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Posted May 6, 2008, 3:52 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Grand Bay-Westfield :: NB
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George LeBlanc, Pierre Michaud show differing views on taxes, downtown development
A1
By Aloma Jardine
Times & Transcript Staff
Moncton's mayoral candidates squared off in front of a joint luncheon meeting of the Moncton Rotary Club and the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce yesterday.
Moncton mayoralty candidates Pierre Michaud, left, and George LeBlanc went head-to-head yesterday.
Taxation and environmental sustainability were two of the hottest topics as the forum progressed, with both George LeBlanc and Pierre Michaud taking the time to outline their views on those issues.
LeBlanc reiterated his plan to establish a committee to review taxes and spending in the city that would have to report back within four months -- before next year's budget is worked out. The committee's mandate would be to determine if tax cuts are achievable while maintaining the city's growth and services.
"It is very clear in my action plan that I intend to make (lowering taxes) my first priority," he says. "But it has to be done in a responsible way."
Michaud says the provincial government is already looking at reforming the tax system and sees no need to duplicate that exercise.
"There are things you can influence and things you can control and there are other things you can have no effect on. One of them is taxes," he says.
He says the city should be looking at how it can modify its budget to be more cost effective.
"We need to look at revenues and then adjust the services we provide," he says. "...It's hard to lower taxes because of things that are out of our control like oil."
Both candidates also expressed strong views on the environment after they were asked when the city will take a stand on the Kyoto Accord and pressure the federal government to implement it.
Michaud says Kyoto is important and something the city could take a stand on, but suggested it would be more beneficial for the city to put its efforts into areas where it has more influence, such as uranium exploration in the region.
LeBlanc says environmental sustainability is a necessity and says he has already been speaking with Université de Moncton professor Yves Gagnon about how to make Moncton a city that places a high priority on the environment.
LeBlanc says he would like to restructure the city's environment committee to include experts like Gagnon. He would also like to ban the use of cosmetic pesticides in the city, reduce the amount of paper used at city hall, and create a better transit system.
The tone of the forum remained polite throughout as the candidates largely refrained from making digs at one another.
At one point LeBlanc suggested Michaud's platform was not clear on where he stood on the issue of reducing property taxes; later Michaud took a shot at LeBlanc for not attending council meetings and budget sessions as he has been for the past six months.
Michaud is new to municipal politics; LeBlanc served three terms on Moncton City Council from 1995 to 2004.
Each candidate had five minutes to outline his platform, then five questions submitted from those attending the luncheon were chosen and LeBlanc and Michaud took turns answering each one. The forum ended with each candidate getting 2 1/2 minutes to wrap up his position.
The first question the candidates were faced with is one Moncton mayors have been trying to answer for years: how do you plan to move convention centre plans forward and what are you going to do with the former Beaver Lumber site?
"We have a large area in the downtown that has not been developed for 10 years," LeBlanc says. "What we need is a catalyst, something to get things moving forward."
LeBlanc believes a standalone convention centre is not the right answer for the city. Instead, he envisions a multi-purpose building that would house convention space, but would also serve other needs, possibly including an arena.
"A multi-use facility that will include convention facilities could be just the thing we need to get things moving in the downtown," he says.
Neither candidate directly addressed the Beaver Lumber property question and Michaud sidestepped the convention question in favour of talking downtown development in general.
Michaud says the downtown area needs increased density, with more people living and working downtown. He pointed out the empty second and third storeys of many buildings along Main Street and says the city needs to take advantage of the asset it has in the Petitcodiac River and develop around it.
Michaud says the city needs to bounce back from a reliance on call centres and suggests that with three universities in the area, a centre focusing on research in health and the environment would be a perfect fit.
LeBlanc believes the people of Moncton want a mayor with a vision not just for the next four years, but for the next 10 or 20.
"I have a vision. That vision is based upon fundamental pillars," he says: enhancing our quality of life and aggressively pursuing opportunities for prosperity.
"If we focus on those two fundamental things, in 10 to 20 years we will have a Moncton that is even greater than it is today... Vision, however, is not enough. We must set priorities and take action."
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N.B. puts $1.2M into concert site
Investment will help Moncton hold reputation as best place to stage outdoor shows
Published Tuesday May 6th, 2008
A1
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF
The Magnetic Hill Concert Site's drawing power as a tourist attraction got a $1.2-million boost yesterday as Finance Minister Victor Boudreau officially announced the province's investment in Moncton.
Boudreau said the provincial government wants to help Moncton become the first choice of concert promoters and continue bringing big shows to the venue. The money announced yesterday will go toward enhanced power sources, backstage buildings, washrooms, crowd control barricades and capital items. Boudreau said the figure of $1.2 million was agreed upon after discussions with the city and it works out to a cost-sharing agreement.
"Our investment in infrastructure enhancements at Magnetic Hill will strengthen the concert site's competitive advantage and result in major economic benefits for the Moncton area and New Brunswick," Boudreau told a news conference at City Hall yesterday afternoon.
He said previous concerts -- the Rolling Stones in 2005 and two Country Rocks the Hill events in 2007 and 2007 -- have proved that Moncton can draw big crowds of music fans from all over the country, which translates into money spent here.
Officials say 78 per cent of the people attending the Rolling Stones show were from out of town, and they spent about $239 per person. That translates into $13 million in projected spending at campgrounds, restaurants, shopping malls and other businesses in the region.
City spokesman Ian Fowler said yesterday nearly 50,000 tickets have been sold for the Aug. 2 concert featuring the Eagles, John Fogerty, K.T. Tunstall and the Sam Roberts Band. Tickets are $124.50 for regular admission; and $249 for VIP grandstand seats, (prices do not include taxes and service charges). Fowler said the VIP tickets are nearly sold out.
Fowler said the $1.2 million investment from the province will help the city begin the process of building permanent washroom facilities at the concert site.
This will include about 30 flush units for the ladies and a men's facility. But it won't eliminate the need for the long lines of porta-potties that have become a fixture at outdoor concerts.
"We're concentrating on the backstage this year, and move out from there," Fowler said yesterday.
Boudreau said the number of visitors drawn in by concerts can't help but be good for tourism in the southeast region and around the province.
The province is hopeful that people who come for the concert will decide to stay for a while, plan a return visit or go home and tell people about New Brunswick.
Moncton Mayor Lorne Mitton, who is stepping down at the end of this term, said developing the site has been a key objective for the city in recent years.
"These concerts are a significant economic generator for our city, our region and the rest of the province. The ongoing investment is a lasting investment that keeps us ahead of the competition."
Boudreau said the province's investment is directly tied to the construction of a new sports stadium at l'Université de Moncton for the 2010 World Junior Track and Field Championships. Once finished, the stadium will become a multi-use facility also capable of hosting concerts.
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MEET show to attract 5,000 visitors
Published Tuesday May 6th, 2008
C2
Organizers expect almost 5,000 visitors from all over Canada and the United States to attend the Mechanical Electrical Electronic Technology (MEET) show tomorrow and Thursday at the Moncton Coliseum.
The closed trade show will feature more than 400 booths displaying the very latest equipment available to the mechanical and electrical industries.
In addition to the wide-ranging exhibits, the highlight of the show will be the plumbing and electrical wiring skills competition tomorrow morning. These competitions bring students together from across New Brunswick to complete projects that will be judged based on skills and accuracy. The industry-related contests show hands-on expertise, talent and determination showcasing the many promising futures to be found in trades and technology.
The winning students from these provincial events will be invited to be part of Team New Brunswick which will compete at the 14th annual Canadian Skills Competition in Calgary later this year.
Education is a major component at the MEET show, with a full lineup of seminars scheduled.
The industry dinner is set for tomorrow night at the Delta Beauséjour.
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Big 'tailgate party' set for Eagles show
City to enforce strict permit regulations for campgrounds
Published Tuesday May 6th, 2008
A1
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF
With a little more than 80 days to go, the operator of a campground near the Magnetic Hill Concert Site is gearing up for a big tailgate party on the weekend of the Eagles show.
Moncton businessman Troy Boudreau says he hopes to pre-sell as many of the spots on the 60-acre campsite as possible before the event. He said the site, formerly known as King's Camping, will have up to 5,000 spaces available near the Magnetic Hill site.
The campground operator said he is following all the rules and regulations being set out by the Greater Moncton Planning District Commission and promises a safe, secure and fun place for concert fans to stay during the weekend.
Advertisements placed in Halifax newspapers for EaglesCamping.com., are billing the site as a three-minute walk from the concert site for "Canada's largest two-day tailgate party." The site will include a party zone with music, food and supplies. The ads offer packages of $40 per person for two nights of camping and admission to the tailgate parties. Parking passes are $25 and admission to the tailgate party is $10 per person.
Boudreau said tailgate parties are a big thing in the United States, especially at concerts and large sporting events like the Superbowl, and hopes the idea will be popular here.
"The whole idea is to create an atmosphere that goes along with the Eagles concert where people get together and have fun and meet people." He said a Jimmy Buffett tailgate party at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., drew 85,000 people and was almost as big as the actual concert.
He said the ads have already resulted in many calls from Halifax from people looking for a place to stay during the concert weekend.
The big outdoor shows draw thousands of people to Metro Moncton and result in a bit of an underground economy during concert weekends as local people make a bit of money on the side by renting out their lawns as parking lots, or even setting up barbecues on their properties.
But after some campgrounds slipped under the radar at previous concerts, the city stepped in with tougher regulations. In past years, there were complaints from campground owners who invested money to upgrade their facilities, only to be undercut by others who hadn't.
City spokesman Ian Fowler said yesterday all campgrounds must meet certain standards before they are issued with a permit. And those that don't have permits can be shut down.
"There is a process where temporary campsites need to get approval and need to meet minimum requirements that have been established by the city in conjunction with town planning and if they fail to do so the site will not be allowed to operate."
Bill Budd, executive-director of the Greater Moncton Planning District Commission, said Boudreau's application is among those to be dealt with at the next meeting and will likely be approved if it meets the required conditions.
He said temporary campgrounds must file an application showing a detailed site plan and a pledge to meet public health and safety issues such as water, sanitary facilities, trash, vehicle traffic and security. The applications are reviewed by a committee including representatives from the city, RCMP, fire department and provincial health department. Budd said the regulations are mainly to ensure that people who stay at these campsites are well cared for. Besides sanitary conditions, one of the main conditions is that the parking lot is separate from the campground.
Meanwhile, Fowler said the many committees are now beginning their job of ironing out the many details associated with the August show.
"We're getting ready to pull all the organizing committees together to talk about things like camping, transportation, medical services and everything else that needs to be done," city spokesman Ian Fowler said yesterday. "We'll have everything lined up and ready to roll."
Organizers rely on a large number of support workers and volunteers to look after people at the show, including security and medical staff.
The city is also in negotiations with a co-ordinator of concessions and food service inside the concert site. Fowler said organizers have learned valuable lessons during the previous shows and are using those lessons to improve services the next time.
Fowler said fans planning on attending the show can keep checking the official website at www.magnetichillmusicfestival.ca for details on rules, regulations and other information as the big weekend draws closer.
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Dieppe to discuss Paul St. options
Published Tuesday May 6th, 2008
A3
Options for the renewal of Paul Street will be the highlight of the agenda when Dieppe city council meets for a special session at 12:30 p.m. this afternoon.
One of this region's busiest streets, Paul Street which skirts around the west side of busy Champlain Place shopping mall, will see a new configuration, new underground infrastructure and a complete rebuild in the months to come. Dieppe has for a number of months been considering its options for carrying out the work and now those options will be on the table for discussion by council at today's meeting.
The meeting will be held in Dieppe council chambers and residents are invited to attend.
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Moncton tenders awarded
C103 NEWS UPDATE
Moncton city council has awarded tenders for some multi-million dollar projects set to get underway. Phase-one of the widening of Mapleton Road, this year from Trinity to the Aliant entrance near the T-C-H, will be done by Modern Construction who submitted a quote of just shy of 4.3-million dollars. Meantime, the contract for phase-one of the new track stadium at U-de'M goes to Acadian Construction with a bid of nearly 5.9-million. This covers site work, underground infrastructure, the field, and a portion of the bleachers. The successful quote for the synthetic track comes from Mondo American at close to 1.4-million dollars.The phase-two call for tenders will come at the end of this month.
Last edited by ErickMontreal; May 6, 2008 at 4:06 PM.
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