Greater Moncton was historically known as the transportation and communications hub of the region. In the early 1990s, Greater Moncton’s three municipalities (Dieppe, Moncton and Riverview) transformed their blue collar economy into an economy focused on professional and administrative services. An article in the July 1995 edition of Canadian Geographic, entitled “1-800-Moncton”, highlighted this transition and recognized the resiliency and vitality of this region of a population of 120,000.

In more recent years, strategic efforts have been made to maintain and enhance the region’s diverse economic base. Today, Greater Moncton has a vibrant and diversified economy with no more than 8% of jobs in any one sector.

Thanks to Greater Moncton’s central location, the region is a very short drive away from most of Atlantic Canada’s favourite recreational activities. The community is only a 2-hour drive away from Halifax, a 90-minute drive from Saint John and a 90-minute drive from Fredericton. And now, thanks to the Confederation Bridge, Moncton is only a 2-hour drive away from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

History
Moncton has grown from an early Acadian settlement located on a bend of the Petitcodiac River known as Le Coude. After the deportation of the Acadians, the settlement lay empty until 1766 when eight immigrant families arrived from Pennsylvania.

Named after the British soldier, Lt-Colonel Robert Monckton, the new township quickly flourished as a centre for wooden shipbuilding. Although it was incorporated as a town in 1855, Moncton was forced to surrender its charter in 1862, as the birth of steam and iron ships brought a quick end to local prosperity.

A new era of prosperity came to the settlement with the establishing of the headquarters for the Intercolonial Railway in 1877, forerunner of Canadian National Railways. In 1875, Moncton was again incorporated as a town, and adopted the latin motto Resurgo (“I rise again”), a true testament to the character of its people. Moncton became a city on the 23rd of April, 1890.

Travel to City
Located in the hub of the Maritimes, the Greater Moncton International Airport (GMIA) is New Brunswick’s only international airport and has a vibrant passenger market, serving more consumers within a 2.5-hour drive than any other airport in Atlantic Canada.

GMIA provides user-friendly connections around the world and offers more than 100 weekly direct flights serving all major commercial centres in Canada.

Population: Greater Moncton: 120,000
Moncton: 61,046

Area: 150 sq km

Economy
Moncton is the economic engine of New Brunswick, with the province’s highest number of businesses the most employees and the most retail activity.

We have leveraged our strategic location to become the transportation, manufacturing, retail, tourism and service hub of Atlantic Canada. Moncton has come a long way and has an economy far more diversified than our call centre days of the 1990s.

The 2006 KPMG Competitive Alternatives Study ranked Moncton second for doing international business when compared in a comparison of large, international centres from North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Canadian Business magazine named Greater Moncton the best place to do business in all of English-speaking Canada in 2004. The magazine sited the low cost of doing business, low cost of living, low crime rates and economic growth in the area as the ideal atmosphere for an excellent business climate.

A few of the investment feathers in Moncton’s cap of late are the $35 million Molson Inc. Brewery, the $60 million Irving Personal Care Ltd. and the $15 million Shur-Gain feed mill.

Moncton has shaped its future through forward-thinking developments like the Emmerson Technology Park on the former CN Shops land and the Wheeler Park Power Centre. Also the Provincial Governments tax strategy that has New Brunswicker’s paying the second lowest rates in English Canada, has no payroll taxes and has the lowest small business tax rate.

Major Cultural Events:
HubCap Comedy Festival (February)
IrishFest (March)
Northrop Frye International Literary Festival (April)
World Cultures Festival (June)
Canada Day Festivities (July)
Acadian Day Festivities (August)
Atlantic Seafood Festival (August)
Festival international du cinéma francophone en Acadie (September)
Ciao Italia (October)
World Wine & Food Festival (October/November)
FrancoFête en Acadie (November)
Santa Claus Parade Festivities (December)
Various other cultural events, concert series

Ten Major Employers and Industry:

Employer	Industry
Beauséjour Hospital Corporation	Hospital Corporation
South-East Health Care Corporation	Hospital Corporation
Canada Correctional Services	Justice
Asurion Canada Inc.	Contact centre
Midland Transport Ltd.	Trucking Business
City of Moncton	Municipal Government
ExxonMobil	Contact centre
Royal Bank (incl. Call Centre)	Banking Services
Université de Moncton	University
ICT Group Inc.	Contact centre