Moncton, New Brunswick
Moncton (2001 population 61,046, metropolitan population 117,727) is one of the eight cities in the Canadian province of New Brunswick.Moncton is located along the Petitcodiac River, which runs to the Bay of Fundy. The city is nicknamed "The Bend" (in French le Coude) and "The Hub City". The city earned the nickname the Bend because it is located at a large bend in the river. The Hub City reference is because Moncton is and has been a central location for transport within the Maritimes.
Moncton has an active French-speaking Acadian population, many of whom speak Chiac. The city hosted the International Francophone Summit in August of 1999. This was the largest conference ever held in the city with delegates from 54 countries from around the world.
Moncton is serviced by a newly expanded international airport, the Greater Moncton International Airport. Moncton is also serviced by the rail companies Via, and the Canadian National Railways, which at one point, was one of the main employers of the city.
The current mayor of Moncton is Brian Murphy.
Moncton has several major attractions:
- Champlain Place - The largest single story mall in Canada east of Montreal.
- Crystal Palace - An indoor amusement park next door to Champlain Place.
- Magnetic Hill - A hill which appears to pull you up it; also the site of the city's zoo.
- Magic Mountain - A large water park located next to Magnetic Hill.
Moncton has one daily newspaper, the Times & Transcript.
Moncton celebrated its 100th year of incorporation in 1991.
Moncton is home to the Northrop Frye festival, a celebration of the works of Northrop Frye. This celebration takes place in the month of April.
Notables born in Moncton:
- Gordie Drillon (1913-1986), Hall of Fame ice hockey player
- Eric's Trip, indie rock band