Moncton

Introduction

Moncton and its suburbs, including Dieppe form the largest urban area in the province of New Brunswick. Moncton is a modern city. However, visitors can still find a rich blend of English and Acadian tradition, Moncton has a vibrant downtown, top-notch restaurants and variety of festivals. Moncton has New Brunswick's busiest airport.

Although the Moncton area was first settled in 1733, Moncton is considered to have been officially founded in 1766 with the arrival of Pennsylvania Dutch immigrants from Philadelphia. Initially an agricultural settlement, Moncton was not incorporated until 1855. The city was named for Lt. Col. Robert Monckton, the British officer who had captured nearby Fort Beauséjour a century earlier. A significant wooden shipbuilding industry had developed in the community by the mid-1840s, allowing for the civic incorporation in 1855, but the shipbuilding economy collapsed in the 1860s, causing the town to lose its civic charter in 1862. Moncton regained its charter in 1875 after the community's economy rebounded, mainly due to a growing railway industry. In 1871, the Intercolonial Railway of Canada had chosen Moncton to be its headquarters, and Moncton remained a railway town for well over a century until the closure of the Canadian National Railway (CNR) locomotive shops in the late 1980s.

Although the economy of 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 was able to rebound strongly on both occasions. The city adopted the motto Resurgo after its rebirth as a railway town. The city's economy is stable and diversified, primarily based on its traditional transportation, distribution, retailing, and commercial heritage, and supplemented by strength in the educational, health care, financial, information technology, and insurance sectors. The strength of Moncton's economy has received national recognition and the local unemployment rate is consistently less than the national average.

Sights and Activities

Bay of Fundy

The Bay of Fundy - Discover the highest tides in the world in the Bay of Fundy – measuring highs of 16 metres. At low tide, comb the beach for amethyst stones and crustaceans. The Bay of Fundy is a favourite destination to many shorebirds and whales, eagles and osprey. The Fundy Coastal Drive is a popular way to see the Bay of Fundy. The route, which runs from Sackville to St. Stephen, through the cities of Dieppe, Moncton, Saint John, and St. Andrews. The map of the drive can be downloaded as a PDF from the Tourism New Brunswick website, and you can get more details on the Bay of Fundy from the Tourism New Brunswick website.

Magnetic Hill

Drive to the bottom of this world-famous hill, take your foot off the brake and your car will roll uphill. It's just an optical illusion, but an impressive one. The hill is located in Moncton. Rates are $5 per car, or free for motorcycles, payable in cash only. More details can be found at the Magnetic Hill page at the Tourism Moncton website.

Other Sights and Activities

• Resurgo Place - Moncton Museum and the Transportation Discovery Centre, 20 Mountain Road, Moncton, ☎ +1 506-856-4383. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM; Su noon-5PM; closed on public holidays. Houses a permanent exhibit on the history of Moncton and travelling exhibits. Entry is free of charge. The Transportation Discovery Centre features an array of interactive exhibits and hands-on activities about shipbuilding, railway and aviation, ehich have played a major role in the development of Moncton as a city and as a commercial centre since the early 19th century. Adult (18+) $10, Senior (60+) $8, Youth (12-17) $7, Children (4-11) $5, Toddler (3 and under) free.
• Moncton Acadian Museum, Pavillon Clément-Cormier, 405 avenue de l’Université (at the Université de Moncton), ☎ +1 506 858-4088. Jun-Sep: M-F 10AM-5PM, Sa Su 1PM-5PM; Oct-May: Tu-F 1:30PM-4:30PM, Sa Su 1PM-4PM. 35,000 objects and photographs representing all aspects of Acadian life. The permanent exhibition gives visitors a glimpse into the history of the Acadians and the daily life of the Acadians of the past through a range of objects on display. The temporary exhibition room offers travelling exhibitions from different museums and exhibitions from the collection of MAUM. Adults $5, seniors $3, students and children $2 plus tax, children under 6 free. CAA/AAA 10% discount.
• Magnetic Hill Winery, 860 Front Mountain Rd., ☎ +1 506-384-9463. May 18-Sep 2: daily 11AM-6 PM; Sep 3-Dec 24: daily 1PM-5PM; Jan-May: closed, Call for appointment. Estate-grown strawberry, raspberry, rhubarb and local New Brunswick grapes, blueberry, cranberry, apple, pear and maple vinted here in the cellar. Panoramic view of Moncton down to the Chocolate River and the entrance to the Bay of Fundy. Gift shop full of wine accessories, artisan maple syrup products, jams. Stay at their B&B as old as Canada and be treated to a homemade, country breakfast with the owners sharing stories and hints for your travelling plans.
• Centennial Park, 811 St George Blvd, Moncton. Centennial Park offers a large outdoor playground for kids and a water playground (summer only). In the lower section of the park you can rent paddle boats on the artificial lake and visit the island in the centre of the lake. On weekends you can catch many locals enjoying the sun and picnics. There is also an outdoor pool/beach which charges admission. Centennial Park also offers many wooded walking and biking trails which serve as cross country ski trails in the winter. free.

Weather

Despite being less than 50 km from the Bay of Fundy and less than 30 km from the Northumberland Strait, the climate tends to be more continental than maritime during the summer and winter seasons, with maritime influences somewhat tempering the transitional seasons of spring and autumn.

Moncton has a warm summer continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) with uniform precipitation distribution. Winter days are typically cold but generally sunny with solar radiation generating some warmth. Daytime high temperatures usually range a few degrees below the freezing point. Major snowfalls can result from nor'easter ocean storms moving up the east coast of North America. These major snowfalls typically average 20–30 cm and are frequently mixed with rain or freezing rain. 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 will cool onshore winds, which can extend inland as far as Moncton. The ice burden in the gulf has diminished considerably over the course of the last decade (which may be a consequence of global warming), and the springtime cooling effect has weakened as a result. Daytime temperatures above freezing are typical by late February. Trees are usually in full leaf by late May. Summers are hot and humid due to the seasonal prevailing westerly winds strengthening the continental tendencies of the local climate. Daytime highs sometimes reach more than 30 °C. Rainfall is generally modest, especially in late July and August, and periods of drought are not uncommon. Autumn daytime temperatures remain mild until late October. First snowfalls usually do not occur until late November and consistent snow cover on the ground does not happen until late December. The Fundy coast of New Brunswick occasionally experiences the effects of post-tropical storms. The stormiest weather of the year, with the greatest precipitation and the strongest winds, usually occurs during the fall/winter transition (November to mid-January).

The highest temperature ever recorded in Moncton was 37.8 °C on August 18 & 19, 1935.The coldest temperature ever recorded was -37.8 °C on February 5, 1948

Getting There

By Plane

Moncton is served by the Greater Moncton International Airport.

Major carriers include:

• Air Canada (1-888-247-2262) - daily direct service with Air Canada Jazz to Halifax, Montreal and Toronto from Moncton.
• Continental Airlines (1-800-523-3273) - daily direct flights from Moncton to Newark.
• Corsair - service from Paris, France to Moncton.
• West Jet (1-800-538-5696) - service from Ottawa and Hamilton (near Toronto) to Moncton.

By Train

Via Rail’s (1-888-VIA-RAIL; 506-842-7245); http://www.viarail.ca/classes/en_serv_clas_tour_aloc.html) Ocean travels between Montreal and New Brunswick every day but Tuesday. Board the train in Montreal in the evening, and be in Campbellton, Bathurst, Miramichi or Moncton before noon the next day.

By Car

• From the US: I-95 through Maine to the Trans-Canada Route 2, through Fredericton to Moncton. Route 9 (through Maine) to Route 1 (Canada) through St. Stephen, Saint John and up to Moncton.
• From Quebec: Route 185 to Edmundston, and then down the Trans-Canada Route 2 to Moncton.

By Bus

Only Maritimebus serves Moncton and the Maritime area (NB, PEI, NS).

Getting Around

Moncton is pretty easy to get around. There are two main streets into the city: the Trans-Canada and Wheeler Boulevard, connecting both ends of town.

Main Street and downtown Moncton are equally easy to navigate; signs are posted to all the main attractions.

By Car

Some of the options to rent a car include the following companies:

• Avis
• Budget
• Discount
• Hertz
• National
• Enterprise
• Thrifty

By Public Transport

Codiac Transit serves the greater Moncton area 7 days a week (limited schedule on Sundays), from around 7AM to 10PM. Fare is $2.25, and free transfers are available to let you reach your destination even if you have to change bus. A bus circles every hour or so, excepted the Express which is on a 15-minute run, from the Champlain Mall to the Northwest Centre.

Eat

Moncton claims to have some of the finest cuisine in Atlantic Canada:

• Pastalli Ristorante, 611 Main St. Italian cuisine, grill your own gourmet garlic bread.
• Catch 22, 589 Main St., ☎ +1 506 855-5335. Daily 4PM-10PM. Excellent seafood, steaks, pasta. Mains $15-50.
• Graffiti, Main St. Greek cuisine.
• Pump House Brewery, 5 Orange Lane (off Main Street), ☎ +1 506 855-2337, e-mail: [email protected]. Microbrewery -- try the Muddy River Stout! Not to miss: brick oven pizza (crust is infused with beer). Order the beer sampler to try the various types of beer brewed on site.
• Cafe Archibald, 221 Mountain Rd. At Archibald intersection. Intimate cafe with great service where meal and dessert crêpes are a specialty.
• Little Louis: fine cuisine at its best, this may be city's best hidden secret.
• Hynes, a diner-style restaurant with very good home cooking. The best burgers.
• Vitos, an inexpensive but excellent pizzeria.
• Calactus, 125 Church St. (near St. George St.), ☎ +1 506-388-4833. Daily 11AM-10PM. Vegetarian restaurant.
• Zen Gardens, Mountain Rd. Unique Asian vegetarian restaurant.
• Taj Mahal Flavour of India, 882 Main St., ☎ +1 506-854-5557. M-F 11:30 AM-10 PM, Sa 4-10 PM. Indian, mughlai, and tandoori cuisine. First family-owned and -operated Indian restaurant in Moncton, since 2003. $6-15.
• Mexicali Rosas. Very good Mexican cuisine.

Drink

• Old Triangle, 751 Main St, ☎ +1 506 384-7474. Irish pub.
• Pumphouse Brewery, 131 Mill Road, ☎ +1 506 854-2537.
• St. James' Gate, 14 Church St, ☎ +1 506 388-4283. Good food and spirits, an awesome place to have a drink.
• Oxygen Complex, 125 Westmorland, ☎ +1 506 854-0265. Has two other venues in the complex: the Paramount Lounge & tge Manhattan. Great place for live bands.
• Cosmo, 700 Main st, ☎ +1 506 857-9117. All kinds of events go on here. New and fun: jam nights on Thursdays- starts at 10:30PM.
• Zen Garden. Biggest selection of tea. Healthy drinks.
• Navigator's Pub, 191 Robinson Street (Entrance in Robinson Court), ☎ +1 506 854-8427, e-mail: [email protected]. noon to 2AM. Irish-style pub. Bilingual staff, draft special.
• Triangles, 234 St George, ☎ +1 506 857-8779. Gay and lesbian bar. Dance floor, cheap drinks, pool tables.

Sleep

• C'mon Inn Hostel, 47 Fleet Street, ☎ +1 506 854-8155, fax: +1 506 855-3791. dorm $27.50/night+tax, private room $65/night +$10 key deposit.
• Delta Beausejour, Main Street. In the heart of downtown, close to restaurants and pubs. Some rooms have views of the Petitcodiac. Indoor pool with the largest waterslide in the Maritimes. $151-$272 per night.
• Crowne Plaza Hotel, Main St. across from Highfield.
• Rodd Moncton, Main St. $90-$168. Rooftop pool during summer months.
• Chateau Moncton, independent hotel modeled after a chateau, located on the Petitcodiac River on Main Street. Many rooms have excellent views of the river, which is steps away.
• Best Western, located on Lewisville Road.
• Super 8, located in Dieppe and within walking distance from the airport.
• Comfort Inn.
• Lewisville Road, Shediac Rd, Lewisville.
• Holiday Inn, Mountain Rd.
• Marriott Residence Inn, Main St. $166-$255 per night.
• Howard Johnson Inn Moncton, 1062 Mountain Road, ☎ +1 506 384-1734.
• GoMotel.ca (formerly the Johnson Lake Motel), 1650 Main St, ☎ +1 506 389-1718, e-mail: [email protected]. Check-in: 3PM-8PM (closed after 8PM). Bilingual, credit card only $90 offseason.

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet usage is wide-spread in Canada. Wi-fi is available in many locations in larger cities, sometimes free and sometimes at a cost. You will find Wi-Fi in coffee stores, some restaurants and also hotels and motels more and more offer this service for free, but with a code usually. Internet cafes are common along major streets, and and in larger cities, charge between $3 and $4 for an hour, usually in 20-minute increments.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

The country calling code to Canada is: 1. To make an international call from Canada, the code is: 011. Emergency services can be reached by dialling 911. This number will give you free access to Police, Fire and Ambulance services and can be used from landlines, phone booths and cell phones.

The populous areas of Canada along the border with the USA have excellent cellular and wired telecommunications, meaning that travellers are never fair from an international phone call home, a WIFI connection or an internet cafe. Depending on the mobile phone provider, coverage could be either CDMA and GSM coverage. Travellers wishing to purchase SIM cards for GSM phones should look for Rogers Wireless, Telus Mobility and Bell Mobility, which all offer nationwide availability.

Post

Postal service is provided by Canada Post, a crown corporation owned by the government but run as an independent business. Most post offices keep hours from 9:00am to 5:00pm though in bigger places longer hourse might be available.

To format the envelope of a letter sent within Canada, put the destination address on the centre of its envelope, with a stamp, postal indicia, meter label, or frank mark on the top-right corner of the envelope to acknowledge payment of postage. A return address, although it is not required, can be put on the top-left corner of the envelope in smaller type than the destination address.

The lettermail service allows the mailing of a letter. The basic rate is currently set at $0.63 for one standard letter (30 grams or less). The rates for lettermail are based or weight and size and determine whether the article falls into the aforementioned standard format, or in the oversize one. The rate is the same for a postcard. Mail sent internationally is known as letterpost. It can only contain paper documents. The rate for a standard letter is of $1.10 if sent to the United States, and $1.85 if sent to any other destination. Oversize or overweight letters may be charged a higher fee. Larger parcels can be shipped via Canada post both domestically and internationally, the rate is dependent on the weight and destination. ^[1]

Federal Express, TNT, UPS or DHL also provide interntional shipping from Canada and are usually very quick and reliable though might cost a little more compared to Canada Post.

External Links