Mayor Dawn Arnold: Moncton lauded for immigration, eco-focus
Whether it is through cultural events, job creation, or welcoming more people to New Brunswick’s largest city, Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold is excited for her city’s future.
Moncton’s positive momentum was recognized in a pair of 2019 awards that recognized both its successful immigration strategy and the positive environmental impact of the city’s state-of-the-art sports and entertainment complex, the Avenir Centre.
Arnold shared her thoughts on both awards, and the future of the city, with Municipal World CEO Susan Gardner. The two sat down at the 2019 Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Quebec City.
Avenir Centre Recognized for Environmental Impact
When it comes to the Avenir Centre, which opened in September 2018, Arnold is quick to celebrate the work that went into the facility before the doors ever opened.
“It takes a lot of will to build a centre like that in the world that we live in today,” she said. For two years everywhere I went people were like, ‘You’re crazy, why are you building it there? There’s gonna be nowhere to park. I’m never going to go.’ Well, people are going. They are finding places to park. They are enjoying the walk there and that is part of the whole experience, the walk to the centre. It’s been great.”
Measured in a more quantifiable way, Arnold said Moncton’s downtown has seen more than $75 million in building permits in direct vicinity of the Avenir Centre since it opened.
The city’s amenities will be spotlighted during the 2019 World Acadian Congress. New Brunswick is co-hosting the event with communities in Prince Edward Island. The event is expected to bring some 100,000 people to the area.
Immigration Helping Fill Moncton Job Openings
The city’s immigration strategy has proven as transformational as its physical infrastructure. As is the case with her counterparts across the country, Arnold said her largest challenge is talent attraction. Moncton, she explains, has the jobs, but is struggling to fill them.
And so, the focus has been on working with different partners to ensure the city isn’t only attracting new residents, but is also doing whatever it can to keep them.
“We’re working with industry for sure. Making sure we can connect the right people to the right jobs. But also, I think when you are in a mid-sized city like Moncton, we have some of those extra special services,” she said. “It isn’t just that person and that job, it’s also about their family. It’s hard to define sometimes what it means to know your kids can walk to school safely just down the street and that you are part of a neighbourhood that cares. Those are all sort of intangibles that are hard to articulate.” MW
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