Moncton Facts
Fact 1: One of Moncton's treasures, the Capitol Theatre was saved from destruction in 1992 when the process of restoring the building began. Those restoring the structure scraped through four coats of paint to discover intricate stenciling, lovely gold leafing and extensive murals. Architects and designers worked diligently to keep the redesign of this historic theatre in keeping with its original 1922 look. The theatre is one of only eight such theatres in all of Canada.
Fact 2: What's in a name? A "k" was in the original name of Monckton. Reportedly, the city was named after a notable British soldier named Lieutenant Colonel Robert Monckton who captured nearby Fort Beauséjour in 1755, but it's noted that a records clerk misspelled the name, forever changing the course of history and the naming of this New Brunswick city.
Fact 3: Throughout its history, Moncton has had an on-again, off-again relationship with the official title of "Town." In 1855 when it became a major shipbuilding area, Moncton was officially incorporated as a town. However, when steam powered ships forced out the old shipbuilding industry, Moncton fell on hard times and was demoted to the status of "Village" in 1862. Nevertheless, things soon began to look up for Moncton again in 1875 as it again became a "Town" and adopted the civic motto "Resurgo," which means "I rise again."
Fact 4: Is your name Tim Horton? If so, you will feel right at home in Moncton, or you might feel like you're meeting yourself coming and going. Records indicate that Moncton is purported to have the most Tim Hortons per capita than any other area in the whole of North America.
Fact 5: The early 1900's saw a lot of firsts for Moncton. In 1901, the city got a glimpse of its first automobile, and in 1913, the city welcomed the first public library. 1921 brought Moncton its first look at an airplane flying in from Chatham, New Brunswick to refuel.
Fact 6: A very balanced city, Moncton is officially a bilingual city. Both French and English are spoken in the area. Additionally, the city is poised at the geographic center of Atlantic Canada and is equidistant between two coasts, the Fundy coast known for its high tides and the Acadian shore known for its warm salt water.
Fact 7: Directly after the deadly attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001, the airspace over Moncton was thick with air traffic. As NORAD worked quickly to secure North American airspace, thousands of planes were re-routed all across the globe. More than a dozen of these flights found their way to the Greater Moncton International Airport. Over 2500 air travelers took refuge in the city, with any passengers who desired to being put up in the private homes of generous Monctonians.
Fact 8: Since Moncton is officially a bilingual city – French and English – it's no wonder that about 40% of the city's population is adept at speaking both languages. The only other Canadian cities that can claim this level of dual language fluency are Ottawa and Montreal.
Fact 9: Moncton is bordered by the famous Bay of Fundy, which is known as the "Phenomenal Fundy" and has the highest tides in the world. The Bay rises up to 60 feet twice a day, which creates yet another Moncton area natural phenomenon – the filling and emptying of the city's Petitcodiac River. Both a visit to the Bay of Fundy and viewing the amazing tidal bore are must-see stops while visiting the city.
Fact 10: Poised for success, Moncton is currently New Brunswick's second largest city and is expected to be the province's most populated city within the next 10 years. Census records show that the city's growth record is 0.7% annually, which is larger than that of the entire province of New Brunswick.
