

Published Thursday March 27th, 2008
Appeared on page A3

Dieppe City Council awarded several contracts during their regular meeting Tuesday night for maintenance of city streets and other infrastructure, with work to get underway soon.

Monarch Construction won the contract for curb, gutter and sidewalk repairs totalling $56,048. The city will develop a priority list of work to be done and work on that list until the budget is exhausted. The amount is similar to what was budgeted last year.

The street-patching contract, worth $239,842, was awarded to MacArthur's Paving and Construction. That amount is an increase of about $50,000 over last year's budget. Councillor-at-Large Jean Gaudet expressed disappointment that a very rough section of Amirault Street near the city's downtown core would only get patching and not resurfacing this year.

"We need to find a solution for that stretch of road that's more satisfactory than what we've come up with in the past," Gaudet said.

A contract for installing sewer lines, worth $128,469, was awarded to 512900 NB Inc.

Contracts for the supply of sand and crushed stone to meet the city's needs for the coming fiscal year were awarded to Modern Construction and Tri-Gil Paving and Construction.

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by JasonL-Moncton

It has nothing to do with who writes the articles, it the "editor" that edits them and 'twists' them to sensationalize them and then put them in the paper.

The T&T takes sensational to a whole new level. It amazes me every day just how low they'll stoop to start a fight.

Just from the last few weeks, if you read the T&T and particularly the opinion page, you'd think:

1) Crime is rampant!
2) Crime isn't a problem!
3) People are rioting in the streets and only the minister of education thinks the FSL changes are right!
4) The Liberals are taxing us to death!
5) The Liberals have a hidden agenda!
6) The Conservatives could do no wrong!
7) The health minister is after french people!
8) Moncton is better than Halifax!
9) Taxes are too high!
10) Health care needs to be privatized!
11) We NEED TO CUT TAXES!!!
12) THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END!

Okay, I made the last one up. But that's it.

I'm not ashamed to admit i'm a liberal, but it doesn't take an impartial person to see there's a ridiculous anti-liberal bias in all of New Brunswick's papers and especially the T&T. You practically need a machete to cut through all the propaganda on some pages.

Don't get me started on hick-town we look when the headline on a paper with a circulation >40,000 is "Local Puppy Saved from Tree". The 'news' section contains a celebrity update! The paper is 80% ads, and 0% content, and I don't know what the hell to call the crap left over.

I hate the Times and Transcript. I hate it.

Which is why I read it for free every morning.


<End of Rant>


AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGHHHHHH!

[mmmatt]

the T&T is actually the largest paper in NB by circulation...over 128,000 I believe.

[kirjtc2]

I have a volunteer position with an organization called VoicePrint, which takes newspaper magazine articles and reads them out loud for the blind, which is then broadcast on digital cable and the internet. Twice a week I read a New Brunswick news show with articles from all the major papers.

I've made an editorial decision (sort of) to not read any T&T articles that come across as cheerleading for Moncton or bashing any other cities, to at least give the illusion of me being neutral. I don't have to do that for the Telegraph or Gleaner.

[ErickMontreal]

Originally Posted by kirjtc2

I've made an editorial decision (sort of) to not read any T&T articles that come across as cheerleading for Moncton or bashing any other cities, to at least give the illusion of me being neutral. I don't have to do that for the Telegraph or Gleaner.

Did you make the decision to not read Telegraph/Gleaner/T&T when they come across as biased toward Irving empire ? No offense but I dont take seriously the press in NB ( at least, those under Irving interests). I use their artciles due to the fact I do not have any other choice.

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by HalifaxMtl666

Did you make the decision to not read Telegraph/Gleaner/T&T when they come across as biased toward Irving empire ? No offense but I dont take seriously the press in NB ( at least, those under Irving interests). I use their artciles due to the fact I do not have any other choice.

I'm a news junkie...
I regularly read:

http://www.cbc.ca/nb/
http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
http://www.news919.com/

And I regularly listen to:

Fox radio
CBC radio
Radio Nederlands
BBC radio

The more perspectives you get, the easier it is to cut out the BS and to get down to what's actually happening.

Sadly, it seems the same naysayers who frequent the comments on the Times and Transcript page are migrating to the CBC comment boards as well.

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by kirjtc2

I have a volunteer position with an organization called VoicePrint, which takes newspaper magazine articles and reads them out loud for the blind, which is then broadcast on digital cable and the internet. Twice a week I read a New Brunswick news show with articles from all the major papers.

I've made an editorial decision (sort of) to not read any T&T articles that come across as cheerleading for Moncton or bashing any other cities, to at least give the illusion of me being neutral. I don't have to do that for the Telegraph or Gleaner.

Censoring the censors.... I love the irony in that.

[nwalbert]

I was curious about this so I googled it. The T&T actually has a circulation of232,223 which surprised me. Comparitiverly the Gleaner has 157,345 and the Telegrpah Journal is the largest in NB at 247,832.

The Chronical Herald has 621K and change.

[q12]

.

[q12]

Moncton's airport passeneger numbers dropped in 2007 from 558,513 in 2006 to 518,930. Where as all the major airports passenger numbers in this country continue to climb. Probably due to the loss of Canjet's scheduled service.

http://www.gmia.ca/english/corp/stats/trafficlarge.jpg