The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Mattyyy

Moncton was estimated to be at 145,000 as of July 1, 2013. If growth has continued I would estimate that by July we should be approximately 150,000. See statscan link for information. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tabl...emo05a-eng.htm

Good point. If we will be at 150,000 this year then we will be at 175,000 in 2025.

Of course, if NBNYer is correct, and that by 2025 Shediac/Cap Pele becomes part of the CMA, then this should boost the 2025 CMA population to at least 185,000.

Really, Shediac should be part of the CMA anyway. The economic and commuter ties between Moncton and Shediac are just as good as they are between Moncton and Memramcook (which is part of the CMA).

[mylesmalley]

Here are the rules for how and what gets included in a CMA.

Basically, Shediac would / will be included in Moncton's CMA if >50% of it's population commutes in, or if >25% of Moncton's population centre commutes out to Shediac, or if Shediac were to be completely surrounded by areas included in the CMA because of the previous rules or other ones.

[Nashe]

I'd frankly be surprised if 50% of Shediacians (heehee) WEREN'T commuters to Moncton.

[mylesmalley]

Well point is, at least for now, that hasn't been the case. I've never been able to find on Statcan's website where they break down who commutes to what CSD. It'd be really interesting to see that if anyone has access.

For everyone's information, the Moncton CMA map looks like this

[Fischbob]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Well point is, at least for now, that hasn't been the case. I've never been able to find on Statcan's website where they break down who commutes to what CSD. It'd be really interesting to see that if anyone has access.

I was using that dataset for work this past summer - it's very cool! You can access it here (use the drop-down menus to select your CSD of interest and switch between flows in and out).

Unfortunately, owing to the data source being the 2011 NHS, commuting flows for CSDs with high non-response rates are unavailable (e.g. Simonds Parish east of SJ).

EDIT: According to the above, 805 people who live in Shediac commute to Moncton and 135 commute to Dieppe, while 300 people from Moncton and 320 people from Dieppe commute to Shediac.

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by Fischbob

I was using that dataset for work this past summer - it's very cool! You can access it here (use the drop-down menus to select your CSD of interest and switch between flows in and out).

Unfortunately, owing to the data source being the 2011 NHS, commuting flows for CSDs with high non-response rates are unavailable (e.g. Simonds Parish east of SJ).

EDIT: According to the above, 805 people who live in Shediac commute to Moncton and 135 commute to Dieppe, while 300 people from Moncton and 320 people from Dieppe commute to Shediac.

You have no idea what having that link means to me.

[Fischbob]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

You have no idea what having that link means to me.

Oh, you can do some awesome stuff with that dataset. Like mapping urban commutersheds:


Source

Enjoy!

[MonctonRad]

from the City of Moncton website:

City of Moncton welcomes Fibre Centre, becomes first customer
February 6, 2015

MONCTON – The City of Moncton has agreed to transition some of its networking operations into Fibre Centre, a new data interconnection facility located in Moncton’s west end. The move, which will enhance the municipality’s disaster-recovery capabilities, represents an approximate $40,000 investment in new equipment and connectivity. Over time, this expanded capability is expected to help the City accommodate new growth, and to have a host of new competitive services at its disposal as tenants begin to occupy a digital presence within Fibre Centre.

“The City of Moncton is very pleased to be the first official customer of Fibre Centre”, said Moncton Mayor George Leblanc. “While it adds value to our own business processes, we believe that our deployment will also send a message to other companies that this is a value proposition worth looking at.”

The new facility - located at the corner of St. George and Milner - will bring new opportunities to businesses already located in the Moncton, as well as attract new ones to the area. With Moncton’s strategic location that also happens to be a major junction for key high-speed fibre lines, Fibre Centre is tapped into an intercontinental backbone that accommodates the bulk of network traffic between North America and Europe.

“The addition of Fibre Centre will definitely lead to some conversations that weren’t available to us before”, explained Kevin Silliker, director of Economic Development for the City of Moncton. “There are companies that look for this type of facility as a starting point in determining where to go next. We have effectively become a very viable option for an emerging market of firms that have more sophisticated connectivity needs.”

Apparently the Fibre Centre is located in the old Atlantic Lotto data centre on St. George Blvd. This is an excellent repurposing for this building. Hopefully this connectivity hub will be a stimulus for new high tech jobs in the city........

[L'homard]

Can anyone here explain to a no-nothing dummy like me (apparently I'm in the majority) exactly why this gives us a competitive advantage? Say, compared to Toronto or Boston?
Not being sarcastic here. I just don't understand it.

[MonctonRad]

I certainly don't profess to be an expert but I think this is the essential takeaway:

Moncton sits at one of the few places in NA where major fibre op pipelines intersect. One of these lines extends to Europe. Moncton has a competitive advantage because since we are sitting on a node, this allows data managers choices as to how to direct their data flow and thus some leverage in terms of negotiating price. As such, it might be cheaper for data farms to set up in Moncton. Also, since Moncton is a node, access to the fibe op pipelines is physically close, which means that there are speed advantages in terms of data access. This advantage might only be microseconds, but apparently this might be a big deal.

It remains to be seen if Moncton can leverage these advantages into an improved ability to draw business, and this hype may all be for naught. Moncton's relative geographic isolation might mitigate the advantage of sitting on a node. It will be interesting to see how things pan out in the next few years.

[L'homard]

Sounds like a good opportunity - doubly so if we could marry this with discounted power rates for certain types of companies.

[MonctonRad]

Moncton hotels miss the draw of Crystal Palace
Thursday, March 05, 2015
Times and transcript
By: Alan Cochrane

Hotel owners in Metro Moncton like to see people coming into the city for sports tournaments and trade shows but are worried that business might be slow during the first March break without Crystal Palace.

Ron Toogood, treasurer of the Greater Moncton Hotel Association, says the Crystal Palace indoor amusement park became a very important tourist draw during March break over the last 20 years. Crystal Palace closed down last fall and the building is now being renovated to become the home of a new Bass Pro Shops franchise, scheduled to open later this year. He’s hoping the new store will live up to expectations and become a tourist attraction in itself, drawing visitors from around the Maritimes who will use hotel rooms.

“Crystal Palace had a good 20-year run and it was very important to other hotels. It’s going to be hard to replace it with something that will draw young families with children pre-teen and younger. Perhaps that’s something for the city and private enterprise to think about. We’ve got the zoo and beaches and national parks during the summer but we need something for the winter months,” says Toogood, who operates the Coastal Inn in Dieppe.

read more:
http://22864.vws.magma.ca/index.php?&article_id=14475

personal note - It is as we feared, the loss of the Crystal Palace amusement park will indeed have an impact on the retail and hospitality industry in greater Moncton, especially during the March Break period. This is most unfortunate and might affect the survivability of some marginal operations. It's time for us to find out what is going to happen to the salvaged rides from the amusement park. Are they going to Magic Mountain or will they be going to PEI? It's been over six months now. Surely some type of plan has been formulated........

[L'homard]

Odd story. There is a massive Ringuette tourney in town and the huge Farm Mech Show, yet the reporter concludes hotels are suffering because Crystal Palace is gone.
I see no quotes in the story from any hotelier complaining about a lack of business at March break, just one quote from Mr. Toogood saying CP will be missed and was a good attraction, which of course it was. He doesn't say he's hurting for business.
No info on what the hotel vacancy rates are this March break, and how they compare with years past, either.
I call BS.

[Monctoncore]

My brother tried to get a hotel room this weekend coming and there was barely any rooms left and another member tried to get one during the week of PEI March break and there were very few rooms left outside of some of the gross hotels. So im finding that hard to believe.

[P Unit]

Breaking news: The guy who runs the hotel across the street from Crystal Palace not happy that Crystal Palace closed

[L'homard]

LOL!
He'll be much happier next year when BPS is across the street.

[benvui]

As of today GTECH (formerly Spielo) has finalized the acquisition of IGT, the largest casino slot machine manufacturer in the world, to become the largest end to end lottery/casino/VLT vendor in the world. What this means for jobs in the Moncton location is yet unknown.
Here is the press release

[josh_cat_eyes]

I started responding to a post on the Events Centre thread, but thought I'd put it here since its about Moncton as a whole.

Brian Gallant has not done a single good thing so far. Actually the Province has made some huge bone head moves in Moncton since Bernard Lord left office. They started to replace the causeway, only to stop the project before it finished. They moved Moncton High to the middle of nowhere. They built a new school on Ryan Rd. but failed to make it large enough. They build an overpass to get to Scoudouc but not the airport. The new jail was built in Shediac. Even building the casino not down town is shafting the city. The only good thing was the new Courthouse.
Meanwhile while Lord was premier the new Bridge was built, the Trans-Canada highway was twinned, the 4-plex was built and the surounding CN lands were developed, the new Moncton airport terminal was built and phase 1 of the Hospital expansion was started. Those are pretty huge investments to Moncton.

Think about this. What if the new Moncton High was built off Shediac Road. What if the government realized Moncton's need for a new arena 10 years ago and built an entertainment complex downtown combining the Casino project with the Events Centre project. What if the new jail was built on Caledonia Road in the industrial park. If the causeway was removed completely, they could also have solved the flooding & traffic problem at the traffic circle.
Instead political jousting has caused all these projects to get half assed or partially completed.

[MonctonRad]

from CBC:

Jacques Dubé plans to retire as Moncton city manager
Senior managers and city councillors have been informed of plans to leave by year's end
CBC News Posted: Apr 16, 2015 9:24 AM AT|
Last Updated: Apr 16, 2015 9:24 AM AT

There's a big change coming to Moncton City Hall as CBC has learned city manager Jacques Dubé is planning to retire.

Dubé broke the news to senior managers and city councillors this week, telling them he plans to step down either by July or the end of the year.

A For Sale sign went up in front of Dubé's house on the weekend.

Dubé was hired five years ago after an extensive across-Canada search by city council.

One of his main tasks was to get federal and provincial funding for the city's proposed $107-million downtown centre, which still has an uncertain future.

Dubé has close ties to the federal and provincial Tories.

Read more:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-br...ager-1.3034282

Personal note - Yet another indication the events centre is in very deep trouble???

Dube was to act as the lead proponent on this project. Is his impending retirement related to a stark realization the events centre is not going to happen??? His Tory affiliations might have been a distinct liability given the intense partisanship of the Gallant Liberals. Maybe Dube knows it is time to go........

[Good2go]

Dube tells T&T he's not going anywhere soon.