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Posted Dec 8, 2007, 6:28 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Grand Bay-Westfield :: NB
Posts: 3,075
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All roads lead to Metro
Long-awaited figures prove Metro Moncton, Westmorland Co. a magnet for northern N.B. residents
By ROD ALLEN
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF
Published Saturday December 8th, 2007
Appeared on page A1
Statistics Canada's release of intraprovincial migration numbers from the 2006 census have finally confirmed what most New Brunswickers have suspected for years: that the north is rapidly emptying out into the south. Specifically to the southeast and more specifically still to Metro Moncton and the rest of Westmorland County.
In fact, according to the larger numbers that play out in the census, population growth in Westmorland can be considered explosive, outpacing as it does rapidly-growing Canada itself.
Thanks almost exclusively to the greatest five-year period of immigration in 75 years -- one in five or 19.8 per cent of all Canadians are now foreign-born -- Canada's population grew at a rate of 5.4 per cent over the five-year census period from 2001 to 2006.
New Brunswick enjoys only a tiny portion of immigration over the same period -- 4.1 per cent of New Brunswickers are immigrants. Yet, in five years, Westmorland County grew faster than Canada -- 6.5 per cent compared to 5.4 per cent -- or from 124,688 citizens in 2001 to 132,849 in 2006.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick's overall population growth is so tiny, at .1 per cent, that it might as well be considered stagnant over five years, moving from 729,498 people in 2001 to 729,997 in 2006.
The minuscule improvement in the provincial population, in which all factors such as births, deaths, immigration and interprovincial migration (movement from one province to another) are accounted, therefore, clearly shows that most of the growth enjoyed by the southeast comes at the expense of the north, which is clearly struggling with a moribund forestry industry and seeking to diversify a cyclical economy tied to global demand for the raw materials it produces.
Statistics Canada's figures for New Brunswick's intraprovincial migration (movement from one area to another within a province) show northern counties emptying rapidly as people seek the greater variety of jobs available in the south.
The biggest change in the north occurs in sprawling Restigouche County, which covers almost the entire top of the province like a cap.
There, population fell from 36,134 people in 2001 to 33,834 in 2006, or a decline of 6.4 per cent.
Next is neighbouring Gloucester County, covering the northeastern corner, which fell from 82,929 in 2001 to 78,948 in 2006, or a decline of 4.8 per cent.
Madawaska County in the northwestern corner of the province is also shrinking at a rate of minus 4.3 per cent from 35,611 in 2001 to 34,071.
Even north-central New Brunswick is losing people. Northumberland County, dominated by the City of Miramichi which is also dealing with forestry struggles, fell by 3.8 per cent from 50,817 people in 2001 to 48,868 in 2006.
Most of the south joins Westmorland in growth, albeit over a wide range of relative success.
The province's next biggest beneficiary of the north-to-south shift is Fredericton-dominated York County, which is enjoying 4.2 per cent growth from 87,212 to 90,872 over the five-year period. Albert County just west of Westmorland has also seen strong growth, a three per cent increase from 26,749 citizens in 2001 to 27,562 in 2006. Kent County on Westmorland's east flank grew by all of 66, from 31,383 to 31,449 for a marginal growth rate of .2 per cent.
But even parts of the south fell.
Saint John County occupying the southwestern corner and including the City of Saint John fell a minus 2.7 per cent from 76,407 to 74,621 people.
However, the numbers in Saint John's case can be deceptive, as a more detailed analysis of county-to-county movement will reveal.
In Saint John, for example, over the course of the five-year census period the County of Saint John sustained a net loss of 640 citizens to the neighbouring county of Kings.
It works this way: census-takers registered that in 2001, 1,955 people who were living in Saint John County that year had also registered that they had lived in Kings County during the previous census period of 1996-2001.
The census takers also registered that in 2006, 2,595 people who had been living in Saint John previously were now living in Kings County, thus a net benefit of 640 citizens for Kings County at the expense of Saint John County.
However, Saint John County is dominated by the City of Saint John, one of two Census Metropolitan Areas or CMAs (population exceeding 125,000) in New Brunswick, the other being Metro Moncton. Both of these CMAs are spread over two counties, and, in the case of the Saint John CMA, the other county is Kings, which contains several large and growing communities such as Rothesay.
Statistics Canada reports only numbers, not trends, but since housing trends in Saint John County suggest many residents of Saint John proper are moving to the suburbs the Saint John CMA is not losing population as rapidly as the County of Saint John, in which only about three-quarters of the CMA resides.
Other county-to-county movements however are much more clear-cut and dramatic -- particularly in the case of Westmorland County.
In 2001, for example, 675 people who had previously lived in the northeastern county of Gloucester were living in Westmorland, but in 2006, 1,650 people who had previously been living in Gloucester were now living in Westmorland.
The difference is 975 people, meaning that between 2001 and 2006 there was migration back and forth between the two counties, but at the end of the five years, 975 more Gloucesterians had moved to Westmorland than Westmorlanders had moved to Gloucester.
Westmorland is the stand-out in New Brunswick as the only county to have gained population from every single county in the province.
A 'quick facts' box accompanying this story shows what Westmorland gained from its 14 fellow counties over the census period.
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Grants go to heritage properties
Four owners of designated heritage buildings receive funding from city
By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Saturday December 8th, 2007
Appeared on page A4
Four owners of designated heritage buildings in Moncton recently received financial assistance from the City of Moncton to do right by their homes and businesses.
During the regular public meeting of Moncton City Council Dec. 3, the Moncton Heritage Preservation Review Board presented cheques to the owners.
Rosalind Miller received $10,000 to help with her million dollar renovation of the Peter McSweeney Building at 700 Main Street. The building houses Studio 700, Kramers Corner, McSweeney's Dinner Theatre and other businesses. Kathy Guitard received $6,331 for her repair and painting of original wood clapboards and trim, plus masonry and window repair at the residence of John A. Humphrey at 132 Mill Road. The home is headquarters of her new business, Hart Realty.
The city gave $6,185.50 for work on the Scott House at 63 Church Street, presently owned by Gregg Hunt. Hunt put it towards repair and painting of original wood clapboards and trim, and repairs to front verandah. Lastly, E.T. and Associates Inc. received $3,300 towards work at 24 Austin Street, the former residence of Mayor J. Fred Edgett.
The funds were allocated through the board's grant program, designed to support projects undertaken to preserve or enhance the historic character of the City of Moncton.
"The Review Board is committed to keeping Moncton's many wonderful heritage properties intact," said Beverly Barrett, Chair of Moncton's Heritage Preservation Review Board.
"We are proud of this grant program, which allows property owners to further enhance and restore these important structures, and we'd like to thank city council for investing in this worthwhile initiative."
In 1996, the City of Moncton established Heritage Preservation bylaw to help protect Moncton's collection of architecture and landscapes that date back to the 19th century.
Currently, more than 120 properties are protected as individual landmarks. The intent of the conservation program is to ensure the building's structural stability, to keep it weather tight and to conserve its heritage value. Projects which restore architectural elements significant to the heritage character of the property are also eligible for Moncton's grant program.
Information on the Heritage Preservation Review Board, the grant program, or any of Moncton's other heritage programs can be found at www.moncton.ca/heritage.
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Riverview condo project ready to go
Alan Cochrane
COCHRANE REPORT
Published Saturday December 8th, 2007
Appeared on page D2
A Moncton developer is ready to break ground in the spring for a new 18-unit condominium project next to the Moncton Golf & Country Club in Riverview.
"We're looking to pre-sell some through the winter and start digging in the spring," says Joe Spataro.
The Bella Casa Riverview Hilltop Golf Estates, geared toward adults and empty-nesters who want a nice view and live close to the golf course, are available in one or two-bedroom designs and range in price from $93,000 (635 square feet) to $225,000 (1,408 square feet). The Italian-style condos have design names like The Tuscany, The Genova, The Napoli, The Florentine, The Milano and The Sienna. Features will include cathedral ceilings, luxurious plumbing fixtures and pre-hung doors. Most have two bathrooms and some have two balconies. The buildings will include security entrances, elevators, underground parking, a large lobby and mailbox area, fitness room, multi purpose room and a live-in superintendent.
The project was delayed this year by legal action against the golf club, which has been settled.
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The scoops on the political heavyweights
GOSSIP FROM N.B.’S FAVOURITE RUMOUR-MONGER
Published Saturday December 8th, 2007
Appeared on page D10
Sleuth didn't get close enough to the PM -- did anyone? -- to hear exactly what he told Mayor Mitton about the 10,000-seat stadium to be built for the 2010 International Amateur Athletics Federation world junior track and field championships to be held in the city.
But he did pick up enough dirt to know that although the land has been cleared, we should not expect a sod-turning for construction until the new year. Could it be that federal Tories are waiting to time the photo-op as close as possible to a spring election?
Meanwhile, this old gumshoe also hears that a pretty powerful and fierce lobbying campaign has started to put the second practice track for the 2010 Worlds at l'Odyssée.
The city has been trying to figure out a compromise deal in which three players in the running for the practice track -- l'Odyssée, Moncton High School and Université de Moncton -- all come out like winners.
There's a case to be made for all three sites, but it can only go in one spot. Don't look for an announcement on this one until early in 2008.
***
Sleuth's spies tell him that somebody is canvassing southeastern New Brunswick on the Petitcodiac River issue.
At least one person in the Sussex area informs the ol' gumshoe that he received a call from an outfit based in Halifax, Thinkwell Research, that bills itself on the Internet as a "firm specializing in public affairs and in research for the development and assessment of communications, advertising, and direct marketing campaigns."
And it does do polling, but says it does so with various wordings of questions to determine what approaches work best for a public relations or marketing campaigns. So what's up and who has hired them? Is the federal government at work here?
Sleuth doesn't know, but his source did say the wording of questions he was asked was so "loaded" it was embarrassing. He talked of questions along the lines of: "Which do you think is better, spending $100 million on cleaning up the Petitcodiac or feeding poor people?"
And at one point when Sleuth's source refused to answer a question, the surveyor said, "so I'll put you down as undecided, then". . . to which the chap said, "no, put me down as refused to answer."
***
Sleuth has been a lifelong hockey fan so it sure didn't take long for complaints about the Tim Hortons 4-Plex to reach his open ears.
Frequent users of the facility say the dressing rooms are in terrible shape and players are now concerned about the general cleanliness of the facility.
What's troublesome, hockey insiders say, is that the company that operates the 4-Plex will also be responsibility for operating the new Kay Community Centre when it opens after Christmas.
Last edited by ErickMontreal; Dec 8, 2007 at 6:48 PM.
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