Fredericton’s population grows according to 2011 Census

Fredericton (February 8, 2012) – Numbers released today as part of the 2011 Census results show that the population of the City of Fredericton has grown by 11.3% to 56,224 people. This is up from 50,355 recorded during the last census in 2006.

The Fredericton region, or Census Agglomeration (CA) as it is recorded in the census, has grown by 9.3% for a total population of 94,268. In 2006, the total population for the region was 86,226.

“This is good news for the Fredericton and the surrounding area,” said Mayor Brad Woodside. “We are the fastest growing city of the three major cities in New Brunswick and growth in the Fredericton region is the second highest in the province.”

According to the census, Saint John and Moncton each experienced positive municipal and regional growth. Moncton has the fastest growing region in the province. Dieppe was the fastest growing city in New Brunswick. All other New Brunswick cities experienced a decline in population, except for Campbellton which remained the same.

“We will certainly be examining the numbers further, but I think our growth can be attributed to our knowledge-based economy, our growing retail sector and our strong development and construction activity in recent years,” said Mayor Woodside.

FREDERICTON LAUDED FOR GREEN INITIATIVES

BY THE DAILY GLEANER
08 FEB 2012

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Local Governments for Sustainability on Tuesday recognized the City of Fredericton for achieving five milestones for corporate and community action in the Partners for Climate Protection program at a special ceremony in Ottawa.

Berry Vrbanovic, federation president and councillor for the City of Kitchener, Ont., hosted the ceremony as part of federation’s 2012 sustainable communities conference.

“We continue to be proud of efforts in this area,” said Mayor Brad Woodside.“We have been at this for a long time now. As a municipal government, we have proven ourselves at the corporate level and our residents have made a difference at the community level. More than ever, our plan is to continue on the road to sustainability.”

Municipalities influence more than 44 per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. The partners for climate protection program is committed to reducing those levels.

Member municipalities progress through a series of five milestones that help them to build their capacity to reduce greenhouse gases. They must create an emissions inventory and forecast, develop a local action plan, implement the local action plan or a set of activities, monitor progress and report results.

The city has been involved with partners for climate protection since 2001. Fredericton is one of only five cities in Canada to reach all five milstones.

City’s EMO Group releases Mass Evacuation Plan

Fredericton (February 7) - The City of Fredericton Emergencies Measures Organization has presented it Mass Evacuation Plan to the City’s Public Safety and Environment Committee. The plan is intended to guide first responders and members of the City’s Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) in the event that a mass evacuation involving thousands of residents living in a large geographic area of the city is required.

This document supports the City’s current EMO Plan,and it does not replace standing operating procedures for first responders, but rather provides an overview of required actions. It also supports the more detailed decision making done by the City’s Emergency Operations Centre.

The City’s Mass Evacuation Plan lists the first ten things to do in a mass evacuation, and how to activate the City’s EMO Group, notify the public, set up an evacuation perimeter, identify evacuation routes, and transport evacuees, as well as providing information about shelters and reception centres.

The document goes on to identify roles and responsibilities, important names and phone numbers, information about declaring a State of Local Emergency, and departmental preparedness information, as well as special and other considerations.

The plan is in point form, to guide quick response, and will be placed in most first responder vehicles, as well Fire, Police and Community Services vehicles, and made available for internally for staff and externally for various support agencies. Additional training for staff and the City’s EMO group is planned.

The success of the any emergency situation comes down to public preparedness. As per Public Safety Canada’s emergency preparedness guide for families, all residents are urged to be able to take care of themselves for 72 hours. Know the risks; make a plan; and, get an emergency kit. Find out more at www.getprepared.ca.

Fredericton has been actively involved in emergency preparedness for the over a decade. The City has a Community Emergency Planning By-law, an Emergency Response Plan, Emergency Response Procedure based on 19 hazard assessments, a Widespread Illness Plan, and ongoing training efforts.

The need for such a plan was identified as a priority by the City’s EMO group. Work began on a draft plan in March 2011. Input was sought from internal and external stakeholders and a planning workshop was held in May 2011. That feedback was reviewed and the draft plan revised. That draft was reviewed again by the City’s EMO group in October 2011, with the final document being prepared for the City’s Public Safety & Environment Committee.

Councillors tweet opposition to city gun registry

By DON MACPHERSON

macpherson.don@dailygleaner.com

01 Feb 2012

A plan has hatched on Twitter to review a city bylaw requiring air- and spring-fired guns to be registered with the Fredericton Police Force.

Recent media reports about a City of Fredericton bylaw governing such guns have given way to criticism, and some of it’s coming from city councillors.

Coun. Mike O’Brien took to Twitter to express his thoughts about the registration aspect of Bylaw S-5.

“The spring loaded nurf [sic] gun my grandson & I play with at home likely falls under our By-Law S5 & must be registered. No need for a registry,” he tweeted Tuesday.

It wasn’t long before a colleague addressed the issue on the social-networking site as well.

“Good chat with @mikeobrien_fton today, he’s on board with repealing Fredericton’s Gun Registry. Who else is in?” tweeted Coun. Jordan Graham.

There’s no need for the registry, O’Brien told The Daily Gleaner later Tuesday, but there are aspects of it that should be retained.

“It’s a well-intentioned bylaw,” he said. “The bylaw itself has to be amended.”

The elements allowing for fines and seizure of weapons in instances of misuse should be maintained, O’Brien said, but requiring people to register such guns with the police force isn’t practical.

“The registry doesn’t serve a purpose,” he said.

He has no doubt the idea of a registry made sense on paper when it was passed by council a few years ago, but it just didn’t work in practice, O’Brien said.

The time has come to review the bylaw, first at the committee level, he said.

Should the city’s public safety committee vote to remove the registration requirement of Bylaw S-5, the councillor said, then the issue should be forwarded to council.

O’Brien said removing the registry component is merely a bit of housekeeping business he and his council colleagues need to undertake.

Coun. Bruce Grandy added to the Twitter chatter on the subject Tuesday, suggesting a regular review of bylaws to ensure relevance and usefulness.

“This brings up a good question, why is there not a ... process to revisit by laws for purpose every X years?” Grandy tweeted.

O’Brien said he agreed a regular review of all of the city’s bylaws is something worth discussing and undertaking.

City has good reason to boast

THE DAILY GLEANER: Editorial, Jan 2012

There was considerable rejoicing at City Hall last week when the final figures for building construction in 2011 were released.

The statistics revealed a total of $115.6 million in construction, the second highest total since 2009.

It was, moreover, the sixth consecutive year Fredericton has seen more than $100 million in construction. What city the size of Fredericton would not be ecstatic at that news!

It’s news that starts the new year off in a most positive direction. Let’s look at the statistics:

The city had just more than $60 million in residential construction, not far off the record-setting pace of 2009 when $61.4 million was experienced.

There was a strong showing in multi-unit starts which planner Meredith Gilbert says reflects changing demographics occurring countrywide where apartment living is favoured over the traditional single-family housing.

Commercial development came in at $19.6 million while government and institutional construction reached $29.9 million.

Whatever way the figures are looked at, they present a rosy picture especially when the unsteady state of the economy is considered.

People here are caught up in multi-faceted development which augers well for 2012, too.

The city is looking for more commercial development at Corbett Centre, Two Nations Crossing, West Hills mini-mall, and more development on Bishop Drive this year.

An added bonus to the celebrating at city hall is a report from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. that shows Fredericton is the only municipality with more than 50,000 population that saw an increase in new housing starts in 2011. Both Moncton and Saint John experienced decreases last year.

That Fredericton has witnessed a sixth straight year by reaching a construction milestone is a singular accomplishment worth boasting about.

We feel this is significant as the city continues to promote and to push its reputation and image to other parts of Canada and points abroad.

It’s not only a feather in the city’s hat during tough economic times, but it also serves as a tool for attracting business and new residents to the city. We must conclude that nothing beats success when it comes to promoting New Brunswick’s capital city.

Since Meredith Gilbert is already expecting “to see activity over the $100-million” again this year, we see no reason why the construction success should end.

Union Street Development gets PAC nod

By STEPHEN LLEWELLYN (Daily Gleaner)
19 Jan 2012

A 69-unit residential waterfront development on Union Street received rezoning approval from Fredericton planning advisory committee Wednesday night.

But the committee also ordered developer Marx Miles to do a traffic study on the impact of the development to try and put to rest some of the concerns of area residents.

The development, which includes two apartment buildings and nine townhouses, is located at 678, 690, 692 and 700 Union St. and Miles said Wednesday night he hopes to start construction of the project in the spring if the rezoning is approved by city council.

“I’m pleased obviously,” said the developer about the approval.

Miles said he’s prepared to the do the traffic study. “That doesn’t concern me,” he said. “Union Street is a busy street. If we have to put in a left-hand turn we’re fully prepared to do that.”

The first phase will be worth $6 million with each of 30 units costing $200,000, said Miles.

The proposal to rezone the 1.2 hectare property along the riverfront first came before PAC in December. But it was deferred for a month to allow the developer to discuss the project with the neighbourhood.

“Most of the people in the area are happy with it,” said Miles. “We’ve had a few complaints but we’ve had a lot of support too. What we’ve torn down there is an eight unit full of drug dealers and people that weren’t good tenants. We’re going to get some good people in there now.”

There was opposition to the project at the council meeting. Elizabeth Simms of 664 Union St. said she’s worried about the traffic impact the project would have on an already busy street.

Miles is seeking a 3.5-metre setback variance and Simms asked what would happen if Union Street has to be widened in the future.

She also said rezoning the property from R4B to R9 sets a dangerous precedent for the rest of Union Street.

Heather Berry of 716 Union St. also expressed concern about the traffic on Union Street and side streets. She said the development doesn’t fit in the neighbourhood.

A petition opposing the project signed by eight area residents, including the two who spoke at the meeting, was received by the committee. “Allowing a row of nine townhouses, three storeys high and only eight feet from the highway would create a wall along Union Street, undesirable to many,” stated the petition. “Where is the green space/buffer zone?”

There was also a letter of opposition to the project filed with the committee.

The rezoning approval wasn’t unanimous. Coun. Marilyn Kerton and PAC member Alan Rayner opposed the motion, which passed five to two. Kerton questioned if the development fit the area’s secondary plan, which calls for stabilizing the R4B zoning in the neighbourhood. She said the development seems like spot rezoning no matter how PAC sugar-coated it.

But senior planner Tony Dakiv said the section of the Devon secondary plan talks about stabilizing R4B zoning refers to the section north of Union Street, which is primarily single family dwelling. It doesn’t refer to the land south of Union Street.

Miles said he was hoping the approval would be unanimous. “We’re improving the area by quite a bit,” he said. “It needs development and we’re doing it.”

Miles noted a city councillor opposed the rezoning Wednesday night. “That makes me wonder if it will go through (city council) as easily as I thought it would,” he said.

City sees $115 Million in 2011 Development Activity

Fredericton (January 17) – The City of Fredericton has announced that the total value of construction in the city for 2011 was 115.6-million. Residential construction recorded its second highest total since 2009.

Construction of new homes and businesses, as well as new industrial and commercial buildings, have helped push the total value over $100-million for the sixth straight year. Despite the worldwide fiscal problems that plagued everyone in 2011, Fredericton did very well.

According to the City’s Annual Building Construction Activity Report, commercial development came in at $19.6 million with major projects including: a commercial office building on Bishop Drive, a commercial building with eight residential units on St. Mary’s Street, an Orthodontist/Dentist building on Prospect Street, the new Public Safety office building on Bishop Drive and the Electrical Association of NB office building on Durelle Street.

Major commercial projects anticipated for 2012 include continued development of the Corbett Centre, commercial development at Two Nations Crossing, West Hills commercial development, a downtown hotel and more commercial development on Bishop Drive.

Government & Institutional construction was worth $ 29.9-million in 2011 and included the start of the new Fredericton North School on Wyngate Drive, upgrades to the City Hall exterior, upgrades and improvements to Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital and the University of New Brunswick, renovations at the NBCC offices on Smyth Street and interior renovations to Soldier’s Barracks, a new outdoor skate park on Johnson Avenue, the new Capital Region Community Tennis Centre and Shannex’s 45-unit lifestyle apartment building with medical offices.

Residential construction was valued at $60.8-million in 2011, the second strongest residential activity on record and just below the $61.4-million record set in 2009. While the number of single detached homes built in 2011 dropped slightly, multiple unit starts, including apartments, townhouses and duplexes had a record year with a total of 366 new units constructed – up from 329 units in 2010.

Major residential projects in 2011 included: the 101 unit apartment building on Boyne Court, a 40 unit apartment building and an eight unit townhouse on Valcour Drive, a 32 unit apartment building on Queen Street, a 30 unit apartment building on Dunn’s Crossing Road, an 18 unit townhouse on Murray Avenue, two 12 unit apartment buildings on Sunny Brea Drive, and a 10 unit townhouse on Huntingdon Circle.

The City has enjoyed several years of record development since 2006. It is expected that development will remain strong in 2012 with overall development activity anticipated to be in the range of $100 million.

Fredericton needs more affordable housing

Coun. Mike O'Brien says the city must follow Saint John's lead in building more affordable housing units

Click the following link to review a summary of a radio interview I had today with CBC Fredericton Information Morning Radio 99.5

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/12/29/nb-fredericton-affordable-housing-1012.html

CREATING A FRIENDLIER ENVIRONMENT
(Daily Gleaner Editorial, december 15, 2011)

It's another feather in the hat of the Greater Fredericton area.

Earlier this week, the Fredericton Region Solid Waste Commission announced it had reached a 20-year deal with NB Power to use its methane gas collection system to generate electricity to the utility's power grid.

Powered by the landfill's methane gas, two large generators will run simultaneously with the energy produced being turned into electricity.

The deal is expected to net the commission more than $20 million in profit.

"For our organization, that's a good deal," said Fredericton Solid Waste Commission general manager and CEO Gordon Wilson.

It's a good deal for the commission and its a good one for this area.

Methane, a flammable, gaseous hydrocarbon - formed in this case by rotting garbage - is being utilized by a growing number of landfills around the world. Instead of simply venting the gas, many locations are developing it and turning it into a source of income.

The local effort is a prime example of what can be done when citizens and organizations, such as the Solid Waste Commission, join forces and use their collective energy for the betterment of mankind.

In this case, the commission has shown outsiders that the capital region is in control of its destiny and very much in tune with an ever-increasing green world.

The Solid Waste Commission has long been a leader in the environmental field.

According to the organization's 2010 annual report, its landfill gas management system, the first of its kind in New Brunswick, removed approximately 45,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent from the atmosphere last year.

That's a significant figure and one that should increase when the new generation system comes online.

Once the generators are in place in about a year's time, the landfill's methane will have the ability to produce 2.1 megawatts of electricity - the equivalent of lighting and heating more than 2,000 homes or, as Mr. Wilson said during the announcement, "a portion of Oromocto."

"The energy we are now creating through our system is an awful lot more than we need here to power our own buildings," Mr. Wilson said. "That energy was there for us, but was being flared. There is so much more we can do with it and we're entering that phase now. This is a positive environmental story."

We agree.

Energy Minister Craig Leonard said such projects not only contribute to the reliability of the province's electric system, but reduce greenhouse gas emissions, helping to keep New Brunswick a leader in green and renewable generation.

Blair Kennedy, vice-president of generation for NB Power, said the electricity produced by the Solid Waste Commission will help the utility meet a goal of having 40 per cent of its power generation from renewable resources.

This speaks well for the future of this province's energy system.

Solid Waste Commission's methane project will cost $6.5 million once all the bills are tallied up. The amazing part of all this is that it was accomplished without receiving a dime of funding from government. It's a success story of which we can all be proud.

Fredericton residents can breathe a sigh of relief.
(Excerpts from the Editorial, Daily Gleaner, December 16/11)

The city will be holding the line on taxes for another year.

The news was made official with the release of the municipality's budget for 2012. In a nutshell, it keeps the tax rate at $1.42 per $100 of assessed property value on the inside rate and $1.06 per $100 on the outside rate. The reduced rate applies to properties that aren't in fully serviced parts of Fredericton.

The city successfully held increases in spending to two per cent even while the cost of inflation rose beyond that and at a time when the province once again trimmed the city's unconditional grant to $5.6 million.

With money restraints and demands being what they are these days, the tax rate could have easily gone in the other direction.

We believe this to be particularly true with the city coping to meet its infrastructure costs and when seemingly ever-increasing requests for funding are taken into consideration.

Much credit for this week's budget has to go to finance committee chairman Coun. Jordan Graham.

The 25-year-old University of New Brunswick student, the youngest city councillor in Fredericton's history, was elected four years ago at age 21.

The bottom line is that he did what Mayor Brad Woodside tasked him to do and delivered a budget that holds the tax rate.

"We squeezed as much value as we could from the resources that we were given," Coun. Graham said. "I think it's a budget that reflects something that council envisions as the way forward for the next year and embodies what we want to work towards and what we want to achieve."

Coun. Graham credits city hall department heads for bending the numbers to deliver the $101.9-million general fund operating budget and a $15.9-million water and sewer budget for 2012. Included in the operating budget is a $14.7-million capital budget for infrastructure renewal.

"We saw examples of tremendous co-operation within departments. People transferring vehicles where they didn't need them, eliminating positions to create new positions in other departments. Staff worked tremendously hard to get to where we are today. I'm very proud to be part of the team we have here," Coun. Graham said.

Credit should also be given to all councillors and the mayor.

They held small group discussions to plot a unified course and then handed most of the budget preparation work to city hall staff. The process ran quickly and there were no clashes.

"We worked together collectively, shooting for the same star. We got the same goals, the same objectives, the same dreams and we worked together quite well," Mayor Woodside said. "Coun. Graham, you did an extraordinary job ... We performed as the public would expect us to with this council."

While there will be fee hikes in areas such as transit fares, monthly parking pass rates, and ice rentals, we believe the budget is a good one for the city and its residents.

Furthermore, we are pleased it was accomplished in a non-confrontational manner.

We urge mayor and council to continue to work together in 2012.