I'm posting this in the "rural Atlantic Canadian" thread only because the gods at StatsCan have deigned not to included Shediac in the Moncton CMA. We will ignore the fact that Shediac is only 15-18 minutes from downtown Moncton. As a lesser mortal, I will not argue the point.
Shediac's economy still gaining steam
Published Thursday September 17th, 2009
New retail, residential, and government investments diversify economy
By Jesse Robichaud
Times & Transcript Staff
SHEDIAC - The annually red-hot tourism season that Shediac has traditionally relied upon to rev up its economy is slowing down now that the crisp days of fall are around the corner.
GREG AGNEW/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT
The new Sobey and Canadian Tire stores at the entrance to Shediac are moving along in construction.
But the coastal community's economy appears to be only gaining steam as a number of high-profile projects are beginning or nearing completion.
Indeed, Shediac is not only defying the ebb and flow of its own economic cycles, but it is also managing to move ahead with several major projects despite a slowed economy across the country and around the world.
For example, Shediac Mayor Raymond is pleased that the construction of the new Sobey's and Canadian Tire stores is progressing at an impressive pace.
While the construction job is putting local people to work, Cormier is also looking forward to the permanent local jobs that will be created when the stores open their doors sooner rather than later.
"It is going very well," he said. "Their intention is to open before Christmas and, if you look at the progress, they are well advanced."
And while the location of a $40-million provincial jail within town limits came under attack from some residents last spring, Cormier defended the project as not only a major boost to the town's tax base, but also as an essential project in the town's plans to diversify its economy beyond tourism.
Cormier said town staff is currently planning how it will provide essential services to the provincial jail site where construction is expected to begin soon.
While the $40-million facility will increase the number of jobs in the town, Cormier is also enthused by the secondary effects of bringing essential services such as water and sewer across the four-lane highway. Chip seal is also being added on the Linot Road between the Ohio Road and the new jail.
The investment in these services provides an opportunity to open up new land to commercial, industrial, and residential development, said Cormier.
"That is the key...bringing it across the four-lane highway will allow us to attract more developers, be it residential, industrial, or commercial," said Cormier. "It is a secondary effect we are very happy to have."
Cormier said companies like Sobey's and Canadian Tire have taken notice, and he is happy to welcome them.
He states proudly that the last census shows that Shediac trailed only Dieppe in the region in terms of its per capita population growth at 12.3 per cent.
Cormier said the population spike is helping to open up new opportunities, and the town is thinking big. He would like to lure a major hotel to the municipality, and planning is currently under way on a multi-purpose community centre.
Future projects, and others that are currently materializing in the area, such as the expansion of the Scoudouc Industrial Park and the addition of an interchange onto Highway 15, are helping to build a critical mass of population that the private sector is noticing.
The activity has helped to compensate for a rough lobster season and the closure of the Owens-Illinois bottling plant in the Scoudouc Industrial Park.
Denis Arsenault, the developer of Le Rivage condominium development at Cap-Bimet, has witnessed the resilience of the area's economy firsthand.
As the finishing touches are placed on the condominium over the next eight days, it serves as an example of how the Shediac area is cruising against the current of the recession's lingering effects.
Arsenault said the 36 units he has been able to sell so far in an icy real estate market is a testament to the strength of the location and Shediac's proximity to Moncton.
With 14 potential buyers unable to secure financing from the banks, Arsenault said the economic situation remains a concern. However, he said the project's location in such a hot spot that it has helped keep it on track despite very conservative lending practices at financial institutions.
"Simply put, it is the location. Even in these difficult economic times people are still looking to have that escape, to have that place beside the water, and Le Rivage offers that at a very affordable price," said Arsenault.
"We were fortunate with the site, the beauty of it being on a point where you have a panoramic view of the beach."
Arsenault said the Shediac region will continue to grow as Moncton expands and as traffic considerations make the short drive on the four-lane highway even less of a deterrent.
"What we are starting to see is that people are not seeing Shediac as far from Moncton," said Arsenault, adding that the perception of Shediac as a place to live or do business has changed.
"Because of the fact that the drive time around Moncton is becoming more cumbersome, people are starting to see Shediac as not as far," he said.
"Ten years ago, there was a perception that if you lived in Shediac, you lived in the country. That perception doesn't exist anymore. And not only is it not a perception, but it is not a reality anymore."
He said the addition of major retail projects is also a vote of confidence.
"When you see Canadian Tire and Sobeys moving into town, these are every intelligent organizations who are seeing that this community is going to continue to grow because Moncton is going to continue to grow," said Arsenault.
"Shediac is going to come into its own; it is showing that right now."
Enterprise Southeast executive director Serge Doucet said the area is well-positioned as the global economy regains strength.
"As a region, I think the economy has come out of the slowdown relatively well, and I think that we are geographically well-positioned as a region to see those benefits," said Doucet, noting government and private-sector investments.
"It is great to see the development in Shediac. There is no doubt that, with the increase in population, we are seeing developments saying we want to bring more services."
Doucet said the momentum is building, and it is contagious.
"There is no doubt that the mood and the feel in the surrounding are is good. People are in a good mood, and we have had a good tourism season."
"You are starting to see more ripple effects outside of the urban area (Moncton). Economic development doesn't happen in two years, and communities have to get to a certain critical mass."