Moncton

City of Moncton Ville de Moncton
Skyline of Moncton
Coat of arms
Nickname: Hub City
Motto: Resurgo (Latin: I rise again)
The location of Moncton within New Brunswick
Coordinates: 46°06′57″N 64°48′11″W / 46.11583, -64.80306
Country	Canada
Province	New Brunswick
County	Westmorland
First settled	1733
Founded	1766
Incorporated	1855, 1875
Government
- Type	Council-Manager
- Mayor	Lorne Mitton
- Governing Body	Moncton City Council
- MP	Brian Murphy
- MLAs	John Betts Chris Collins Joan MacAlpine-Stiles Mike Murphy
Area [1][2][3]
- City	km²  ( sq mi)
- Urban	km² ( sq mi)
- Metro	km² ( sq mi)
Elevation [5]	m ( ft)
Population (2006)[1][2][3][4]
- City	{{formatnum:64,128 rank (79th)}}
- Density	/km² (/sq mi)
- Urban	{{formatnum:97,065 rank (30th)}}
- Metro	{{formatnum:126,424 rank (29th)}}
- Metro Density	/km² (/sq mi)
- Demonym
Time zone	AST (UTC-4)
- Summer (DST)	ADT (UTC-3)
Postal code span	E1A-E1G
Area code(s)	506
Website: www.moncton.ca

Sunset in Moncton.

Moncton is a Canadian city in Westmorland County, New Brunswick.

The city is situated in southeastern New Brunswick, in the Petitcodiac River valley about 55 km (34 mi) from the Nova Scotia border, at the geographic center of the Maritime Provinces. The community has the nickname "Hub City" because of its central location and also because Moncton has historically been the railway and land transportation hub for the Maritime Provinces.^[6]

European settlement began in 1733 when Acadian farmers arrived after migrating up the Petitcodiac River from the Bay of Fundy. The region was captured by the English in 1755 and the Acadian inhabitants were subsequently deported. The official founding of the community was in 1766, with the arrival of Pennsylvania "Deutsch" settlers sponsored by the Philadelphia Land Company. The settlement was initially agricultural but by the mid 1800s, a wooden shipbuilding industry flourished. The shipbuilding economy collapsed in the 1860s but was quickly replaced by the railway industry when, in 1871, the Intercolonial Railway of Canada chose Moncton to be their headquarters. Moncton would then remain a railroad town for well over a century.

Moncton was first incorporated in 1855 and was named after Lt. Col. Robert Monckton, the British military commander who had captured nearby Fort Beauséjour in 1755 and who had later been given responsibility for overseeing the Acadian deportation.^[6] The collapse of the shipbuilding industry caused the town to lose its civic charter in 1862 but the community was able to survive and to reincorporate in 1875 on the strength of the developing railway industry; as a result, it adopted the motto Resurgo.

Although Moncton was traumatized twice, by the collapse of the shipbuilding industry in the 1860s and by the closure of the CNR locomotive shops in the 1980s, the city's economy was able to rebound strongly on both occasions. At present, the city's economy is stable and diversified. Moncton's economy is based on its transportation, distribution, retailing and commercial heritage, but is also supplemented by strength in the educational, health care, financial and insurance sectors. The strength of the economy has received national recognition and the local unemployment rate is consistently less than the national average.

The Moncton Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) is one of the top ten fastest growing metropolitan areas in Canada and is also the fastest growing urban region east of Toronto. The CMA includes the neighbouring city of Dieppe and the town of Riverview, as well as adjacent areas of Westmorland and Albert counties.^[7]

Moncton has a CMA population of 126,424,^[4] which makes Moncton the most populous metropolitan area in New Brunswick, and also makes it the second largest CMA in the Maritime Provinces, after Halifax.^[8]

The municipal coat of arms illustrates Moncton's agricultural, industrial and railway heritages, along with the Petitcodiac River's tidal bore.^[9]

Geography

Moncton lies in southeastern New Brunswick, at the geographic centre of the Maritime Provinces and is located along the north bank of the Petitcodiac River at a point where the river bends from a west–east flow to a north–south direction.

Aerial photo of Metro Moncton showing "the Bend"

The sharp bend of the Petitcodiac River at Moncton has strongly influenced the names given to the community by the various succeeding inhabitants living in the area.

Petitcodiac in the Mi'kmaq language has been translated as meaning "bends like a bow". The early Acadian settlers in the region named their community Le Coude which means "the elbow".^[6] Subsequent English immigrants changed the name of the settlement to The Bend of the Petitcodiac.

Moncton lies at the original head of navigation on the Petitcodiac River, however a causeway to Riverview, constructed in 1968, resulted in extensive infilling by sedimentation of the river channel downstream. Because of this, the river in the Moncton area is no longer navigable.^[6]

The Petitcodiac river valley at Moncton (50 kilometres inland) is broad and relatively flat, bounded by a long ridge to the north (Lutes Mountain) and by the rugged Caledonia Highlands to the south.

Climate

Despite being less than 50 km (31 mi) from the Bay of Fundy and less than 30 km (19 mi) from the Northumberland Strait, the climate can seem more continental than maritime during the summer and winter seasons, whereas maritime influences tend to temper the transitional seasons of spring and autumn.^[10]

Moncton skyline in the summer

Winter days are cold but generally sunny with solar radiation generating some warmth. Daytime high temperatures usually range just below the freezing point. Several cold snaps usually occur each winter when temperatures can fall to between -15 °C (5 °F) and -25 °C (-13 °F). Similarly, there are usually one or two "January thaws" each year when considerable snow melt can occur. Major snowfalls can result from nor'easter ocean storms moving up the east coast of North America, following the jet stream from the southeastern United States.^[11] Large amounts of precipitation can result from the counterclockwise rotation of these storms picking up moisture from the Atlantic Ocean and dumping it on southeastern New Brunswick as the storms pass by to the south and east of the region.^[11] This can be amplified locally by "sea effect" snow squall activity due to northeasterly winds passing over the nearby Gulf of St. Lawrence on the trailing edge of the storm. In February 1992, a nor'Easter lasted for two days and dropped 162 cm (65 inches) of snow on the Moncton area, paralyzing the city for nearly a week. Major snowfalls more typically average 20–30 cm (8–12 in) and are frequently mixed with rain or freezing rain.

Autumn in Moncton

Spring is frequently delayed because the sea ice that forms in the nearby Gulf of St. Lawrence during the previous winter requires time to melt and this cools the prevailing onshore winds. The ice burden in the gulf however has diminished considerably over the course of the last decade, which may be a consequence of global warming.^[12] The springtime cooling effect has subsequently weakened. Daytime temperatures above freezing are typical by mid March. Occasional snowfalls in late April and early May can happen however and trees are not usually in full leaf until the end of May.^[13]

Summers are hot and humid due to seasonal prevailing westerly winds strengthening the continental tendencies of the local climate.^[10] Daytime highs are usually around 25 °C (77 °F) but can sometimes reach highs of over 30 °C (86 °F). Rainfall is generally modest, especially in late July and August and periods of drought are not uncommon.^[13] The heaviest rainfalls tend to occur during thunderstorms.

Autumn is influenced by the retention of heat in the nearby Gulf of St. Lawrence and daytime temperatures remain mild until mid October.^[10] First snowfalls usually do not occur until mid November and consistent snow cover on the ground does not happen until mid to late December. The Fundy coast of New Brunswick occasionally experiences the effects of post-tropical storms.^[13]

The stormiest weather of the year, with the greatest precipitation and the strongest winds, usually occur during the fall/winter transition (mid December to mid January).^[13]

History

For more information see History of Moncton

The original native inhabitants of the Petitcodiac river valley were the Mi'kmaq. Moncton is situated at the southern end of a traditional native portage route connecting the Petitcodiac River and Shediac Bay on the nearby Northumberland Strait.

The head of the Bay of Fundy was first settled by French Acadians in the 1670s.^[14] The first reference to the "Petcoucoyer River" was on the De Meulles map of 1686.^[14] Settlement of the Petitcodiac and Memramcook river valleys began about 1700, gradually extending inland and reaching the site of present day Moncton in 1733. The first Acadian settlers in the Moncton area established a marshland farming community and chose to name their settlement Le Coude (The Elbow)^[15] in reference to the sharp bend of the Petitcodiac River.

The "Great Upheaval" resulted in the expulsion of the Acadian population from Le Coude.

In 1755, Fort Beausejour in nearby Aulac was captured by English forces under the command of Lt. Col. Robert Monckton.^[16] The Petitcodiac and Memramcook river valleys subsequently fell under English occupation. Later that year, Governor Charles Lawrence issued a decree ordering the expulsion of the Acadian population from Nova Scotia. The population of Le Coude was included in the expulsion order but some of the local Acadians were able to escape into the woods and then conducted a guerilla resistance against the English occupiers. This resistance was suppressed by 1758.^[17]

In June 1766, Captain John Hall arrived from Pennsylvania^[14] armed with a land grant for 100,000 acres from the Philadelphia Land Company; one of the principal investors of which was Benjamin Franklin. On Captain Hall's ship were eight immigrant Pennsylvania "Deutsch" families who were to re-establish the pre-existing farming community at Le Coude. Although the new settlement was to be formally named Monckton Township, it was more colloquially known as "The Bend of the Petitcodiac", or simply The Bend.

The Bend grew slowly and the principle economy of the community remained agriculturally based until the early 1800s, when Royal Navy requirements helped to stimulate a lumbering and shipbuilding industry. As shipbuilding gained in importance, The Bend developed a service based economy and gradually began to acquire all the amenities of a growing town. In particular, as the economy strengthened, an important financial institution, the Westmorland Bank, opened and this in turn was able to finance further expansion of the shipbuilding industry.^[6]

The prosperity engendered by the wooden shipbuilding industry allowed The Bend to incorporate as the town of Moncton in 1855. The first mayor of Moncton was the shipbuilder Joseph Salter. The town was named after Lt. Col. Robert Monckton,^[6] the British military commander who had captured Fort Beauséjour a century earlier. A clerical error at the time the town was incorporated resulted in the mis-spelling of the community's name, which has been perpetuated to the present day.

Two years later on 20 August 1857 the European and North American Railway opened its line from Moncton to the nearby Northumberland Strait port of Shediac; this was followed by the E&NA's line from Moncton to Sussex and on to Saint John opening in 1859.^[18]

At about the same time as the arrival of the railway, steam-powered ships began to replace clipper ships on the ocean's sea routes and this forced an end to the era of wooden shipbuilding. The industrial collapse that developed from this, as well as the associated bankruptcy of the Westmorland Bank caused Moncton to surrender its civic charter in 1862.^[6]

The Intercolonial Railway depot in Moncton

Moncton's economic depression did not last long and a second era of prosperity came to the area in 1871 when Moncton was selected to be the headquarters of the Intercolonial Railway of Canada.^[19] The ICR was a merger of the pre-existing E&NA and the Nova Scotia Railway. In addition, a new route was constructed through northern New Brunswick into Quebec to join with the Grand Trunk Railway at Rivière-du-Loup.

The coming of the ICR to Moncton was a seminal event for the community. For the next 120 years, the history of the city would be inextricably intertwined with that of the railway.

With the arrival of the Intercolonial Railroad; Moncton, in 1875,^[6] was able to reincorporate as a town and adopted the motto "Resurgo" (I rise again). One year later, the ICR line to Quebec was opened. The railway boom that emanated from this and the associated employment growth allowed Moncton to achieve city status on 23 April 1890.^[6]

Moncton's first city market was opened in 1884 and burned to the ground in 1914.

Moncton grew rapidly during the early part of the 20th century, particularly after provincial lobbying saw the city become the eastern terminus of the massive National Transcontinental Railway project in 1912.^[20] This line would link Moncton with Edmundston, Quebec City, and on to Winnipeg where the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway continued to Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Prince Rupert. The First World War brought a halt to the era of transcontinental railway expansion.^[20]

In 1918, the ICR and NTR (then autonomous companies grouped under the Canadian Government Railways) were merged by the federal government into the newly formed Canadian National Railways (CNR) system.^[20] The ICR shops would become CNR's major locomotive repair facility for the Maritimes and Moncton became the headquarters for CNR's Maritime division.^[6]

As the city grew, it began to draw on its hinterland for population growth. Much of the surrounding countryside to the east and the north of the city was (and is) inhabited primarily by French-Acadians who were descendants of the refugees that had returned to the region following the deportation of 1755.^[17] The influx of Francophone Acadians seeking employment beginning in the early 1900s would result in a major demographic and cultural shift for the community.

Moncton continued to develop as a regional distribution and transportation hub during the Second World War. The Royal Canadian Air Force established two air bases in the area as part of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan. The Canadian Army also built a large military supply base (CFB Moncton) along the railway mainline near the CNR shops facilities northwest of downtown.

Main street, circa 1960

Railway employment in Moncton at the height of the steam locomotive era (circa 1950) peaked at about six thousand workers before starting a long slow decline. This decline occurred because the newer diesel locomotives and longer trains that were introduced in the early 1950s required fewer employees for operation and for maintenance. Some of this employment loss was offset by the construction of a large railway hump yard by the CNR in the city's west end.

Moncton was placed on the Trans-Canada Highway network in the early 1960s after Route 2 was built along the northern perimeter of the city. Subsequent development saw Route 15 built between the city and nearby Parlee Beach at Shediac. At the same time, the Petitcodiac River Causeway was constructed.^[6]

The Université de Moncton was founded in 1963.^[21] This began an Acadian "renaissance", which was in large measure encouraged and supported by university faculty who had been trained in Quebec during the founding years of the "Quiet Revolution". U de M, the renaissance, and the election of premier Louis Robichaud and his program of "equal opportunity" all led to increasing demands by the Francophone populace for municipal services in French and led to tension between the Acadian minority and the Anglophone majority during the latter part of the 1960s and early 1970s.

The Acadian population began to become more prosperous and influential during the 1980s as linguistic tensions began to relax (although not disappearing entirely). The Anglophone population of the city generally began to accept the principle of bilingualism and enrollment in French Immersion classes in public schools became popular. Bilingualism would ultimately become one of the strengths of the community.

The CNR repair shops were the largest employer in Moncton until they were dismantled in the late 1980s.

The late 1970s and the 1980s again saw a period of economic hardship hit the city as several major employers closed or restructured. The Eatons catalogue division closed in 1976 and CN closed its locomotive shops facility in 1988,^[22] throwing thousands out of work and forcing the federal and provincial governments to step in with economic restructuring packages to help in diversifying the Moncton economy. CFB Moncton was also closed at about this time due to defence cutbacks resulting from the end of the Cold War.^[23] Moncton was so despondent by the late 1980s that the city's promotional slogan became simply Moncton - We're OK.^[24]

Diversification in the early 1990s saw the rise of information technology, led by call centres which made use of the city's bilingual workforce.^[6] Bilingualism was heavily promoted by premier Frank McKenna's government to attract the call centre industry to provide a temporary employment "bridge" for the city as it transitioned from the old economy to a more modern one. By the late 1990s, retail, manufacturing and service expansion began to occur in all sectors and within a decade of the closure of the CN locomotive shops, Moncton had more than made up for its employment losses. This dramatic turnaround in the fortunes of the city has been termed the "Moncton Miracle".^[25]

The growth of the community has continued unabated since the 1990s and in fact has been accelerating. The confidence of the city has been bolstered by its ability to host major events such as the Francophonie Summit in 1999.^[26] Recent positive developments include the Atlantic Baptist University relocating to a new campus in 1996 and achieving full university status, the Greater Moncton Airport opening a new terminal building and becoming a designated international airport in 2002,^[27] and the opening of the new Gunningsville Bridge to Riverview in 2005.^[28]

In 2002, Moncton became Canada's first officially bilingual city.^[29] Moncton officially became a Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) in 2006. The 2006 census subsequently declared Moncton to be the largest metropolitan area in the province of New Brunswick.^[8]

Language and demographics

Moncton is a growing city. This is highlighted by the constant construction of new properties, including the new Marriott hotel in the downtown core of the city, slated for completion in 2008.

Moncton's linguistic majority is English, however the city has an active French-speaking Acadian minority population (30%), many of whom speak the Chiac variant of Acadian French.^[30] The adjacent city of Dieppe is about 80% Francophone and has benefited from an ongoing rural depopulation of the Acadian Peninsula and areas in northern and eastern New Brunswick.^[31] The town of Riverview meanwhile is heavily (95%) Anglophone.^[32] The different linguistic characteristics of the three communities have defeated several attempts at metropolitan amalgamation.

Since the previous national census in 2001 the metropolitan area has grown by 6.5%. This rate of growth is within the top ten amongst major cities in Canada and Moncton has the fastest growth rate of any city east of Toronto. The census metropolitan area had a population of 126,424 as of the 2006 national census, which makes it the largest metropolitan area in the province of New Brunswick and the second largest in the Maritime Provinces after Halifax.

Historically, the population of the city has been racially homogenous with almost all residents originating from northwestern Europe (United Kingdom, France and Ireland). The population has been becoming more diverse over the course of the past couple of decades but it still remains a challenge to attract visible minorities as new immigrants to the city. Inmigration is mostly from other areas of New Brunswick (especially the north) as well as Nova Scotia (13%) and Ontario (9%). Overall, 62% of new arrivals to the city are Anglophone and 38% are Francophone (Census 2001).^[33]

About 40% of the metropolitan population of Moncton is bilingual, (the remainder being mostly unilingual Anglophone). The only other cities in Canada that approach this level of linguistic duality are Ottawa and Montreal. Moncton became the first officially bilingual city in the country in 2002.^[29]

Census Subdivision Moncton (city) 64,128 Dieppe (city) 18,565 Riverview (town) 17,832 Moncton (parish) 8,747 Memramcook (village) 4,638 Coverdale (parish) 4,144 Salisbury (village) 2,036

Moncton Population Statistics Type 1991 1996 2001 2006 NB Rank City 56,823 59,313 61,046 64,128 2 Urban Area  ?  ? 90,431 97,065 1 Census Metropolitan Area 107,436 113,495 118,678 126,424 1 Economic Region 172,079 179,117 182,820 191,860 1

First language learned and still understood by residents of Metro Moncton (2001 census)

Economy

See also: List of companies headquartered in Moncton

Assumption Place in Moncton, headquarters of Assumption Life Insurance.

The educational and health care sectors are major factors in the local economy; the two hospitals alone employing over five thousand people. Despite this, the underpinnings of the local economy remain based on Moncton's commercial, distribution, transportation and retailing heritage. Moncton's central location in the Maritimes is the reason for this: 1.4 million people live within a three hour drive of Moncton. This is the largest catchment area in Atlantic Canada.^[34] In 2002 Moncton and Halifax joined to promote the concept of a Moncton-Halifax growth corridor, building on the strengths of the two cities as well as those of the intervening communities including Truro, Amherst and Sackville.^[35] Moncton has garnered national attention because of the strength of its economy. The local unemployment rate averages between 5-6%, which is below the national average. In 2004 Canadian Business Magazine named it the "The best city for business in Canada"^[36] and in 2007, FDi magazine named it the fifth most business friendly city in North America (in the small cities category).^[37]

A number of regionally prominent corporations have their head offices in Moncton including Atlantic Lottery Corporation, Assumption Mutual Life Insurance, Medavie Blue Cross Insurance, Pizza Delight Corporation, Major Drilling Group International, and Co-op Atlantic.

The Blue Cross Centre, headquarters of Medavie Blue Cross.

There are 37 call centres in the city employing over 5000 people. Some of the larger ones include Asurion, BBM Canada, Exxon Mobil, Royal Bank of Canada, United Parcel Service, Fairmont Hotels, Rogers Communications, Sitel, Minacs and America Online.^[38]

A growing high tech sector includes companies such as Whitehill Technologies, Nanoptix,^[39] Spielo Manufacturing, OAO Technology Solutions, and Beltek Systems Design.^[33]

Several arms of the Irving corporate empire have their head offices and/or major operations in Greater Moncton. These include Midland Transport, Majesta/Royale Tissues, Irving Personal Care, Master Packaging and Cavendish Farms.^[40]

Several major banks have their regional offices in Moncton, including the Bank of Montreal seen here

There are three large industrial parks in the metropolitan area. The Irving operations are concentrated in the Dieppe Industrial Park. Hub Meat Packers is a major employer in the city and is in the Moncton Industrial Park. Molson/Coors Breweries is scheduled to complete construction of a new brewery in the Caledonia Industrial Park in summer 2007.^[41] All three industrial parks have large concentrations of warehousing and regional trucking facilities. The Armour transportation group is based in Moncton.

A new four lane Gunningsville Bridge was opened in 2005, connecting downtown Riverview directly with downtown Moncton. On the Moncton side, the bridge connects with an extension of Vaughan Harvey Boulevard as well as to Assumption Boulevard and will serve as a catalyst for economic growth in the downtown area.^[42] This is already evident as an expansion to the Blue Cross Centre was completed in 2006. Also, construction has started on a new Marriott Residence Inn and on a new Sobeys downtown on the Vaughan Harvey connector. A new regional courthouse will be built on Assumption Boulevard in 2008. On the Riverview side, the bridge will connect to a new ring road around the town and is expected to serve as a catalyst for development in east Riverview.^[42]

The retail sector in Moncton is increasingly becoming one of the most important aspects of the local economy. Major retail projects such as the Wheeler Park Power Centre on Trinity Drive have become major destinations for locals and for tourists alike. Major tenants of this development include Atlantic Superstore, Costco, Winners, HomeSense, Wal-Mart, Future Shop, Kent Building Supplies, Sears, Staples, Old Navy, Pier 1 Imports, Empire Theatres and the Home Depot.^[43][44] A new power center is under construction on Mapleton road, adjacent to Wheeler Park. The first anchor of this development will be a Brick store.

Arts and culture

Moncton is a culturally vibrant community, which has lively representation from all of the disciplines of the arts; including music, theatre, dance, visual arts, film, and literature.^[45]

The Capitol Theater

Sister Cities
Lafayette, USA[99]
Parma, Italy[100]
North Bay, Ontario[101]

The Capitol Theatre is an 800-seat, meticulously restored, 1920s-era vaudeville house on Main Street which serves as the main centre for cultural entertainment for the city.^[46] The theatre hosts a performing arts series and also provides a venue for theatrical performances, the New Brunswick Symphony Orchestra and The Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada.^[46] The smaller Empress Theatre, located immediately behind the Capitol, provides a more intimate location for smaller performances and recitals.^[46]

A school for the performing arts has been established by the Capitol Theatre. The Atlantic Ballet Theatre is based in Moncton and has recently moved into expanded facilities in the former YMCA building on High Street. This group tours mainly in Atlantic Canada, but has also toured both nationally and internationally.^[47] Théâtre l’Escaouette is a Francophone live theatre company that has its own auditorium and performance space on Botsford Street. The anglophone Live Bait Theatre is based in the nearby university town of Sackville. The Chocolate River Conservatory of Music is located in Dieppe. In addition, there are several private dance and music academies in the metropolitan area. The Canadian Poetry Association national headquarters is located in Moncton.^[48]

The Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption Cathedral, seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of Moncton

The Aberdeen Cultural Centre is a major Acadian cultural cooperative containing multiple studios and galleries and is located on Botsford Street. Among other tenants, the Centre houses the Galerie Sans Nom; the principal private art gallery in the city and also the IMAGO print workshop, which presents and develops contemporary print works and techniques.^[49]

There are two main museums in the city; The Moncton Museum on Mountain Road and Le Musée Acadien at Université de Moncton. The city has several recognized historical sites. The Free Meeting House was built in 1821 and is a New England-style meeting house adjacent to the Moncton Museum.^[50] The Thomas Williams House was built in 1883 and was formerly the home of a city industrialist, which is now maintained in period style and serves as a genealogical research centre and is also home to several multicultural organizations.^[50] The Treitz Haus is located on the riverfront adjacent to Bore View Park and has been dated to the early 1770s both by architectural style and by dendrochronology. It is the only surviving building from the Pennsylvania Deutch era and now serves as the city's principle tourist information centre.

Moncton is home to the Frye Festival, an annual bilingual literary celebration held in honour of world renowned literary critic and favorite son Northrop Frye. This event attracts noted writers and poets from around the world and takes place in the month of April.^[51]

Other notable events include:

• The Atlantic Seafood Festival - held every August.
• The HubCap Comedy Festival - held annually in the spring.
• "Le 15 Aout" - held in August, celebrating Acadia's National holiday.
• The World Wine and Food Exposition - The largest event of its kind in eastern Canada, with exhibitors from around the world presenting their wares. Wine tastings are augmented by food displays and by banquets. This event takes place every November.
• Le Festival Internationale de Cinema Francophone en Acadie (FICFA) - every September
• The Atlantic Nationals Automotive Extravaganza - held each July and is the largest annual gathering of classic cars in Canada.

Sports and recreation

Sports facilities

The Moncton Coliseum serves as the city's main venue for indoor sports, concerts and exhibitions.

The Moncton Coliseum is a 6,554-seat arena (7,200 with standing room). It serves as a venue for major concerts and trade shows and is the home of the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.^[52] The CN Sportplex is a major recreational facility which has been built on the former CN Shops property. It includes ten ballfields, six soccer fields and an indoor rink complex with four ice surfaces (the Tim Horton's 4 Ice Centre). The Dundee Sports Dome, an indoor air supported multi-use building is also located at the Sportsplex. This building is large enough to allow for year-round football, soccer and golf activities. A newly constructed YMCA near the CN Sportsplex has extensive cardio and weight training facilities as well as three indoor pools. The CEPS at Université de Moncton contains an indoor track and a 37.5-metre (123 ft) swimming pool with diving towers.^[53] The only velodrome in Atlantic Canada is in Dieppe. The metro area has a total of 12 indoor hockey rinks and three curling clubs. Other public sporting and recreational facilities are scattered throughout the metropolitan area.

Sports teams

Logo	Club	Sport	League (Parent League)	Venue	Established	Championships
	Moncton Wildcats	Hockey	QMJHL (CHL)	Moncton Coliseum	1996	1 - President's Cup (QMJHL) 2006 Memorial Cup finalists (CHL)
	Moncton Mets	Baseball	NBSBL	Kiwanis Park	1980s	7 - NBSBL 1 - Canadian Senior Champ.
	Moncton Beavers	Hockey	MJAHL (CJAHL)	Tim Horton's 4 Ice Centre	1983	1 - MJAHL
	Moncton Aigles Bleu	Hockey (M/F) Soccer (M/F) Volleyball (F)	AUS (CIS)	Aréna Jean-Louis-Lévesque	1964	Mens Hockey - 11 (AUS), 4 (CIS) Womens Hockey - 1 (AUS) Womens Volleyball - 5 (AUS)

Major sporting events

Moncton is known for its ability to host large sporting events. Moncton hosted the 2006 Memorial Cup with the hometown Moncton Wildcats losing in the championship final to their arch rivals the Quebec Remparts. Ted Nolan, a former head coach of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (and current head coach of the New York Islanders), coached the Wildcats for their Memorial Cup run.^[54] Moncton hosted the Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) Mens University Hockey Championship in 2007 and will do so again in 2008.^[55] Moncton has been awarded the 2010 IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics. This will be the largest sporting event ever held in Atlantic Canada. The federal and provincial governments have committed to help in the construction of a 10,000 seat outdoor track stadium to host this event. This stadium will be built on the U de M campus.^[56] Additional world class practice track facilities will be built on the campus of Mount Allison University and also at Moncton High School.

Major Sporting Events Held in Moncton

1968 Canadian Junior Baseball Championships 1974 Canadian Figure Skating Championships 1975 Intercontinental Cup (baseball) 1977 Skate Canada International 1978 CIS University Cup (hockey) 1980 World Mens Curling Championships 1982 CIS University Cup 1983 CIS University Cup 1985 Canadian Figure Skating Championships 1985 Labatt Brier (curling)

1992 Canadian Figure Skating Championships 1997 World Junior Baseball Championships 2000 Canadian Junior Curling Championships 2004 Canadian Senior Baseball Championships 2006 Memorial Cup (hockey) 2007 CIS University Cup 2008 CIS University Cup 2009 World Mens Curling Championship 2010 IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics

The 2006 Memorial Cup was hosted by Moncton

Golf

Greater Moncton is blessed with an abundance of excellent golfing facilities. There are nine 18-hole golf courses in the census metropolitan area, two of which are residential courses and two more of which are undergoing residential conversion with courseside housing developments under construction. Both the Royal Oaks and Fox Creek golf clubs can be rightfully considered as championship courses, with Royal Oaks being the first Rees Jones designed golf course in Canada.^[57] Other notable courses include the Moncton Golf & Country Club, Memramcook Valley Golf Club and Magnetic Hill Golf Club.

Urban parks

Metro Moncton is home to many urban parks. They are an important resource for the many citizens of Moncton who have an active lifestyle.^[58] The main urban parks in the Moncton area are:

Ducks in Mapleton Park

• Centennial Park - located in the city's west end and has an area of 0.93 km². The park contains tennis and lawn bowling facilities, a boating pond, artificial beach, lighted cross country skiing and hiking trails, a childrens splash park, the city's largest playground, a Rotary lodge, a children's day camp and Rocky Stone Field, the city's only football field with artificial turf.^[58] In 2007, a mountain biking course and a "Tree-Go" treetop adventure course were established.
• Mapleton Park - located in the rapidly growing northwest part of the city adjacent to the trans Canada highway and measures 1.21 km² in size. The park contains hiking trails, a skating pond and a Rotary lodge.^[58]
• Irishtown Nature Park - located north of the trans Canada highway on Elmwood Drive and, at 10 km², is one of the largest urban nature parks in Canada. The park is scenic and surrounds a large reservoir. The park is principally a wilderness area but has numerous hiking trails and is an excellent venue for birdwatching.^[58]
• St. Anselme Park - located in Dieppe and is nearly one km² in area. The park contains a Rotary lodge, children's play facilities, hiking trails and the only velodrome in Atlantic Canada.^[59]

There are numerous neighbourhood parks throughout the metro Moncton area. The most notable are Bore View Park, which overlooks the Petitcodiac River and the downtown Victoria Park which features a bandshell, flower gardens, fountain and the city's cenotaph.^[58]

There is an extensive system of hiking and