The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[q12]

Jump+ is nothing more than an apple reseller. Here's another one out west. http://iworldconnect.com/

They identify themselves as a premium reseller, but they are completely independent from Apple. On Apple's Store Locator (http://www.apple.com/ca/buy/locator/) they don't seem to be identified any differently than Future Shop. Actually Mac East in Dartmouth and Splice in Halifax are identified as premium service providers (For some reason Splice in Moncton is not identified as a premium service provider).

The positions for Jump+ stores are advertised here: http://www.jumpplus.com/careers/

The positions on Apples website are unrelated. They are looking for the same positions in Sydney and Charlottetown (iPhone Solutions Consultant - part-time) http://jobs.apple.com/index.ajs?BID=1&method=mExternal.showSearchInterface.

Nevertheless Jump+ is a nice addition for St. John's, Moncton and Fredericton.

[OUIR@random]

Thank you for supporting my statement regarding Apple, this is not a mini-Apple store and is not affiliated with Apple in any way or form. May this discussion rest in peace. LOL

Checked out this other Apple reseller at iworldconnect.com and their stores are similar to jump+ & apple storefronts indeed.

[MonctonRad]

$8.5M breast cancer centre to open in Moncton (GDH) and, oh by the way, a $9M cancer clinic announced for the Moncton Hospital
CBC News
Last Updated: Jul 03, 2012 12:59 PM AT

Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre will get an $8.5 million breast cancer centre in 2014.

The Vitalité Health Network will now be able to offer the same level of breast cancer treatment as the Horizon Health Network, according to New Brunswick's health minister.

The province will spend $8.5 million to add a two-storey breast cancer centre to the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre in Moncton, Madeleine Dubé announced Tuesday.

It’s welcome news to francophone doctors and patients, who have been trying for a decade to get the service.

Dubé says the Vitalité Health Network has been behind in offering an integrated breast cancer program.

“The Horizon [Health Network] — there's three programs going on. There's one in Saint John and there's one in Moncton city and there's one in Fredericton and there was none for Vitalité," Dubé said.

Services will be offered in both official languages and will include screening, diagnostic imaging, clinical exam, surgery and therapeutic services, according to a news release.

Dr. Jocelyne Hebert has been trying for a decade to co-ordinate breast cancer at the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre.

It'll provide early detection and allow them to treat more patients, Hebert says.

“All other health care facilities in the province will also benefit greatly from enhanced access to all patients to our expertise,” Hebert said.

Julianne Thibault Robichaud, from Richibouctou, started lobbying for this new centre after she had breast cancer eight year ago.

“I realized how they did miracles with nothing, or the lack of space and the lack of equipment,” Thibault Robichaud said.

The centre has been promised before — by the previous Liberal government — but did not happen.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for the fall of 2014.

Meanwhile, the oncology clinic at The Moncton Hospital will get a new $9 million clinic to deal with ongoing space restraints, it was announced Tuesday

The hospital's former laboratory and X-ray wings will be demolished to provide space.

There will be an additional 40 parking spaces and completion is scheduled for 2014-2015 fiscal year.

Personal note - there was quite a dust up over the announcement for the breast cancer centre at the GDH. The breast cancer specialists at The Moncton Hospital were quite concerned that the announcement for the Dumont meant that breast cancer services at TMH were to be downgraded, or at least not as wholeheartedly supported as at the GDH. This is not the case, but the Department of Health was not very forthcoming on this issue and refused to give the TMH physicians any clarification or assurances until very late in the process. This naturally led to considerable paranoia about the issue. There will be fully supported breast health programs at both hospitals. It should be noted that about 25% of screening mammography in the province is done at The Moncton Hospital and that we have a subspecialty trained breast surgeon and a subspecialty trained radiologist in breast health. A full range of diagnostic and interventional breast biopsy services (including vacuum assisted core biopsy) are available at The Moncton Hospital. The one remaining concern for us at TMH is that the government still has not given us assurances that we will be able to do breast MRI on the new magnet that will be installed later this summer. This remains a major irritant.

The $9M cancer clinic for TMH is a good news announcement. The new clinic will organize all outpatient cancer services at TMH in one place. This will improve customer experience in much the same way as the Irving Ambulatory Care Centre has. Unfortunately I missed the announcement ceremony so I can't provide any additional information, but originally we had hoped for an expansion to the Professional Arts Building and a new parking garage as well, but for a $9M price tag (and an announced paltry 40 new parking spaces, it would seem that these dreams have not come to fruition. Still though, the new cancer clinic reaffirms a continuing role in cancer care for TMH. This is important in that there is a large surgical oncology program at our hospital (for example thoracic surgery for lung cancer), and surgical oncology cannot exist in isolation from medical oncology. There has to be communication and collaboration between the specialists. The medical oncology program at TMH is as large and important (or more so) as at the GDH. The GDH tends to be thought of as "the cancer centre" because of their radiation oncology facility, but the importance of cancer care at The Moncton Hospital should not be underestimated.....

[KnoxfordGuy]

I like this view point. Fredericton has many many downtown parking spaces and we have a great downtown.

http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/nearly-100-new-parking-spots-open-in-moncton-1.863440

[BlackYear]

Originally Posted by KnoxfordGuy

I like this view point. Fredericton has many many downtown parking spaces and we have a great downtown.

http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/nearly-100-new-parking-spots-open-in-moncton-1.863440

I watched this ATV news video and they show a couple Jaywalking across from Reid's Newsstand. Not sure if this guy who was interviewed is aware that Jaywalking in Moncton is illegal. Moncton RCMP are cracking down on Jaywalking according to this CBC News article.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunsw...moncton-jaywalkers-bike-helmets-736.html

[MonctonRad]

High school agreement spurs infrastructure
Thursday, July 05, 2012
Times & Transcript
By: Brent Mazerolle

Infrastructure Minister Claude Williams said this week he is pleased that Moncton city council has given the go-ahead to hook up a planned new high school off Elmwood Drive to the city's water and sewer systems.

The agreement might seem a small thing, but it's setting all sorts of work in motion throughout the city.

With council's blessing came a conclusion of negotiations that will bring a lot of movement on city projects, plus some potential movement on a prized piece of land - the site of the now-empty provincial jail on Assomption Boulevard.

The high school site, on a parcel of land north of the Royal Oaks golf course, is about 100 metres outside the city's service boundary.

However, as it has done in similar situations in the past, the city council on June 25 decided it will allow the building to attach to the municipal systems - at the developer's cost.

In exchange for the consideration, the developer, the Province of New Brunswick, will also help fund city projects throughout the city.

read more:
http://22864.vws.magma.ca/index.php?&article_id=9281

Personal note - This is how the game of politics is played. Virtually no one on city council, incluing the mayor, is happy with the provinces choice for location for the new high school. It robs the downtown of a vital piece of educational infrastructure and runs counter to the philosophy of improving the center of the city by encouraging population growth and densification. It would be pointless however for the city to dig in it's heels on this matter because the province is exempt from the municipal planning act and can do whatever it wants. If the province wants the new high school at Royal Oaks then there is not a damn thing the city can do about it. What the city could do is negotiate the best deal possible with the province in order to make the process as painless as possible. This is what the city has done and the pragmatic people on council have decided to agree to this in order to avoid damaging the city too much.

In exchange for civic cooperation, this is what the province has agreed to do:
- contribute $12.8M to infrastructure projects related to the new school (some of this will help with the Elmwood Dr entrance into the Caledonia Industrial Park).
- provincial support to the Transportation Discovery Centre at the Moncton Museum has been secured.
- provincial funds towards the ongoing upgrading of the Magnetic Hill Concert Site has been agreed to
- the province has agreed to sell the current sports field at Moncton High School to the city for one dollar.
- the province will contribute $750k towards the cost of extending Twin Oaks Drive to the Ryan/Horsman roundabout. This is partly to support the new French K-8 school on Ryan St.
- something is afoot with the old provincial jail on Assomption, as well as with the old fire station immediately across the street. This is tied in somehow with the overall agreement with the province over Royal Oaks, but details do not seem available. The Moncton Farmers Market however may be moving to the riverfront.

It is interesting how all these projects all over the city are interconnected, but that's politics, and the city seems to have done a good job getting some sugar sprinkled on the bitter pill of MHS moving to the boondocks.

This is how politics is played.......

[RyeJay]

What a horribly misleading news headline! This is an outright lie! Absolutely nothing is being 'spurred'; the infrastructure for the new school is via money from the province -- which is actually money from the feds (people not living in New Brunswick).

My goodness we're acting entitled!

With only a tiny fraction of the project paid for -- paying for the remainder (and then paying for the maintenance year after year) will now rest on Moncton taxpayers.

Does Moncton at least collect airmiles with all this municipal credit card usage?

As for the downtown spaces that are concurrently being discussed: those spaces are not new 'news', nor is Moncton High's relocation the reason for them being discussed further. The city is always looking to develop downtown land, unfortunately the province seems to get in the way frequently.

I've been trying to research information on just WHY the province is exempt from Moncton's municipal planning act. Is anyone able to help me? I'd like to know why the province is able to compromise Moncton's progress, in favour of spending for special interests.

The relocation of Moncton High away from the downtown is going to harm downtown businesses, residential markets, and tax generating abilities for many years to come. No wonder the federal government is nervous about investing in a downtown Moncton events centre. With this city still bleeding its core, there is a likelihood that this new events centre would have to eventually be subsidised to remain open by the federal government. Moncton's downtown will hemorrhage for more than a decade once the school leaves.

It is examples like Moncton High School when I am in complete agreement with Alberta.

Equalisation payments need to be reexamined. Federal subsidies for specific projects need to be reexamined. New Brunswick, amongst other provinces, are completely taking advantage of federal dollars and are absolutely refusing to commit to sustainable urban planning.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by RyeJay

I've been trying to research information on just WHY the province is exempt from Moncton's municipal planning act.

In Canada cities are created by provincial legislation. At the end of the day city mayors and councillors are subordinate to provincial governments. NB's government could dissolve the City of Moncton if it wanted to. This is different from the more independent relationship between the federal and provincial governments.

It is kind of strange however for a province to micromanage down to the level of promoting high school sites.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by someone123

In Canada cities are created by provincial legislation. At the end of the day city mayors and councillors are subordinate to provincial governments. NB's government could dissolve the City of Moncton if it wanted to. This is different from the more independent relationship between the federal and provincial governments.

It is kind of strange however for a province to micromanage down to the level of promoting high school sites.

This is mostly due to the fact that municipal governments are never mentioned in the constitution, and thus must fall under the control of the provinces.

[MonctonRad]

Precisely, municipalities have no legal constitutional status. They are purely creatures of the province. The province is free to create, dissolve or amalgamate municipal governments at any time. The province mandates what the municipal structures will be, and what sort of legal frameworks are necessary.

At least in NB (not sure about other jurisdictiions), the province mandates that a city requires a municipal plan. The enabling legislation however exempted the province from having to abide by said municipal plan. This is why NB is able to ignore Moncton municipal service boundary and place the high school wherever they damn well please (and with no accountability whatsoever).

This is why Moncton was screwed. They say that you can't fight city hall. At least in NB, it's the province that you aren't able to fight. The best that you can do is negotiate a semi palatable compromise to make the malicious deed somewhat bearable.....

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by GregHickman

This is mostly due to the fact that municipal governments are never mentioned in the constitution, and thus must fall under the control of the provinces.

Nitpicking here, but they actually are.

Sections 91 and 92 of the British North America Act of 1867 enumerate the division of powers between the federal and provincial governments.

Section 92 part (8) specifically gives provinces sole jurisdiction over municipal institutions.

Section 92 part (16) also adds: "Generally all Matters of a merely local or private Nature in the Province."

As far as the constitution is concerned provinces can do whatever they want. That explains why there's such diversity in terms of municipal structures between provinces. E.g. we have no county-level government anymore, but some provinces do.



Completely off topic of Moncton, but relating to the Constitution (because I find it fascinating!)... Canada doesn't explicitly give the federal government responsibility for all foreign policy! It's all a holdover from those bygone empire days when everything was expected to be handled in London.

Section 132 gives the Feds the responsibility to oversee treaties between Canada and foreign powers, and the feds have jurisdiction over issues of national significance. However Section 92 gives the provinces power to make laws and act in their own interests on a local level, even if it means dealing with outside of Canada. Some provinces have actually set up trade offices overseas. I think Quebec actually has what amount to cultural and economic embassies in several countries too.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Nitpicking here, but they actually are.

Sections 91 and 92 of the British North America Act of 1867 enumerate the division of powers between the federal and provincial governments.

Section 92 part (8) specifically gives provinces sole jurisdiction over municipal institutions.

Section 92 part (16) also adds: "Generally all Matters of a merely local or private Nature in the Province."

Sorry, I misspoke. Municipalities have no responsibilities outlined in the constitution, simply that they are operated by the province. It doesn't explicitly state what a municipality is, does, or how it operates.

In regards to section 132, it is true that provinces are able to set up embassies in other countries. An interesting thing that occurs (mostly with Quebec) is that they feel the need to be able to negotiate their own trade agreements with other countries. This section is the basis for the possibility of the fracturing of power between provinces which, over time, could cripple the federal government to the point of irrelevance.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Precisely, municipalities have no legal constitutional status. They are purely creatures of the province. The province is free to create, dissolve or amalgamate municipal governments at any time. The province mandates what the municipal structures will be, and what sort of legal frameworks are necessary.

At least in NB (not sure about other jurisdictiions), the province mandates that a city requires a municipal plan. The enabling legislation however exempted the province from having to abide by said municipal plan. This is why NB is able to ignore Moncton municipal service boundary and place the high school wherever they damn well please (and with no accountability whatsoever).

This is why Moncton was screwed. They say that you can't fight city hall. At least in NB, it's the province that you aren't able to fight. The best that you can do is negotiate a semi palatable compromise to make the malicious deed somewhat bearable.....

Compromise? Apparently there isn't a compromise. The province can do whatever it wants. I am hoping -- at the very least -- that people keep this in mind during the next provincial election; otherwise, this special interest spending will only continue, on the backs of the taxpayers.

It's not just Moncton that is screwed -- but the entire province is screwed, in the long-term. There isn't a single section of New Brunswick that is growing sustainably; everything is in the form of business parks, stripmalls, more roads, more low-density faraway residential subdivisions.

There is absolutely NO GROWTH in New Brunswick that is generating a tax return on its investment!!

At least a few companies are benefitting from all of New Brunswick's sprawled, car-dependent state, accompanied with unsustainably low corporate tax rates -- namely, Irving.

This truly does make me sick. This beautiful province is going to waste.

[kwajo]

I don't know if that's strictly true, as there is a lot of new/renovated residential in Uptown Saint John, taking advantage of existing infrastructure.

[KnoxfordGuy]

Fredericton is getting several appartments built in its core...I don't think we are in that bad of a state...yet.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by kwajo

I don't know if that's strictly true, as there is a lot of new/renovated residential in Uptown Saint John, taking advantage of existing infrastructure.

Actually, strictly, not true.

In my humility, I will acknowledge the recent residential proposals, including the one completed building beside the cruise ship terminal (though I will criticise tenant affordability) -- but I will disagree with you of it being "a lot;" in fact, it will take more than a handful of downtown developments to begin curbing the city's debt incurred from sprawled infrastructure in the past, as well as the current suburbia still going up in Saint John's proximal, unamalgamated communities. It will be some time still before Saint John sees a return on the cost of maintaining the uptown's infrastructure.

It is also about bringing in jobs to this urban centre for these assumed would-be residents.

I agree with you in the sense that this is a good first step. If the province permits it, the city can work toward bringing its urban development into the majority. Suburban development, though I don't advocate for it, doesn't have to be halted completely.

And I surely hope it is not at all necessary for Moncton to economically hit 'rock bottom' before it finally begins building inward and upward. I am wondering how strong a kick in the stomach it'll be to the city when Moncton High is relocated and the downtown sees a sharp drop in population, and its associated spending within downtown businesses.

Having a downtown school is such a powerful asset for bringing in more residential, which in turn will attract more businesses and jobs, collectively raise more tax revenue via density, and in turn will be more easily justifiable to spend money on park and landscaping renovations to make the entire space more livable -- to attract even more residential...

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by KnoxfordGuy

Fredericton is getting several appartments built in its core...I don't think we are in that bad of a state...yet.

I nearly want to suggest this is too little, too late; but when you consider the debt we're currently owning, when you consider the most younger demographics are choosing to live, work, and invest in ubran centres and larger cities in massively greater numbers compared to these demographics choosing smaller, low-density communities, I think it's hard not to.

To compete, you need to be compact.

I think the cities in New Brunswick will at some point have no choice but to develop in an inward fashion. The debt will continue to grow to the point where no more money can go toward roads, lined with half-vacant lands that collect virtually no taxes even when they are developed with stripmalls and single-family dwellings.

Today's rising costs of living and rising costs of necessary educational investments, against the average Canadian income, mathematically demands that we live compactly.

[C_Boy]

Not really relevant or important but I thought it was funny and neat.

[RyeJay]

Totally agree with Moncton being at the top of that list

Though, I hope one day, Moncton becomes a more domestically recognisable stand-alone name, without having to put 'N.B.' after it. I want Canadians to mistaken Moncton as the capital of the province.

[MonctonRad]

True enough, Moncton is both NB and Canada in a microcosm. That's why politics here is so fascinating.....and annoying.