Moncton, New Brunswick: Leading in Atlantic Canada for economic growth and positive community business climate - now known as Metro Moncton

Written By: Sharon A. Layton-Pollock

Moncton: The crossroads of the Maritimes where the people of Moncton work in harmony, share common goals and enjoy the spaces they have created. This place, was once called Le Coude meaning “elbow” at the bend in the river, is now known as the City of Moncton.  Metro Moncton incorporates the City of Moncton, Town of Riverview and City of Dieppe - this census metropolitan area has a population of 126,424.

For Moncton, located on the north bank of the snaking bend of the tidal, Petitcodiac River, 400 plus years of being a crossroads of commerce has grown into a metropolitan, bilingual, if not multi-lingual and multi-cultural economic juggernaut, serving as a crossroads now for Atlantic Canada.

John Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Greater Moncton, says of Moncton: “ The City of Moncton/Greater Moncton Region was selected by KPMG as the best place to do business, not only in Atlantic Canada, but also in the Northeastern United States. This is one indication of where the community has been but also where we are growing/going. The ability of like-minded people to get together in the community and agree on a way to get ahead is the key to the success of the region. The level of cooperation between political and business leadership has created the proper environment for growth in a host of areas.”

Moncton: A short history

Moncton has indeed come a long way, our historical accounts tell us so. Where Moncton is today was once a Mi’kmaq campsite along the brown river, known as the Pet-koot-koy-ek, today called the Petitcodiac River. The river was the Mi’kmaq’s connection between waterways and their portage systems that took them from the Atlantic coastline of Acadia and the St. Lawrence River Valley. Soon the early French pioneers discovered the convenience of the river system and it became their route to other places in the Province.

In the 1670’s the Acadian period began in Moncton. Before 1700 the Acadian settlers had dyked and farmed the tidal marches as far down as the Shepody Bay in Albert County, and as far inland as Salisbury. In 1733, Moncton was an established European Settlement.The Petitcodiac River has been known by many different names. The French called it Le Coude and Terre-Rouge because of its red mud. Le Coude’s first settlers included the Babineau, Breau, and Thibodeau families.

In the 1750’s the Acadian settlers were invaded by British and New England forces, and later expelled. By 1760 the European settlers were gone. Twenty-five English families moved in the next year from Providence, Rhode Island. Then German families from Pennsylvania arrived in Hopewell in 1765.Captain John Hall’s ship left Philadelphia in 1766 with five families and landed at Panacadie Creek, later called Hall’s Creek, to establish the Monckton Township. The family of Henry Stief (Steeves) traveled down river and settled in Hillsborough, while Jacob Trites, Charles Jones, Ichabod Lewis and Michael Lutz acquired 2429 hectares of land that today is part of Moncton.

The next 80 years seen little growth in the Monckton Township. While communities around grew Monckton Township was only a stop over by travelers coming and going between Saint John and Chignecto at the Nova Scotia border.Then in 1836 the main roadway, the Westmorland Road, became usable year round. At this time a stage coach and mail service began between Saint John and Nova Scotia. The 1840’s began to see prosperity for the little settlement on The Bend.

The 1850’s ushered in shipbuilding and the European and North American Railway. In 1855 the Province of New Brunswick granted the Township of Monckton incorporated town status, with three wards, six councilors and a mayor. At that time the boundaries were the Petitcodiac River on the south, Hall’s Creek on the north and east, and to present day High Street on the west. An interesting note, a clerical error omitted the “k” from Monckton, but no one complained and thus it remains Moncton to this day.

The town of Moncton fell upon hard times and lost its incorporated status from 1862 to 1875. The entrepreneurs of like spirit did not give up but continued to press on. They helped to usher in Moncton’s Golden Years and adopted the motto “Resurgo” literally meaning I Rise Again!

In 1875 Moncton was selected by the Governor in Council, which approved the recommendation of the Commissioners, as the most suitable place for the building of the main workshops for the Government System of Railways. Moncton became the headquarters and repair center for the Intercolonial Railway (IRC) that traveled between Halifax, N.S. and Quebec City. Once again a petition was circulated and passed to have Moncton reincorporated to town status.

A construction boom began immediately. The Intercolonial Railway was completed and its first passenger train arrived in Quebec City on July 6, 1876. Soon after sugar refineries, woolen mills, cotton mills and a new iron foundry were established. Moncton was growing and thriving. In 1890 the Town of Moncton became New Brunswick’s third incorporated city. By the year 1900, the City of Moncton was one of the Maritimes’ largest centers.

Business in Moncton

In 2004, The Canadian business Magazine reported that Moncton is the best City in Canada to do business. The magazine said such strengths as a business friendly atmosphere; an educated workforce, a can-do attitude and a supportive government were the reasons they came to this conclusion.

In 2006, KPMG Competitive Alternatives Study ranked Moncton second among 100 international centers for best places to do business! As a result of this well-known reputation as one of the most affordable commentaries to live and work in all of Canada, Moncton has enjoyed one of the strongest population growth rates in Atlantic Canada. With a population of nearly 64,000, Moncton is the urban center for the region of 125,000. Due to its strong population growth over the past many years, the Moncton region is now one of the 33 Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) in Canada.

The Moncton business community is best illustrated by the membership of the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Moncton and the region's Industrial Parks: Caledonia Industrial Estates, Moncton Industrial Park (managed by Moncton Industrial Development), Riverview's Findlay Park Business Centre and Dieppe Industrial Park.

Ben Champoux, Business Development Specialist, City of Moncton, says,
“Economic growth in our community is currently driven by the private sector, not government spending, which is a sign of solid consumer confidence. 2005 was the 4th consecutive year where construction activity was well above $120 M, which is more than twice as high as the’90's average which was below $60M. I strongly believe that 2006, (and also 2007/08 – as the big projects won’t be completed in 2006) will be a banner year for construction activity.”

Moncton is one of the best-equipped educational centers in Atlantic Canada. It provides people access to English and French education and training opportunities. In 2002, Moncton became Canada’s first official bilingual city. In recognizing equality between both linguistic groups, Moncton was awarded the renowned “Prix Montfort” award in 2003. (The “Prix Montfort” award honors the efforts and achievements that contribute to the development of Canadian society and the enhancement of French culture in Canada and abroad.)  The region is home to world-renowned Universite de Moncton and Mount Allision University. Moncton possesses many of the key factors to continue to develop technology-based sectors through its research institutions.

Improved access to our region through the new Trans-Canada Highway and the new Greater Moncton International Airport only help to reinforce Moncton’s reputation as the best vacation destination on Canada’s East Coast, home of some of the finest beaches and unique coastlines in the world. Moncton is truly at the heart of the best natural tourism attractions in the region and considers tourism as one of its strong economic sectors.

Rob Robichaud, CEO of the Moncton International Airport said,
“Moncton's central location, increasingly improved accessibility by air and the “can-do” attitude of its people, speaks volumes about the potential this region has for future growth. I do believe, however, that we need to do more to increase awareness of the Maritime tourism product within the global community and where exactly we fit into the tourism sector. It’s a nine billion a year industry, yet our region is virtually unknown to the rest of the world. By attracting new visitors, many of whom are business leaders and decision makers, representing major foreign companies, and exposing them to the natural beauty and attributes of our region, not only are we significantly increasing our chances to grow as a tourist destination, but we are also increasing our potential for new economic development opportunities, investment, immigration and ultimately, greater economic prosperity.”

A vibrant and friendly city, Moncton’s enviable flair for life and rich culture is unique in Atlantic Canada. Each summer, Moncton hosts outdoor concerts which have featured the Rolling Stones and AC/DC each with close to 80,000 fans. In 1999 Moncton hosted the Sommet de la Francophonie, where leaders of the French-speaking world held one of their most successful summits in the smallest city ever. The many cultural events, festivals and happenings scheduled year round, and the fact that the City of Moncton recently received the Municipality of the Arts Foundation Prize only confirms that Moncton is an exciting place to visit!

Daniel Allain, Executive Director of Downtown Moncton Centre-ville Inc. had this to say about the City of Moncton,
“Downtown Moncton is clearly the economic engine for New Brunswick. Our core is looking even more promising as our business district continues to position itself to be a safe, clean, vibrant gathering place featuring an appealing mix of people, services, activities, architecture and urban spaces. We are also committed to making sure that our Business District is the most attractive and dynamic economic center in New Brunswick, to foster our core as the preferred workplace in Greater Moncton and to promote and grow leisure activities within Downtown Moncton.”

In 2009, Moncton was named one of the top seven Intelligent Communities (Economic Growth in the Broadband Economy) and Moncton went on to host the first Intelligent Communities Summit.

Looking ahead, Moncton certainly has reason for optimism! Cultural diversification combined with major capital projects throughout the region and in the downtown will continue to expand the economic base and solidify Moncton’s position as a leader in Atlantic Canada.

The Greater Moncton Immigration Board (with GMCC and Enterprise Greater Moncton) has prepared a Guide for Newcomers to Moncton.