Moncton Things to Do

Admittedly, I'm spoiled with some of the world class zoos that are within an hour of where I live. So i knew I had to lower my expectations just a bit for this one.

On the plus side, it's a compact zoo, but spread out enough that I felt I was getting a nice bit of exercise. They do have a number of cool animal exhibits. There are lions, tigers, sea otters, peacocks strutting around, and some very amusing monkeys. The kids loved feeding the ducks in the pond towards the back.

On the downside, this is a bit expensive for what you get - $40-ish for a family of four, and you really can see it all in about an hour.

For the downright bizarre - there are a couple of things that make this extremely memorable. First is the guinea pig town - basically a big open space with toy farm equipment and a bunch of guinea pigs running around. The other is the animal cemetery - where there were some tombstones commemorating the animals who have left us!

All in all, it's not a bad time, if you don't mind the cost.

I have mentioned elsewhere on my Moncton page that I only spent a few hours there and went on a mini pub crawl to kill a bit of time. This was the third of the three establishments I visited and on balance was probably my favourite even though I am generally not a fan of "Oirish" pubs as I find them completely false and nothing like I remember from my 28 years of living there and visits back to see my family now.

The Old Triangle is part of a small regional chain with outlets in Halifax, Charlottetown and Sydney. If you are wondering about the name, it comes from an Irish song of the same title which features in the Brendan Behan play "The Quare Fellow" and has been covered by just about every Irish singer since notably the late Ronnie Drew of the Dubliners. Back, however, to the pub.

Like the previous two I was amazed to find that just after the end of office hours on a summer weekday I had the place near enough completely to myself, if memory serves there were either two or three others in there. I suspect Canadians must just not go out for a drink after work as this seemed to be the case just about everywhere I went. The pub itself was nicely decked out and the barman naturally served me very promptly, well he had nothing else to do! The beer was well-kept and poured and I had a bit of a chat with the him and also had a look at the pretty extensive menu which is also Irish themed.

I also noticed a small stage in the corner and it appears that there is regular music there (no cover charge) with Irish and Acadian Seisuns on Saturday and Sunday evening between either 1500 - 1800 or 1600 - 1900. A seisun is basically a music event where anyone can turn up and play. I do a lot of them and I was a bit sad that it was not a weekend as I had a guitar in the campercan (RV).

Time, as always, is the enemy of the drinking man and all too soon it was time for me to leave but I have no hesitation in recommending this place, it is a lovely place for a drink.

Whilst wandering round Moncton one afternoon looking for a beer or two I came upon the St. James' Gate pub which actually is a restuarant attached to the "boutique hotel" upstairs. For those of you who don't know St.James' Gate is the location of the Guinness Brewery in Ireland so I had half an idea what the theme was going to be. In fairness, it wasn't as awfully faux Irish as many of these places tend to be and was a pleasant enough bar but obviously pretty posh and also near enough empty after work on a summer weekday afternoon which surprised me.

I ordered my beer from the very civil barman and had a look round, noting that there is live entertainment here on a regular basis. The beer was well-kept and served so no complaints there and the toilets were immaculate as you would excpect in a place like this. There is an outside area to the front and there were a few hardy souls there although, even in late July, I didn't think the weather was really conducive to al fresco drinking. St. James' Gate describes itself as "Premium Casual Dining" and I suspect that is what it is, a restaurant where you can have a drink if you like. I can certainly have no complaints about this venue but it just wasn't really my kind of place and time was pressing so I made the one beer do me and headed off in search of somewhere that was a bit more "me".

I mentioned in my Moncton introduction page that I was just having a look round for a couple of hours and have a couple of beers and this was the first place I came upon and so in I went. I quite like sports bars and this was very typical of the type with various sports memorabilia on the walls, assorted sports channels on the numerous large screen TVs and a selection of bar food on offer. This includes a daily special of wings and beer as shown in the third image here.

The bartender was friendly and the beer well-kept and served. The toilets were perfectly acceptable and there is an outdoor seating area to the front, although the weather really wasn't that good the day I was there and so I gave that a miss. the only thing that slightly surprised me was that on a weekday afternoon at about five o'clock the place was just about deserted although I did have a bit of a conversation with the only other patron before he left. I do hope the two facts are not connected!

There is really little else I can tell you about the Overtime other than it is a decent sports bar and a pleasant enough place for a drink.

Update

Readers of my pages will know that I like to keep them as up to date as possible and not more than half an hour after writing this tip and whilst researching another establishment in town I discovered that this place is now permanently closed. I shall leave this tip up as a memento for myself but I just would not want anyone having a wasted journey on the basis of out of date information.

I found trhis Celtic Cross by the Petitcodiac River. It was very nice and children played around it.

The memorial was erected in July 2000 to pay homage to the Irish families who settled in New Brunswick about 200 years ago

Ok guys this is going to be a long one but I do think it is worth reading especially if you are not from the area.

Things to do :

If you are visiting during summer :

Parlee Beach is a beautiful mile long beach that is about 20 min from the city, very well kept and includes all facilities. Cost is 11$ for a car's parking and is good for the day. Beach is sandy and water is clear and Warm (warmest north of virginia). And it gets deep at a very light incline so you have to walk in the water about almost a quarter mile before you can actully swim. Which is nice if you have little children that wants to play in. It can get pretty busy on weekend, several hundred people, however it is a large beach. Note that dogs are not allowed on the beach. Thongs are not common but are allowed therefor if you want to wear one feel free to do so.

Hopewell Rocks are located about a 45 min drive from Moncton going towards Fundy National Park, they are rocks created by the water and are Several feet high (80-100feet) the tide go up and down twice a day and you can walk on the ocean floor when it is low tide. Don't venture too far from the stairwell however because when water starts to rise it rises FAST.

Downtown: There are Restaurant and Pubs downtown which offers terrace and outdoor sitting, people are friendly and it should make for a nice little stop.

There is a New Casino at the north end of the city corner of the Trans-Canada (HWY2) and mountain Rd, you can't miss it it is a big building, it is a very nice facility with about 700 slot machines, poker room Hotel, Convention Center and Concert Location. Their hotel is among the nicest of the city and most rooms are below 200$ per night. Include fitness center, Indoor pool and Whirlpool.

Almost across from the Casino is Magnetic Hill, an attraction that make you drive down a road stop at the bottom of the hill, and put your car in neutral, and guess what, it climb the hill by itself!!!! It is an optical illusion but still pretty cool.

Also in the Magnetic Hill complex is the Moncton Zoo and Magic Mountain, maritimes largest water park with a Wave pool, laze river and several Water Slides.

If you like shopping there are several places to go, Champlain Mall, a local favorite is a large shopping center located in Dieppe and it includes all kind of store including high-end store like Sephora, Pandora, Swarovski, Coach, Jack & Jones. But also regular store as Sears, Wal-Mart, ToysRus Bikini Village etc.

There is also a power center located in North-Moncton on Mapleton Dr and Trinity Dr, stores there includes, Costco, Staples, Pier 31, Golf Town, Moxies, Kent, Bouclair Home, Future Shop, Winners, Michaels, Paderno, Etc.

Is it best to use your car in the city as the public transit is well, so so , if you have to take a taxi, all Moncton based taxi are required to show a sticker on the car with the Moncton logo and the registration number. Also ALL taxi's license plate registered in NB starts with letter H.

Riverview is just south of Moncton across the river, really nice little town with little shops and a nice waterfront walking trail. The town is usually very well maintain, so it might be worth to stop in.

Dieppe, east of Moncton is about 90% french, however almost all are bilingual and you should not have any problem speaking english. it is the largest Acadian town in NB and is mostly Residential except the commercial district around the shopping Center and the Industrial Park closer to the International Airport.

Moncton have beautiful golfcourse for those who would like a little tee off, 2 of which are PGA Approved, Royal Oaks in Moncton and Fox Creek golf club in dieppe. Both will run you a little over 100$ for an 18 hole. Note that other courses in the area can be found for cheaper.

IMPORTANT : If you do come in the winter

The winter month of January, February and March can be REALLY COLD and reach temperature of -32 degree celcius (0F) with the wind. Be sure to bring really warm clothes and a good coat if you plan coming around those times. Also make sure to have winter tires as you will most likely encounter snow

Hope this helped.

Happy Visit

We usually take in a big concert every year at Magnetic Hill .
Originally built in 1984 for Pope John Paul II to hold a papal mass during his tour of Canada, the site was redesigned in the 1990s as a concert venue. On September 3, 2005 The Rolling Stones performed at the venue, with up to 85,000 fans attending, making it the largest music event ever in Atlantic Canada. It is one of the largest music venues in Canada.

Every year there is a big outdoor concert on Magnetic Hill , in Moncton . It has been gaining a reputation for bringing in some big name shows . We went to see the Rolling Stones a couple of years ago and this year we went to see The Eagles . It was a great show and really well organized . They are very good at handling crowds of up to 80,000 fans. There are concession stands , a separate " drinking " area and tons of washroom facilities.

If you're wondering where to buy fresh bread, pastries, good cheese, vegetables and imported foods (or even local crafts), head to Moncton's farmers' markets. There are 2 of them that are worth the detour, both open on Saturday morning roughly between 7:30 am and noon: the oldest and most central one (one block down from Main St towards the river, between Robinson and Lutz St) is housed in a colourful building and is a popular socializing spot on Saturday mornings (often jam packed as a result!) whose atmosphere is usually livened up by musicians. You'll mostly find a lot of ready-to-eat-on-the-spot foods, coffee, pastries, crafts and a small selection of vegetables/fruits and meat.

The Dieppe market (corner of Amirault and Gauvin Streets in Dieppe) is also a great bussling spot on Saturday mornings. This market located in the predominantly french speaking town of Dieppe is popular with Acadians and great if you're looking to do some real grocery shopping. There is an awesome cheese counter which sells cheeses from NB, Quebec and France among other places - not to be missed if you're a cheese lover. They also have a selection of fine foods such as paté de fois gras, duck and lamb meats. You'll also find a large selection of pastries, some imported foods from the middle-east, fresh fish, meats (including rabbit) and some vegetables and fruits. There is a pleasant coffee area upstairs with 2 coffee shops that both sell very good espresso (head to the one at the back to practice your spanish with the owner who is peruvian).

The Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world at 52 feet. The Bay of fundy National park and the Hopewell Rocks is an excellent place to view the tides. Just make sure your watch is working as when the tide starts rolling in make sure your at a safe location. At hopewell rocks they have parks people on the beach blowing whistles when it's time to climb the stairs.

The first theatre built on the land that the Capitol Theatre now sits, was called the Davidson Theatre, built in 1908-09. It was later re-named the Empress.

In 1922, a cinema called the "Capitol ", was built alongside the Empress, but live touring performances began on stage in 1923.

As was common in that era, a fire destroyed the Empress 3 years later, and damaged the roof and stage of the Capitol. They were both rebuilt in only 6 months. However, the last live show played at the Capitol in 1958.

The Empress stopped showing films in the 60's, and the Capitol stopped in 1990. It then became a nightclub, then a teen club, then became a storage facility.

As part of a project of urban renewal and revitalization, restoration of the Capitol began in 1992, and in 1993, it reopened with 'the Nutcracker'.

The interior has been beautifully restored
You might wish to stop by and check what's playing....music, comedy, a play, etc.

It's a little bit of a drive away (approximentaly an hour) but it's well worth the drive if you're an avid hiker. Go visit the Bay of Fundy national park. It provides great hiking trails for hikers of all skill levels. Plenty of little rivers and ravines to tickle your fancy. Beautiful scenery and if you go during the right time of day then you may even catch the high tide. Also for those couples out there, there are many secluded areas where you can hike off the main path if you feel like having a quicky. I would not recommend that you go during the winter months, and not just because it'll be too cold to have that quicky but the people working for this park do not like to shovel the dirt parking lots connected to their trails, me and my girlfriend were stranded in a parking lot in the middle of winter for a good 3 hours.

It's a little bit of a drive away (approximentaly an hour) but it's well worth the drive if you're an avid hiker. Go visit the Bay of Fundy national park. It provides great hiking trails for hikers of all skill levels. Plenty of little rivers and ravines to tickle your fancy. Beautiful scenery and if you go during the right time of day then you may even catch the high tide. Also for those couples out there, there are many secluded areas where you can hike off the main path if you feel like having a quicky. I would not recommend that you go during the winter months, and not just because it'll be too cold to have that quicky but the people working for this park do not like to shovel the dirt parking lots connected to their trails, me and my girlfriend were stranded in a parking lot in the middle of winter for a good 3 hours.

Eddie (Simonneeddy sent me this photo that he took of two watchtowers at Shediac. But on closer observation neither appear to be the one I picture above. So, I still wonder if it is on he beach, or has it been moved? Anyway, thanks Eddy, for the update.

Simmonneeddy's Moncton page is worthy of a visit, if you happen to be on this page, so just cick this link and explore this location in great detail:

Simonneeddy's Moncton Page

Just editing this page following the demise of HTML on VT, and I can't find the details of this view. I've already lost one picture of the Beach Tower, and found my floppy disc is now corrupted! More scanning required now, haha.