The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[StormShadow]

Hello everyone, my first post. I have been visiting this thread since it began and now that talk on a new downtown arena is heating up I think I will post my pov. First off, a little background about myself…I was born and raised in Moncton, but since the early 90’s I have resided in Halifax, Calgary and now Toronto. I am back at school, architecture school as a matter of fact, so if anyone has any technical questions, I will do my best to answer them.

My interest in an arena project for Moncton began when I was a kid delivering the T&T and buying Moncton Hawks season tickets with my paper route money. I attended NHL games in LA and Calgary during my March breaks and I would come home imagining a large arena in downtown Moncton like the Saddledome or the Great Western Forum. How cool would that be? My vision was a 16,000 seat arena built in the middle of a massive parking lot on the Highfield Square site in the year 2020. I would sketch various seating configurations to a scale. My friends would come over to play Nintendo and they would think I was nuts.

Fast forward 2008…I can’t believe how much Moncton has grown since I’ve been gone and how close this arena project is to actually becoming a reality. All of my relatives are still live in Moncton. They will never leave, so I will always have a connection to Moncton. There is no other place I would rather be in hot July or August, lobster season! I really appreciate this thread, it is encouraging to see how much growth there is. I have always thought of Moncton as one with a lot for a city of its relative small size.

I have had a few ideas or concepts for the downtown arena. I’ve kept quiet hoping that someday I could bring these designs to the city or province for commission, but Moncton is just moving way too fast- they won’t wait for 2020!

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by StormShadow

Hello everyone, my first post. I have been visiting this thread since it began and now that talk on a new downtown arena is heating up I think I will post my pov. First off, a little background about myself…I was born and raised in Moncton, but since the early 90’s I have resided in Halifax, Calgary and now Toronto. I am back at school, architecture school as a matter of fact, so if anyone has any technical questions, I will do my best to answer them.

My interest in an arena project for Moncton began when I was a kid delivering the T&T and buying Moncton Hawks season tickets with my paper route money. I attended NHL games in LA and Calgary during my March breaks and I would come home imagining a large arena in downtown Moncton like the Saddledome or the Great Western Forum. How cool would that be? My vision was a 16,000 seat arena built in the middle of a massive parking lot on the Highfield Square site in the year 2020. I would sketch various seating configurations to a scale. My friends would come over to play Nintendo and they would think I was nuts.

Fast forward 2008…I can’t believe how much Moncton has grown since I’ve been gone and how close this arena project is to actually becoming a reality. All of my relatives are still live in Moncton. They will never leave, so I will always have a connection to Moncton. There is no other place I would rather be in hot July or August, lobster season! I really appreciate this thread, it is encouraging to see how much growth there is. I have always thought of Moncton as one with a lot for a city of its relative small size.

I have had a few ideas or concepts for the downtown arena. I’ve kept quiet hoping that someday I could bring these designs to the city or province for commission, but Moncton is just moving way too fast- they won’t wait for 2020!

Welcome to the forum StormShadow!

Great backround story, and Im glad to hear that you still keep strong ties with Moncton even after moving off.

Funny that you had the idea of a grand downtown arena even back then, I doubt there are many people who shared your vision at that point, but look at us now! Personally Im hoping things will move quickly on this project, and if so we might see a ground breaking as soon as late 2011, however thats an very optomistic idea. Heres hoping though!

Glad to hear you are in the architecture field, Im sure your knowledge will help us with many discussions!

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Budyser

Since I'm bored here at work on a Friday evening, I figured I'd search the remaining web sites yet visited on the internet and look for a hockey arena with 12000 seats.

So here's a good perspective view of the North Charleston Coliseum which has 12000 seats. I'll spare the outside view because it looks like a giant pink bubble gum. Although, it does look very modern.

This would fit nicely for Moncton.

I agree Budyser, this would be an ideal size and configuration for a downtown Moncton arena. We just need to add in some corporate boxes there. Maybe you should forward this plan to the Mayor..... Actually, maybe we should e-mail the Mayor and give him the web address of this forum so that he can be kept apprised of our discussions here.

BTW, welcome to the forums StormShadow. Your input will be most appreciated. I realize that you have lived across Canada, but do you ever envisage yourself moving back to the Maritimes (and to Moncton specifically) when you have finished your architectural studies?

[mylesmalley]

Welcome, StormShadow! I had kind of a similar experience. I started lurking around by post 100, but didn't join for a long time. Glad I did though!

I'm not going to bother posting the articles in the Transcript today about the new 'metro centre'. They don't say anything that hasn't been printed 20 times before. The only surprise today was the number of ignorant or just plain stupid comments posted by anti-Acadian or anti-development people.

I'm really opposed to anonymous comment boards like the T&T. People sign up under a pseudonym and post whatever crazy or inflammatory thing that pops into their heads. At least on forums like SPP, you can comment directly to them, see past posts, and have open discussions on issues. Some days, those comment boards under articles are just as bad as those on YouTube videos: a third of them are racist, a third make absolutely no sense, and another third are advertising or propaganda. Anyway, that's my rant.

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

I'm not going to bother posting the articles in the Transcript today about the new 'metro centre'. They don't say anything that hasn't been printed 20 times before. The only surprise today was the number of ignorant or just plain stupid comments posted by anti-Acadian or anti-development people.

I'm really opposed to anonymous comment boards like the T&T. People sign up under a pseudonym and post whatever crazy or inflammatory thing that pops into their heads. At least on forums like SPP, you can comment directly to them, see past posts, and have open discussions on issues. Some days, those comment boards under articles are just as bad as those on YouTube videos: a third of them are racist, a third make absolutely no sense, and another third are advertising or propaganda. Anyway, that's my rant.

Yeah I didnt bother to post the article about the Metro Center today as its just the same old same old...our MP supports it and wants the city to hurry up and get something ready to bring to Ottawa to ask for funding. Thats the whole article summed up in one sentence for ya haha.

I agree 100% about that comment board, its outright ridiculous the BS that gets posted there on a regular basis, I made an account so I could attempt to be a voice of reason on there, but its hard.

[mmmatt]

Casino Update (From the Casino NB website)

Pics taken Jan 13, 2009





They also posted a new larger render.

[Dmajackson]

Nice Casino Moncton

Whats up with the random lighthouse though?

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ

Nice Casino Moncton

Whats up with the random lighthouse though?

Something to do with tourists loving them and thinking thats all we have thats interesting in the maritimes? Looks kinda dumb when its at least 3km from a body of water though. And I find it gives the whole design a tacky feel, I actually like the Hotel and the center pavillion part, the casino section is just wonky looking though.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by mmmatt

Yeah I didnt bother to post the article about the Metro Center today as its just the same old same old...our MP supports it and wants the city to hurry up and get something ready to bring to Ottawa to ask for funding. Thats the whole article summed up in one sentence for ya haha.

I agree 100% about that comment board, its outright ridiculous the BS that gets posted there on a regular basis, I made an account so I could attempt to be a voice of reason on there, but its hard.

Yeah, the only thing the T&T is accomplishing by having at least one new article re: the arena every day is to keep the pressure on the politicians. It's all the same old same old though.

Lying Brian may want the city to hurry up so that he can prostrate himself in front of the federal trough but I can't see how the city can approach the feds until after they recieve the study they commissioned and then debate it first. The study won't be in until the end of April (and that's rushing it), so I can't see them having a proposal for Ottawa until at least late May or June.

The timing here unfortunately is a little off. I hope this doesn't imperil this project.

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

The timing here unfortunately is a little off. I hope this doesn't imperil this project.

I doubt it...the way things are looking the feds will be pushing $$$ into infrastructure for some time to come in a big way...Im sure the city can make a good case for it. What with the city and province already on board and the MANY good reasons for this project to go through, I cant see it being a problem.

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ

Nice Casino Moncton

Whats up with the random lighthouse though?

Because we maritimers are all about the ocean stuff, right? right?

As Matt said, it's tacky. Doesn't Casino NS have the same theme?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Because we maritimers are all about the ocean stuff, right? right?

As Matt said, it's tacky. Doesn't Casino NS have the same theme?

Since it is Casino NB and not Casino Moncton, I have decided that I can live with the lighthouse theme but I don't think they should put the darn thing on top of the entrance to the casino. It would look better somewhere else.....at ground level.

Also, that isn't even a traditional Maritime style lighthouse.....ie, a tapering rectangular white painted wooden shingled structure with a red top. The style of lighthouse that they have chosen just looks tacky IMHO.

[riverviewer]

I had heard about the "lighthouse" theme. But that doesn't look like a lighthouse at all. Looks more like the Capitol Building with a shrunken head dome.



Another tacky lighthouse can be found on the river front trail in Riverview. It contains the restrooms.

[Haliguy]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Because we maritimers are all about the ocean stuff, right? right?

As Matt said, it's tacky. Doesn't Casino NS have the same theme?

Not really...actually in the inside when the new owners took it over they gave it a Carribean type theme which I find a bit tacky




I don't see anything wrong with the lighthouse theme as I guess it represents Atlantic Canada but I also can see why you guys might find it bit tacky.

[Jerry556]

i dont know, not liking the lighthouse theme very much, especially the way they did it, plus especially where they building it.

[riverviewer]

Hmmm, that picture of Halifax's Casino looks more like a lighthouse to me. Setting the Lantern Room in a separate section helps with the imagery.

But, then again, maybe I am just being ethnocentric. Perhaps a lantern room can be placed on any structure and still classify as a lighthouse.

[Haliguy]

Originally Posted by riverviewer

Hmmm, that picture of Halifax's Casino looks more like a lighthouse to me. Setting the Lantern Room in a separate section helps with the imagery.

But, then again, maybe I am just being ethnocentric. Perhaps a lantern room can be placed on any structure and still classify as a lighthouse.

True I guess when I look at closer it does. Never really thought of it looking like a light house. I think the difference is that the Halifax casino emulates a light house whereas the one in Moncton imitates a lighthouse.

[BlackYear]

Here's the new St-Hubert with the advertised grand opening set for February 10th. One of the nicest restaurants in town, IMO. Since I was in the area, I decided to take a pic of Montana's which is next door. Third photo is the new mini mall strip on Mt-Road.

Sorry for the slight blurriness. I didn't bother with the tripod.

[mmmatt]

^ Wow!

nice pics, thanks for the update.

I agree St Hubert was very well done, 100% better than the old one.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Budyser

Here's the new St-Hubert with the advertised grand opening set for February 10th. One of the nicest restaurants in town, IMO.

I think I would qualify that statement a bit. There are a number of fine restaurants in Moncton. I agree with you that the new St. Hubert's is perhaps one of the most architecturally interesting restaurants in town.