The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[NBNYer]

^^^ Very interesting article. Hopefully some people at city hall will take notice. Also, I had no idea that the main street bridge over Halls Creek was the McMonagle bridge, or that it even had a name!

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

The cry for renewal of the CBD is historical, bordering hysterical. The CBD is Vaughan Harvey Boulevard, St. George Street, the Petitcodiac River and McMonagle Bridge at Dieppe's boundary. An events centre, as a potential fulcrum for core redevelopment, has been advanced to supporters and skeptics.

[JasonL-Moncton]

Originally Posted by NBNYer

^^^ Very interesting article. Hopefully some people at city hall will take notice. Also, I had no idea that the main street bridge over Halls Creek was the McMonagle bridge, or that it even had a name!

That was a fantastic article...much of which has been voiced by our collective here. Many other cities treasure their history, embrace it, restore it. Here we seem to want to destroy it and 'expand' into the vinyl and concrete wilderness.

Expansion doesn't mean that the GMA must grow it's km2 footprint, it can mean rejuvenating and re-purposing what we have from era's gone by, and building buildings we are proud of, not cookie cutter vinyl monstrosities.

[MonctonRad]

Editorial from today's T&T:
http://22864.vws.magma.ca/index.php?&article_id=11158

Time for a 'cool change' in Metro
Monday, June 03, 2013
Times & Transcript

While the fate of a heritage property at 271 Mountain Rd. is far from sealed at this point, the long-term future of Moncton's fondly regarded 'Castle Manor' looks dim indeed. It is one of the last sizeable and obviously beautiful old buildings remaining in Moncton and seemingly, also symbolizes the City of Moncton's last chance to finally get its act together on heritage preservation.

Indeed the City's existing heritage bylaw might actually contribute to the problem at this stage. It's hard for a developer to take a chance on a huge old structure like Castle Manor while being restricted in terms of how it can be renovated or 'repurposed.' On the other hand, a bylaw that can't stop a developer from slapping vinyl siding over a gorgeous structure that in fact resembles a medieval castle wouldn't be worth the paper it was printed on.

We don't suggest there are trite answers for Moncton City Council, City administration or the Heritage Preservation Review Board. But surely, there has to be a way. All you need for proof is a visit to Fredericton or Halifax or St. John's or dozens of other cities elsewhere in Canada. You can't explain away Fredericton's success as merely the result of having access to government largesse as the provincial capital, but it is possible that many years of government support have engendered a different attitude to heritage preservation in Fredericton.

Doubtless the City of Fredericton has had its own financial challenges as it continues the work of preserving its old buildings. But they do continue the work, and one might well wonder if it relates to a cultural difference.

What might in fact be necessary in Metro, before anything else, is a complete culture change. Currently the attitude seems to be 'development at any cost,' timid acceptance of anything a developer proposes to do. Monctonians should be cool to any proposal for new construction that does not enhance our skyline, and that goes far beyond heritage buildings.

We Say:

On development issues, sometimes we need to 'just say no'

[MonctonRad]

It hasn't been mentioned on the forum before, but it has recently been confirmed that Moncton will be one of the host cities for the 2014 FIFA U20 Women's World Cup.

This event is held in the year preceding the FIFA Women's World Cup (which Moncton is also a host city for), and will be a very useful trial run leading into the world championships.

Only four cities in the country have been selected for the U20 tournament. They are Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton and Moncton.....

[BlackYear]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

It hasn't been mentioned on the forum before, but it has recently been confirmed that Moncton will be one of the host cities for the 2014 FIFA U20 Women's World Cup.

This event is held in the year preceding the FIFA Women's World Cup (which Moncton is also a host city for), and will be a very useful trial run leading into the world championships.

Only four cities in the country have been selected for the U20 tournament. They are Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton and Moncton.....

Yep, and the mayor's quote says a lot, “You’ll note that the cities that are involved were also involved with FIFA but not all cities got chosen to host the Under 20 Women’s World Cup… and Moncton is in there with the big players as always,” notes LeBlanc.

The stadium is definitely starting to pay dividends, too bad they can't get a least one concert in there this summer.

They built it, and they are coming. Build the downtown event centre and they will come there as well.

[Norshorer]

Originally Posted by Budyser

Yep, and the mayor's quote says a lot, “You’ll note that the cities that are involved were also involved with FIFA but not all cities got chosen to host the Under 20 Women’s World Cup… and Moncton is in there with the big players as always,” notes LeBlanc.

The stadium is definitely starting to pay dividends, too bad they can't get a least one concert in there this summer.

They built it, and they are coming. Build the downtown event centre and they will come there as well.

I too would love to see the stadium being used for concerts, but something tells me UdeM are reluctant to allow this thanks to all the NIMBYs living nearby. Wouldn't be surprised in the least if the university would get all sorts of noise complaints the day after and decided never to hold another concert there again.

I haven't been to the CFL games, so I have no idea if there was a half-time show/concert or if they just carried on with the game? If there WAS a show/concert, then I'd be curious to see if there were any NIMBY noise complaints that resulted from it. Probably not since it was in the middle of the afternoon & not at night?

Anyway, just my 2 cents 5 cents as to possibly why we haven't seen any concerts being announced for that venue.

The rate of speed things are taking for the new events centre to be built, I have a feeling I'll be 10 years closer to retirement before they even pour the first load of cement for the foundation.

We've got a great venue that could be used for so much more than just sporting events and it's just sitting there going unused for a greater portion of the year. Seems like a waste of a perfectly fine stadium to me.

[MonctonRad]

from News 91.9

Student enrolment up in Greater Moncton

Thanks to a growing population, student numbers are up and more teachers are being hired as a result
Allan Dearing
Jun 10, 2013 12:27:08 PM

MONCTON, NB – The Anglophone East School District is expanding in terms of enrolment and teachers thanks to a growing population in Greater Moncton.

Superintendent Gregg Ingersoll says the district seems to be contradicting a provincial trend.

“The trend… is a good trend. Instead of going down, we actually held our own (this year) and went up a little bit. We are anticipating that we will hold that at least for next year as well,” says Ingersoll.

Ingersoll notes higher enrolment will mean more teachers will be hired next year as well.

The Francophone South School District also anticipates higher enrolment in the fall and doesn’t expect to cut any staff including teaching positions.

[MonctonRad]

from today's T&T:

Moncton construction soars
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Times & Transcript
By: James Foster

Residential building slows slightly, other categories rise markedly

Moncton's year-to-date building per mit figures up to the month of April show a huge increase in permit values, to $99.9 million this year from $36.8 million at the same point on the calendar last year.

This represents the best total year-to-date permit value for the last 10 years, the City of Moncton says.

'Moncton's strong building permit numbers are just another indicator that our economy remains strong,' Mayor George LeBlanc says.

'I am looking forward to a strong upcoming construction season, with a lot of exciting new developments.' The home-building season has gotten off to a good start, though it doesn't measure up to 2012's figures up to the end of April. This year 152 residential permits have been issued compared to 169 last year and the value of those permits dipped slightly as well, to $13.7 million compared to last year's $17.2 million.

Slightly more than $10 million in residential permits were issued for the month of April alone, compared to $9.8 million in April 2012, representing a small increase, and the number of units included in those permits also rose slightly in the month of April, to 124 compared to 120 in April of 2012.

Other categories of permits exhibited strong increases in April over the same month last year, as did this year's year-to-date figures compared to 2012.

The year-to-date value Government and Institutional permits is just over $39 million as opposed to last year's value of nearly $1.7 million, with five permits issued in April alone valued at more than $34 million, compared to three in April of 2012 valued at $223,000.

The month of April was also a very busy month when it came to Commercial and Industrial permits, with 16 permits issued valued at almost $31 million, which is an increase over last year's total of over $10 million. Total year-to-date value in this category is more than $46 million compared to almost $17 million last year.

'April has been a record setting month for Commercial and Institutional permits. It is very exciting to see so much activity so early in the season,' said Allan Breau, the City of Moncton's Development Control Supervisor of Building Inspection.

complete article:
http://22864.vws.magma.ca/index.php?&article_id=11212

[MonctonRad]

from today's T&T

Council to harness 'can-do' attitude
Friday, June 14, 2013
Times & Transcript
By: Alan Cochrane

Robert Irving to chair new Economic Leadership Council

Metro Moncton's new Economic Leadership Council will harness the area's can-do attitude to help chart the course for future economic development in the region, chairman Robert Irving said yesterday.

'Looking back, I really think that having a winning, can-do attitude was the critical factor in our historic turnaround and past success and it will continue to be vital in our future success as we face the challenges of today and tomorrow,' Irving, the coCEO of J.D. Irving, Limited, said during a speech to more than 460 people at the Enterprise Greater Moncton 13th annual Community Development Breakfast.

The breakfast was attended by the mayors of Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe, council members, MLAs and local business leaders. Irving stressed the need for cooperation and hard work to drive the city's future success in the face of economic uncertainty.

'We need business to continue to support the community - we need everyone to come together to keep spreading the word about all the great things we have to offer,' Irving said. 'We have to gather the best minds, talent and passion of the people of Greater Moncton to ensure our vision is both strategic and focused on getting results. And, most importantly, we have to win. It's the winning spirit of the business community, our record of success, and an opportunity to get involved and truly make a difference. We will set the bar higher than ever before and we will achieve our vision. To be part of success - that's exciting.' During yesterday's breakfast, Enterprise Greater Moncton board chairwoman Lois Scott announced the formation of the Economic Leadership Council. The council is comprised of local business and community leaders who will help chart the course for future economic development in Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview.

Other members of the initial council are: René Collette of Caisses populaires acadiennes, David Holt of Modern Construction, Susan Hicks of Technology Venture, David McFayden of the Owen-MacFayden Group, Larry Nelson of the Lounsbury Group, Brent Scrimshaw of Atlantic Lottery, Tom Badger, chairman of the Greater Moncton Chamber Commerce and Scott.

Read more:
http://22864.vws.magma.ca/index.php?&article_id=11225

[Norshorer]

From CBC.ca/NB

Moncton downtown centre moves ahead
Council votes to buy Highfield Square property and shortlists 2 developers
CBC News
Posted: Jun 18, 2013 11:40 AM AT
Last Updated: Jun 18, 2013 12:03 PM AT

Moncton city council took two big steps towards building a $105-million downtown sports and entertainment centre on Monday night. Council voted 8-2 in favour of purchasing the 11-acre former Highfield Square property on Main Street for $6 million. Coun. Paul Pellerin and Coun. Brian Hicks voted against it.

The option to buy the land was scheduled to expire on July 3 and council now has to close the deal within 60 days of that date. The former shopping centre will be demolished and the city hopes to build an event centre on the site. Jacques Dubé, the city manager, says the property is a great deal as it has already gone up in value since the price was negotiated in the option to purchase the land.

"Our own appraisal shows that property is worth $10 million," Dubé said.

"The sale price was negotiated at $6 million so we're buying a piece of property that the market now establishes at $10 million worth of value."

In addition to the $6 million purchase price, Dubé says the city will have to spend between $2.5 million and $6 million to demolish the former mall and clean up any hazardous waste on the site, including hydrocarbons and asbestos.

Council shortlists 2 developers

Moncton council also agreed on Monday to begin negotiations with two national firms which have expressed interest in building the downtown event centre. Bird Construction Inc., Ellis Don Corporation and L'Aréna des Canadiens Inc. had all expressed interest in bidding for the project, but Dubé said only two have qualified to move forward to the request for proposals stage.

Bird Construction built the Thunderbird Sports Centre for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Ellis Don is known for Toronto's Rogers Centre and L'Aréna des Canadiens built the Bell Centre which is home to the Montreal Canadiens. In his report to councillors, Dubé said L'Aréna des Canadiens Inc. was "non-compliant" while Ellis Don Corporation received a final score of 71.5 per cent and Bird Construction a score of 80.17 per cent.

The companies were evaluated on experience, understanding of the project and methodology, which included experience working with a public authority.

Read more:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-br...purchased.html


Personal note:
Ellis Don also built the John Labatt Centre (now known as Budweiser Gardens) in London, ON. That arena can hold approx 9100 for end stage concerts so it should give you an idea of what Moncton's new Event Centre might be like.

Despite the rumblings that tax-payers might be on the hook for this project, I'm so used to such being the case by now for these kinds of projects that it doesn't phase me at all at this point. Glad this went through instead of being killed-off completely. Also glad they didn't opt to do some sort of half-arsed retrofit for existing Coliseum either.

Maybe by 2018, Moncton will start seeing concerts & other major events stop here instead of bypassing us for Halifax. Would also be great once and for all if the Moncton vs. Halifax concert feud could be put to an end by this since concerts would be stopping in BOTH cities vs. only going to one.

[MonctonRad]

Link to the pdf of the agenda for the June Moncton PAC meeting:

http://www.moncton.ca/Assets/Governm...une+Agenda.pdf

Nothing absolutely stunning here, but more subdivisions are on the way.......

[MonctonRad]

Colour for the page:

Here are a few pictures from Shot in the Dark, the shot put championship held on the Moncton riverfront this evening as part of the 2013 Canadian Track & Field Championships. The rest of the events are all being held at the Moncton Stadium, but they decided to hold the shot put event on the riverfront and include a music stage, free concert and a beer garden. This was all a terrific idea! The name of the event (Shot in the Dark) was pretty clever too. It wasn't over until nearly 11PM and it was pretty dark. Don't worry, they did have artificial lighting!


Yes, the clouds look threatening. The concert was cut short and the shot put event was delayed about a half hour by a heavy thundershower. The beer tent suddenly filled to overflowing by patrons attempting to escape the monsoon.


The storm moves off, revealing a brilliant double rainbow.


The event begins. The ladies championship was followed by the mens championship. A new Canadian record was set by a paralympian who was invited to compete with the male athletes. The crowd was also thrilled to hear that the current Canadian mens champion (Dylan Armstrong) has just belatedly been awarded an Olympic bronze medal for the Beijing Games because the current bronze medallist has just been given a lifetime ban. Armstrong, who had previously placed fourth in the Beijing Olympic Games, will now move up to third place, thus entitling him to the bronze medal. This was breaking news.....

Halifax may have beach volleyball on their harbour front, but in Moncton, we have shot put on the riverfront.

[gm_scott]

Man... the grass is green in Moncton. I guess the grass really is greener on the other side.

[Philbilly]

I am at the Canadian National track and field competition and this is a total disgrace. Except for the athletes, family friends and coaches they are mabey 50 locals .way to go moncton for supporting a national event.

[MonctonRad]

That's too bad. I would have been there with my middle son but I am working this weekend.

The "Shot in the Dark" competition last night was fairly well attended (given the weather) and everyone had a good time....

[Philbilly]

The people in this city should support these type of events. These events brings in money to the metro. If not supported they will ignore this city for future events. I am glad shot in the dark was a success considering the weather but showing your support at the moncton stadium is where it matters at this event. Well going to edit this post ,finally people are starting to show up but better late than never lol

[MonctonRad]

There is unfortunately some competition for the track championships this weekend. My wife and son went to the Moncton Metro Highland Games today and they said there was a good crowd there. Also, given the stellar weather today, I imagine a lot of people went to the beach.

I'm glad to hear crowds are picking up this evening. I think most of the finals are tomorrow. Also, the Highland Games are only a one day competition and are over now. Maybe attendance for the track & field championship will be better tomorrow.......

[Philbilly]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

There is unfortunately some competition for the track championships this weekend. My wife and son went to the Moncton Metro Highland Games today and they said there was a good crowd there. Also, given the stellar weather today, I imagine a lot of people went to the beach.

I'm glad to hear crowds are picking up this evening. I think most of the finals are tomorrow. Also, the Highland Games are only a one day competition and are over now. Maybe attendance for the track & field championship will be better tomorrow.......

lets hope they flock like seagulls tomorrow!!!

[Josh73]

I volonteered at the track meet today and yesterday. There weren't too many people there, but yesterday evening, (for the 100m finals) the crowd grew lots, and they got pretty into the javelin competion! Great to see at least some locals have an intrest in one of our city's primary summer sports.

[MonctonRad]

Abridged from today's T&T. Full article here:
http://22864.vws.magma.ca/index.php?&article_id=11283

Track event a huge success
Monday, June 24, 2013
Times & Transcript
By: Tess Allen

Athletes, spectators and officials alike dazzled by performances, stadium


More than 800 athletes and countless spectators from within the region and beyond came out in droves to Stade Moncton 2010 Stadium this weekend for the 2013 Canadian Track and Field Championships.

From Friday night's unique riverfront kickoff to the dazzling displays of javelin, hurdles and para-athletics that comprised most of the weekend, organizer Doug Robertson couldn't have been more pleased with how things turned out.

'By all accounts the event was a big success and we on the organizing committee are very pleased,' said Robertson yesterday before a full afternoon of nonstop competition under the hot sun.

'We had lots of enthusiasm from the athletes and officials with how the event was run and there has also been great reaction to the stadium, as this was clearly an opportunity for all these athletes to compete in a world class facility.' While the event suffered its fair share of bumps and scrapes along the way (Friday night's Shot in the Dark was nearly drowned out by a torrential downpour and lightning storm), Robertson said he and fellow organizers had a pretty good grip on any challenges that arose over the course of the weekend.

'Any time you have an event of this size with so many moving parts, there are always little things that pop up here and there but nothing that we haven't been able to address or overcome as we go along,' he said.

'As you through these things, you learn how to do things differently and more efficiently another time around.' Robertson added that in some ways, the weekend's occasionally unfavourable weather conditions had somewhat of a positive impact.

'There's nothing you can do about the weather, but in a funny way Friday night's rain almost lifted the spirits (of those in attendance) when we finally got on with Shot in the Dark. It was discouraging (when it first started raining) since we had worked so hard to make it a special event,' he said.

'But when the rain stopped and the skies cleared up, we got things underway and the way the crowd reacted was a big moment for us. The shot putters loved the venue and the idea of taking things off-site. They had nothing but rave reviews and many said they can't wait to come back next year.' Athletes and spectators alike were indeed impressed with the Stade Moncton 2010 Stadium.

Shot putter Pamela LeJean from Halifax, called the stadium 'amazing' and her overall experience this weekend was even better.

'Moncton's stadium is the nicest one I've ever been in. I've gotten to know so many awesome athletes who have really given me something to strive for. This experience has made me look at competition in a new light and I'm very excited for my future,'

'We're pleased with the turnout. Our crowds have been good but it can be hard to tell because the stadium is so much bigger (compared to other stadiums in the country),' said Robertson, adding that 'you could put the Calgary grandstand in a third of our little grandstand across the way.' 'From the start on Thursday morning we had good crowds out early in the day and Saturday evening the main grandstand was really full.' In the coming months, Robertson and his team will pore over the highs and lows of this past weekend's event in hopes of putting together an even better show next summer for the 2014 Canadian Track and Field Championships.

'We've got probably the best integrated track and field complex in the country here. It's a real asset that can become a centre of excellence for (the sport) in Eastern Canada.'