Quote:
Originally Posted by MonctonRad
Halifax is, and likely always will be, Atlantic Canada's largest and most important city. Halifax has a lot of advantages (historical gravitas, political capital of NS, major port, military infrastructure, universities, hospitals etc). Halifax has momentum, similar to a supertanker travelling at top speed in the middle of the ocean. It's difficult to stop or even slow down. 
The article however is interesting as further proof that Moncton also has momentum, based on it's own advantages, and will become increasingly a force to reckon with in Atlantic Canada. Moncton has traditionally been ignored (by the rest of Canada), dismissed (by Haligonians) and underestimated by everyone. These attitudes are beginning to change (except by the Haligonians).
The nadir for Moncton was in the late 1980s with the closure of the CN shops, CFB Moncton and the Eaton's catalogue warehouse throwing literally 4,000 or so people out of work (in a city at the time with a population between 90-100,000). It was a near death experience for the community and we came within a whisker of being another Industrial Cape Breton (economic basket case). Fortunately we had a supportive premier at the time (Frank McKenna) and visionary civic leadership who were capable to find a way out of the economic catastrophe. Positive energy and a can-do attitude count for a lot. The city has been growing for the last 25 years, and our economic strength continues to accelerate - including in all sectors, even in areas you might not expect (insurance, finance, biomedical research, IT start-ups, light manufacturing, heavy industry (rail car manufacturing), etc).
Moncton should not be underestimated or dismissed. No, we will not supplant Halifax as the east coast metropolis, but we will continue to challenge Halifax in certain sectors and become a force to reckon with. To look west for an analogy, Moncton may not become a new Calgary, but we will damned sure become a Saskatoon....... |
Yes, Moncton is a very positive force within the Maritimes and you guys should be proud of what you've made of yourselves. Being there, it was very weird, because it felt very un-Maritime to me, aside from the Acadian element. It was younger, bilingual, newer, and had a positive dynamism to it. Very Albertan, actually. I'd probably prefer Saint John if I moved to New Brunswick, but there's no denying the successes Moncton has made vis-a-vis Saint John, Sydney, etc. The only other places with Moncton's level of prosperity seemed to be Halifax, Lunenburg, and PEI.
I think, on the whole, New Brunswick at large is underestimated and dismissed on the national stage. A lot of people really don't know anything about it. PEI, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland all have more distinctive brands in people's minds. Maybe New Brunswick is hard to define... but they could totally do something with the Acadian heritage.