MONCTON – Moncton city council is planning to use the Petitcodiac River as a big part of their downtown revitalization strategy.
The city has already announced they’ll be opening Downing Street, a short street that connects Main Street to the Petitcodiac River area.
“There’s a large property at the riverfront,” said Moncton councillor Charles Leger. “It certainly has a tremendous possibility to group people together.”
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Leger says the project could also include shops, green space and potentially an observation deck overlooking the famous river.
“People are drawn to the river, they’re drawn to waterfronts,” he said. “But we really don’t have much infrastructure downtown.”
Steve Clerke has been selling gifts downtown for almost 30 years. He says he and his wife opened Gifts Galore along Main Street because they were drawn to the river.
“The waterfront is underutilized,” he said. “We have one of the most unique tidal bore systems in the world and we take it for granted as Monctonians and New Brunswickers.”
The Petitcodiac’s had lots of attention over the past few years. The opening of the causeway gates in April 2010 connected the river and allowed water to run free again.
The free flow increased the size of the tidal bore and brought world-renowned surfers to the city in the summer of 2013.
Downing Street is expected to be open by the fall.
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