The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[kirjtc2]

Originally Posted by sdm

Anyone know who owns 683 Main Street?

The NB provincial land registry says it's owned by a Scott Fraser.

[ErickMontreal]

Moncton establishes its first mosque

Muslims in the greater Moncton area are hoping their new mosque will help keep more new immigrants in the region.

Until recently, Muslims met for worship in their own homes, or in rooms at the Université de Moncton.

The new building, in the city's downtown area, is more visible and provides a central meeting place for the community.

Riaz Akhtar, president of the Greater Moncton Muslim Association, said the mosque will be a great advantage for new immigrants.

"Now that we have a mosque, I think it will be an added advantage to the new immigrants," Akhtar said. "They'll find there is already a community; they can become part of it. We can help to some extent in introducing them to the community."

The association is planning to hold an open house at the new building in the next few months, Akhtar said.

[sdm]

Originally Posted by kirjtc2

The NB provincial land registry says it's owned by a Scott Fraser.

Thanks

[mmmatt]

I figured its about time to post a few more development projects...so here goes


Residential



( : Franklin Crossing : )

Large new development in downtown area, which will encompass 900 new residential units. These will enclude, among others:

Townhouses
Condos
"Brownstone Garden Homes"

Construction started on first seven unit townhouse which includes two model homes.



Concept Drawings:





Current Design:




( : Camelot Estates : )








( : Carriage Hill Developments : )






( : Roxborough Park : )




( : Rosemont Park : )






( : Royal Oaks : )

A beautiful new neighborhood in Moncton situated around an award winning golf course!








( : Evergreen Park : )

A Large Neighbourhood in Monctons north end, two sections are under development

Evergreen South



Evergreen West




( : Downtown Condo/office : )

"The condo units in the four-storey building will range in size from 1,500 square feet to 1,900 square feet, with two penthouses each comprising 2,500 square feet. The main floor will be 15,000 square feet of office space and there will be two levels of underground parking with a total capacity of 124 vehicles."


( : The Oaks Condominium : )

The Oaks Condominium is situated on Royal Oaks Golf Club, an award winning championship 18 hole golf course designed by world renowned golf architect Rees Jones.

The Oaks Condominium is being built to the highest standards utilizing concrete and steel construction with an 8 inch reinforced concrete floor slab.

There is conveniently located space set aside for common amenities such as large, spacious entry foyer, a multi-function common room on the 3rd floor and a fitness center on the 4th floor.

The Oaks Condominium is conveniently located on Royal Oaks Blvd (South Oaks entrance) just off Elmwood drive and Highway 2, giving easy access to downtown (10 min), the Trinity Drive power center (7 min), and all your lifestyle needs in greater Moncton.

Royal Oaks Blvd is situated directly across from Irish Town Nature Park.

Royal Oaks is focused on quality craftsmanship, innovative design, and customer satisfaction. From luxurious condominiums to leading edge residential development, we understand, and strive to meet the diverging needs and desires of our evolving society.

Through all, we understand the reason why we are here, you the customer. We believe in creating a community within a community for our residents and to provide the unique lifestyle that they want and deserve.


The Oaks Condominium
will be ready for occupancy in October 2007!

Life is too short to live anywhere else!




( : Domicile Brookside : )






( : Condo Development in Riverview : )

"The two buildings will offer several choices to apartment hunters, including one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as one- and two-bedroom suites.

Each building is likely to be about 60,000 square feet with the individual units ranging from 1,200 to 1,500 square feet. There will also likely be future developments on site, Spataro said, such as some commercial offerings."


Commercial


( : Emmerson Tecnology Park : )



2 Buildings complete

1 Building Near Completion

Proposed Building Designs:










( : Flanders Court : )



Proposed:

a three-storey office building

"A new 50,000-square-foot (4,500-square-metre) office building is in the works"


Retail


( : Mapelton Power Center : )

Confirmed:

The Brick (250,000 sq ft)



Very Likely:

Mountain Equipment Co-op



Linnen & Things



Jacob's Connection



Jack Astors Bar and Grill







( : Four Corners : )

Already Complete:

Future Inns Moncton



Proposed:

A few Hotels, strip malls, condos, apartment buildings, and a factory outlet store

Also Including "Domaine Port-Royal Estates":

"Domaine Port-Royal Estates on the lands east of Mapleton Road and North of Wheeler Boulevard. Domaine Port-Royal is a $32-million development featuring three strip malls, a hotel, four apartment buildings and condos."


( : Sobey's Downtown Flagship Store : )

Possible look:




MISC


( : Moncton Skate Park Expansion : )

[ErickMontreal]

Service Canada - Labour Market Review

Southeast and Moncton

In the Southeast, the labour market situation worsened in November 2006. The area lost jobs and the labour force shrank. The unemployment rate decreased, because fewer people were looking for work.

In December 2006, the labour market was down compared to December 2005. However, the situation was not as negative as it was in November.

Moncton's labour market slowed down considerably compared to November 2005. Employment was down and the employment rate dropped. The number of job hunters fell, bringing down the unemployment rate.

The Moncton labour market continued its downward movement as compared to December 2005. Employment was down, despite population growth, causing employment rates to drop even more. More and more people stopped looking for work.

[ErickMontreal]

No L.L. Bean store for Moncton

By Nina Chiarelli
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Wednesday March 7th, 2007
Appeared on page A4

Despite calls for the famed Maine retailer to set up shop in Metro Moncton, the whispers it's going to happen are false, says an L.L. Bean spokeswoman.

"I'm sorry to say that that is not true," said Carolyn Beem.

L.L. Bean, the world-famous outfitter whose catalogue business and Maine Hunting Shoe changed the outdoor apparel business, will not be setting up shop in the Maritimes' shopping hub.

Speaking from the company's headquarters in Freeport, Maine, Beem said while the company has looked to expanding into Canada, there are no plans on the horizon.

"We've been looking at Canada to expand our presence but we have not developed any concrete plans," she said.

The store has been the subject of rumours and wishful thinking since MLA Mike Murphy said publicly in June 2005 that he wanted Metro officials to entice the company to set up shop here.

Murphy could not be reached for comment yesterday, however, he was the major voice in a public campaign to get the retailer to set up shop in Metro.

"If they could see the wilderness market that is here, their list of priorities for expansion is not going to be the European Union or Tokyo, it's going to be here," he said at the time, insisting a store in Moncton would be even more fitting than the company's home base in Freeport.

L.L. Bean is one of the world's top vendors of quality outdoor gear and everyday apparel, with annual sales topping $1.2 billion.

The company has also just expanded its network of stores into two mid-Atlantic states on the eastern seaboard.

In 1988, L.L.Bean opened its first liquidation outlet in North Conway, New Hampshire, to more efficiently liquidate discontinued merchandise at a significant value to customers.

More outlets have since been added in Maine, New Hampshire, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

In July 2000, L.L.Bean extended its retail store presence beyond Maine for the first time when it opened a store in McLean, Virginia.

In 2001, L.L.Bean opened a store in Columbia, Maryland and in 2002 the company opened its fourth Retail Store in Marlton, New Jersey.

In 2005, a fifth store was opened in West Lebanon, NH. Plans are being made for future retail expansion.

Most recently, the company opened a store in Pennsylvania, and continues its expansion in Japan where it opened its 15th store in a suburb of Osaka.

In a statement released last fall, Zane Shatzer, general manager of international new market development for the company, said the company was actively looking for retail development opportunities in Latin America and Asia.

"But we are also looking to boost our presence in Canada with an in-country catalogue, website and ultimately a retail presence," he said.

L.L.Bean has enjoyed a 30 per cent annual increase in sales in Canada over the past three years, enough to spark the company's interest in exploring new expansion opportunities, according to Shatzer.

The store might have been perfect for the new Mapleton Power Centre opening in north Moncton later this year.

So far, developers have announced The Brick furniture store will be the anchor tenant in a project that is likely to include several fashion and home decorating stores not yet available in New Brunswick.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Dieppe luxury condo project cancelled

By Jesse Robichaud
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Wednesday March 7th, 2007
Appeared on page A1

A developer has pulled the plug on a high-end condo project slated to take root in the heart of Dieppe's downtown square next to Place 1604, citing a weak market.

Guy Bouchard, president of Perfection Homes, says the five-storey, $8-million condo project, which was to feature 35 condominiums priced at $248,000, generated plenty of interest.

Bouchard even built a model condo, which has been on display for over three months across from the Dieppe Farmer's Market, to entice prospective buyers.

But despite the fact the condo development was to be located on one of the hottest sites in Metro, and marketed toward the fastest growing segment of the population - baby boomers - Bouchard believes Metro Moncton is not yet ready for the high price of luxury condominiums.

"We had a lot of people show interest, but nobody was willing to buy, so we decided to back away from the project," Bouchard said in an interview yesterday, noting that construction was scheduled to begin next month.

"We did plenty of advertising and all we asked was a deposit of $10,000. There is no market for luxury condominiums here."

Bouchard said construction would have gone ahead if he had confirmed even 10 sales, but without so much as one deposit, he decided to withdraw his offer to purchase the coveted piece of land from the city.

Instead, he will export the project's design into Dieppe's burgeoning uptown, where it will be split into two four-storey apartment complexes featuring 40 apartments at a more affordable price. The complexes will retain the cancelled condo project's name, Place Beausoleil, and construction will begin mid-summer, said Bouchard.

Pointing to difficulties similarly high-priced condos have experienced in downtown Moncton, developer Valdo Grandmaison, principal of the Frederic Group, questions whether Metro Moncton can sustain high-priced projects.

"I know that, historically in Moncton, if you are building condos and pushing the envelope upwards of $250,000, it would still be a stretch to sell, because land is still readily available," he said.

As he markets condos in the range of $135,000 to $220,000 in a proposed commercial-residential project in Dieppe's uptown near a planned aquatic centre, Grandmaison believes there is, indeed, a market for more affordable condominiums.

But he maintains that a real market for luxury condo projects might still be years away.

"We're not in Toronto and Montreal where there is a long commuting period where there is a large incentive for people to live close to their jobs to avoid a long commute.

"That is what drives those higher prices. In this market we don't have those constraints."

Dieppe Mayor Achille Maillet doesn't think the cancellation of the project is an indication that the market for condominiums or apartments is saturated in downtown Dieppe.

"It doesn't worry me at all personally," he said.

"People shouldn't take it as an indication it is saturated."

Maillet did admit that the timing of the project may have been its Achilles' heel.

"Right now the city might not be ready for high-end condos because there are other projects going up, but those are decisions business people have to make."

While Maillet says Dieppe has benefitted from the efforts of developers who have gambled on an "if you build it they will come" type speculation, he called the move a simple business decision by an experienced businessman.

[mmmatt]

Hotel designed to be soundproof; New hotel beside airport taking special measures to give patrons good night's sleep

Times & Transcript (Moncton)
Thu 08 Mar 2007

There's nothing worse than being kept awake by a conversation next door that is travelling through your hotel room's paper-thin walls, except for the jolt of being startled from your sleep by the roar of a 747 jet.

So while sound proofing between rooms is expected from most respected hotels, insulating from outside noise is not something most hotel developers have to deal with.

That is because most hotels aren't built under a flight path. But the new Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, which is being constructed alongside a Tim Horton's Restaurant and a Shell Gas Bar as the second phase of the Dieppe Boulevard Plaza, isn't like most hotels.

As the crowning addition to the uptown development, the hotel's strategic location inside the Dieppe Industrial Park, and within proximity of the Greater Moncton International Airport, makes it an enticing destination for business people, sports teams, conferences, and air travelers.

There was, however, one problem. The location that made the hotel such an interesting enterprise also placed it directly beneath the flight path of air traffic at the Greater Moncton International Airport.

But for developer Brian Foster, the project's manager, the opportunity was too important to let some noise get in the way.

"When we were initially looking at building the hotel one of the things we looked at was sound proofing, realizing that we were going to be very close to the airport and could be subject to airport noise," said Foster in an interview yesterday.

Designers and engineers from the Holiday Inn parent company worked with documents provided by the National Research Centre's Institute for Research in Construction in order ensure that visitors are undisturbed by the jets flying overhead.

Once planning was complete, Foster says the soundproofing measures haven't slowed down construction, which began last October and is expected to be completed in early fall.

But the cost of the $7 million project is another story.

"Of course it adds extra expense but that's all a part of building a property and realizing it will be very important for our guests comfort."

For soundproofing, the devil is in the details, according to Foster.

"We had specially designed windows where we increased the airspace in between each pane of glass, and we used two layers of drywall on the inside of exterior walls," said Foster.

A much larger volume of insulation, special shingles and other materials to cut noise, and what is known as resilient channels on which drywall is fastened to stifle vibrations, will all contribute to keeping the peace once the hotel opens its doors to guests.

Once all is said and done, the building will be in elite company, with a sound insulation rating of STC (Sound Transmission Class) 56-58, which is considered excellent by industry standards.

And with a long, three-storey design, the 94-room hotel is clearly staying well out of the way of any flight traffic.

The STC 56-58 rating will also ensure that heavy truck traffic from the industrial park doesn't creep into the ears of guests.

The special insulating measures were a requirement of the City of Dieppe on recommendation of the Greater Moncton Planning Commission, but Foster says any business that is looking out for its customers would do the same, voluntarily.

"It's something we had considered from the very beginning and realized we would have to incorporate these extra sound proof applications to ensure our guests enjoy a comfortable night's rest."

[ErickMontreal]

Metro's people numbers booming

Canadaeast News Service
Published Monday March 12th, 2007
Appeared on page A1

Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe will crow about spectacular growth while communities in most of the rest of the province, and the government of Premier Shawn Graham, will face sobering reminders tomorrow that they're shrinking in numbers.

At 9:30 a.m. Atlantic time, Statistics Canada is scheduled to release the results of the 2006 census. The figures are widely expected to tell a familiar tale in New Brunswick - one of people leaving home. They're leaving from rural areas for the cities, from the north for the south, and from everywhere to Canada's larger centres and booming West.

Population trends don't turn on a dime, and Stats Can already reported last June that New Brunswick's population had fallen nearly 2,000 people to 750,504.

The decline is typical of Atlantic Canada. A study by the Atlantic Institute of Market Studies counted nearly 13,000 Atlantic Canadians had moved to Alberta alone in the year ending July 1, 2006. With numbers like these, it's no wonder the Shawn Graham Liberals included population growth as a major plank in their campaign platform last fall.

They've created a population growth secretariat to bring immigration, repatriation, retention and settlement services all under one roof. The secretariat officially opens in April; its resources will double after the budget. Graham has set a target of attracting 5,000 immigrants a year by 2015.

"We are being hit by a demographic perfect storm," Graham told the legislature last month. "More people are dying than are being born, too many people - especially skilled young people - are leaving and we are not attracting new Canadians at the same level as other provinces."

The secretariat knows these latest census numbers "are not going to be the most positive thing," said spokesman Brendan Langille.

He conceded the numbers could even be demoralizing "but that's the reality. The only choice is identifying the problem and meeting it head on.

"Ignoring it is not an option."

Langille called the goal of 5,000 immigrants a year a major challenge but "definitely do-able if the right resources are put in place."

Manitoba has proven that a small province of 1.1 million can do it by attracting nearly 8,000 immigrants a year recently. Its goal is 10,000 a year in 2007.

For Metro Moncton, the first census in which Stats Can treats the community as a census metropolitan area will undoubtedly be cause for celebration. The population has been on the upswing for several years, fuelled primarily by the arrival of new residents from rural, small-city and northern New Brunswick.

In January, the Financial Post publication Canadian Demographics 2007 predicted Metro Moncton would have 130,000 people by later this year, compared to 126,000 for greater Saint John.

The Moncton area's growth rate outstrips any other contenders in Atlantic Canada and even the national average, said the report.

Saint John may well face another decline in population even though the local economic development agency Enterprise Saint John unveiled a population growth strategy a couple of years ago.

But that was never seen as a quick fix, said Enterprise's CEO Steve Carson. "It's pretty early days in terms of turning the ship around," said Carson.

No matter what the numbers are, a decline will "play out in different reactions in the coffee shops for sure.

"But it'd be much harder to take without the plan we have and without the tremendous signs we're seeing that we're poised to see some significant growth."

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by ElevatorGuy

stu_pendousmat2, have you seen any info on the condo's being built out at Royal Oaks golf course?

I posted a pic of that condo in my new list

heres the official web-site for it...it has some nice interior pics too:

http://www.theoakscondo.ca/

[mmmatt]

Moncton area only CMA in Atlantic Canada with growth rate above national average
Times & Transcript (Moncton)
Wed 14 Mar 2007
Page: A1
Section: NEWS
Byline: By Brent Mazerolle Times & Transcript Staff
Source:

Metro Moncton may be the new kid on the block of Canada's census metropolitan areas, but it's gained itself a place near the top of the pack when it comes to population growth.

It has also now surpassed Saint John as the largest metropolitan area in New Brunswick by just over 4,000 people and is the only CMA in the Atlantic provinces with a growth rate above the national average.

Statistics Canada released the first numbers from the 2006 census yesterday, and the new Moncton CMA, with an addition of almost 8,000 people, is tied for 10th place with Vancouver for percentage of population growth since the last federal census in 2001. There are 33 census metropolitan areas in Canada.

This bit of good news comes amidst a generally poor showing for New Brunswick as a whole in Statscan's tallies of populations and dwelling numbers, the first figures of many to be released by the federal government in the coming months.

The good showing in southeastern New Brunswick is largely the result of phenomenal growth in Dieppe, which saw its population jump by 24.2 per cent in the five years since the last census. To find that kind of growth elsewhere in the 2006 census, you generally have to look to Alberta's oil and gas patch, where communities like Okotoks, Airdrie and Strathmore, all within commuting distance of Calgary, have seen growth surpassing 40 per cent.

In fact, Dieppe's growth roughly equals that of Grande Prairie in northern Alberta's resource rich Golden Triangle. For Dieppe to do that in a province with a population increase of just one tenth of a per cent (Alberta's overall growth was 10.6 per cent) is a remarkable achievement.

Dieppe Mayor Achille Maillet was pleased to have Statscan "confirm what we already knew, that we are contributing to the metropolitan area in a big way. It's absolutely good news and we are thrilled."

Asked if there was a downside, Maillet acknowledged "spectacular growth brings challenges," but that it was "much more fun to manage growth than the other way around."

Maillet said while Dieppe has indeed embarked on almost half the city's public works projects in the past three years, it was necessary to strike while the iron was hot. With the full expectation that some degree of growth will continue, Maillet said the city's recent spending on infrastructure was a necessary investment in the future.

Riverview Mayor Clarence Sweetland was pleased to hear Riverview had largely kept pace with the national growth rate. Riverview's population has jumped by 4. 8 per cent in between censuses, within a percentage point of the national rate. That addition of roughly 800 new citizens brings the town's population to 17, 832, just shy of the 18,000 the mayor had estimated.

"I get feedback all the time that Riverview is an attractive place to live," Sweetland said, adding he had anecdotal evidence the town was increasingly becoming an attractive retirement community for people from other parts of Canada.

Sweetland was also delighted by the growth of the entire urban Moncton area. "It's an indication the three communities are sharing in the prosperity."

Geographically, the Moncton census metropolitan area takes in the region typically served by Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe. It stretches from Elgin to Hillsborough and Salisbury to Dorchester and north through the tri-community area all the way to the Parish of St. Paul.

It does not, however, include the coastal area from Bouctouche to Port Elgin or the town of Sackville, even though they might seem to locals as part of the Moncton universe.

Sitting in his office at the centre of that universe yesterday was Moncton Mayor Lorne Mitton. Mitton was actually relieved to read that provincical growth flatlined at an insignificant one tenth of one per cent growth. "I had been kind of projecting in my mind that we (as a province) would drop."

The mayor said he was proud that the Moncton census area was responsible for stemming that outflow and was pleased our new CMA status, so important to marketing the region, comes at a time when the area is showing such growth.

The city of Moncton proper posted a five per cent population growth. In raw numbers, Moncton added 3,082 citizens for a new population of 64,128. Dieppe added 3,614 for a new total population of 18,565.

Mitton also picked up on a nationwide trend identified by Statistics Canada, that two-thirds of Canada's population growth was attributable to net international migration rather than increasing birth rates. He said if Metro Moncton's growth is merely a result of migration from northern New Brunswick, that wouldn't really help in the bigger picture.

He said Moncton would continue to try to lure immigrants from other parts of Canada and around the world. While he awaited the release of further population breakdowns from the federal government, Mitton said rough calculations would suggest the tri-communities' growth of almost 8,000 new citizens can't be attributed solely to migration from northern New Brunswick, which declined by about 3,000 people in the same period.

While the urban part of the Moncton census metropolitan area showed solid growth, many of the rural parts didn't fare so well. The village of Salisbury grew 4.2 per cent or by 82 people, but the village of Hillsborough grew only by six people. The parish of Hillsborough dropped by one person, as did the Fort Folly First nation. The population of the parish of Coverdale grew by 74 and the village of Memramcook dropped by 81 to a new population of 4,638. The population of the parish of St-Paul dropped by almost 10 per cent while the parish of Dorchester dropped by about two per cent.

Lastly, there is the curious case of the village of Dorchester. Statscan figures show the population, which includes inmates of the village's two correctional facilities if their sentences have them there more than six months, jumping by 17.3 per cent.

If that sounds unlikely to you, Dorchester Mayor Mel Goodland agrees. Back in 2002, Goodland opposed the official findings of the 2001 census which recorded the population at 954. Goodland told the Times & Transcript then he believed the real population should have been about 1,100. When he took it up with Statscan at the time, they stood by their number. Interestingly, the new official population figure released yesterday puts the figure at 1,119.

Goodland said yesterday he could think of less than 10 newcomers arriving in the village in the past five years, some of them his son and his family. The increase of 165 residents recorded by the 2006 census appears to be a correction rather than a sign of a population boom.

[ElevatorGuy]

stu_pendousmat2, Good article and thanks for posting that pic of the Royal Oak's condo. I was in town a few weeks ago and that hotel around the airport is coming along nicely. Should be ready by summer.

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by ElevatorGuy

stu_pendousmat2, Good article and thanks for posting that pic of the Royal Oak's condo. I was in town a few weeks ago and that hotel around the airport is coming along nicely. Should be ready by summer.

No problem at all...i have yet to see that site actually lol ill have to venture over when i go home this weekend

[SJTOKO]

I just have one question to ask. What do people find so appealing about Moncton. Unless there are jobs available I can't really see people wanting to move there. No offence but I always thought of Moncton as a giant swamp with a river of shit running through it. Terrible Architecture, Terrible History.. and BORING! Gawd I don't understand the hype so you have a population of 130 thou.. there are 130 thousand people in my neighborhood, that isn't going to fix your cities problems. Sure your doing alright but when it comes down to it your only putting makeup on the Elephant man... please tell me why i'm wrong..

[sdm]

Originally Posted by SJTOKO

I just have one question to ask. What do people find so appealing about Moncton. Unless there are jobs available I can't really see people wanting to move there. No offence but I always thought of Moncton as a giant swamp with a river of shit running through it. Terrible Architecture, Terrible History.. and BORING! Gawd I don't understand the hype so you have a population of 130 thou.. there are 130 thousand people in my neighborhood, that isn't going to fix your cities problems. Sure your doing alright but when it comes down to it your only putting makeup on the Elephant man... please tell me why i'm wrong..

Terrible architecture? Whens the last time you were on main street?

[MonctonGoldenFlames]

Originally Posted by SJTOKO

I just have one question to ask. What do people find so appealing about Moncton. Unless there are jobs available I can't really see people wanting to move there. No offence but I always thought of Moncton as a giant swamp with a river of shit running through it. Terrible Architecture, Terrible History.. and BORING! Gawd I don't understand the hype so you have a population of 130 thou.. there are 130 thousand people in my neighborhood, that isn't going to fix your cities problems. Sure your doing alright but when it comes down to it your only putting makeup on the Elephant man... please tell me why i'm wrong..

I'm not sure it's about what's inside City limits, not that there is anything wrong within City limits, but part of what makes a great place, is obviously its location. Have you ever been around Moncton? There are Fundy and Kouchibouguac National Parks within an hour of town, the warmest salt water beaches north of Virginia and short driving distances to anywhere in the Maritimes. Its a bilingual City, so there is no shortage of culture, I think its a relatively young City and getting younger. Yes, I was born and raised there, so I am a little biased, but I couldnt think of a better place to live. Hell, I cant wait to get out of Calgary and move back home.

[SJTOKO]

Originally Posted by sdm

Terrible architecture? Whens the last time you were on main street?

lol.........you're joking right...

[SJTOKO]

Originally Posted by MonctonGoldenFlames

I'm not sure it's about what's inside City limits, not that there is anything wrong within City limits, but part of what makes a great place, is obviously its location. Have you ever been around Moncton? There are Fundy and Kouchibouguac National Parks within an hour of town, the warmest salt water beaches north of Virginia and short driving distances to anywhere in the Maritimes. Its a bilingual City, so there is no shortage of culture, I think its a relatively young City and getting younger. Yes, I was born and raised there, so I am a little biased, but I couldnt think of a better place to live. Hell, I cant wait to get out of Calgary and move back home.

We're talking about the city of Moncton here not the surrounding area.....

[MonctonGoldenFlames]

Originally Posted by SJTOKO

I just have one question to ask. What do people find so appealing about Moncton. Unless there are jobs available I can't really see people wanting to move there. No offence but I always thought of Moncton as a giant swamp with a river of shit running through it. Terrible Architecture, Terrible History.. and BORING! Gawd I don't understand the hype so you have a population of 130 thou.. there are 130 thousand people in my neighborhood, that isn't going to fix your cities problems. Sure your doing alright but when it comes down to it your only putting makeup on the Elephant man... please tell me why i'm wrong..

Originally Posted by SJTOKO

We're talking about the city of Moncton here not the surrounding area.......

So...you want to know what is appealing about the City of Moncton, within its limits, but have the ignorance to include the Metro Moncton population stats, which include suburbs of Riverview & Dieppe, and many other small rural areas surrounding Metro Moncton. Make up your mind.

Within Moncton City Limits (your rules): Magic Mountain Water Theme Park, Magnetic Hill Zoo, Capitol Theatre, Moncton Farmers Market, Magnetic Hill (Canada's third most visited natural attraction)and the Tidal Bore.

Moncton and surrounding areas (my rules): All of the above within City limits + Kouchibouguac National Park, Fundy National Park, Bouctouche Dunes, La Pays de la Sagouine, Mary's Point Bird Sanctuary, Cape Enrage, Hopewell Cape (The Rocks), Hillsborough/Salem Railroad, Fort Beasejour & Cape Jourimain.

Those lists depend on what 'joe public' considers an attraction, or amenities that improve the quality of life in a particular city. Personally, I think you would hard pressed to find a City the size of Moncton and area that has more to offer. Hell, I live in Calgary, I and can find more things to do within an hour of Moncton, than an hour of Calgary.

We have had our share of "terrible history" in 1862, when the ship building collpased due to the invent of steam power and steel fabricating, the local economy was crushed. In 1871, Intercolonial Railway brought hope back to the area by moving its headquarters there. Moncton grew steadily until the 1980's when Canadian National Railroad (formerly Intercolonial Railway), moved its maintenance yards to Montreal. Once again, the City was hit hard, but has since recovered, and is above the national growth curve, and now the largest CMA in New Brunswick, so with this, I ask you, whats so terrible about our history of never giving up, and conitnued prosperity thru several hardships? It doesn't sound "terrible" at all.

You are asking for reasons why Moncton is an appealing place to live, and I have provided many. So, can you give me any good reasons why it is not an appealing place? And I'm not talking about general "terrible architecture", "terrible history" or "boring" generalizations. I want tangibles, not lip service just for the sake of it.

Moncton Resurgo!


Sidenote: Is assuming the SJ in SJTOKO means Saint John, inaccurate?

[sdm]

Originally Posted by SJTOKO

lol.........you're joking right...

No actually i am not.

Do you even know what architecture is?

Just because things are modern and fancy doesn't mean it has terrible architecture.

[someone123]

It is awfully artificial not to take nearby areas into consideration. The fact is that if you live in Moncton you can easily visit attractions outside of the city.

The countryside in that area can be very attractive.