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Moncton is the second largest city in New Brunswick and is located in the
province's fastest growing urban area. Its greater metropolitan area includes
the city of Dieppe and the town of Riverview and the adjacent areas of
Westmorland and Albert Counties.
Population: 117,727 (metro area)
Area: 142 sq km.
Time Zone: Atlantic Time Zone (GMT-4)
Telephone Area Code: 506
Climate
Located less than 50 kilometres from the Bay of Fundy and less than 20
kilometres from the Northumberland Strait, the climate of Moncton is mostly
continental, as opposed to the maritime you might expect. It is most pronounced
during the summer and winter seasons as maritime influences tend to temper the
spring and autumn seasons.
Winter days are cold but usually sunny with solar radiation generating some
warmth. Large amounts of precipitation often result from nor'easter ocean storms
moving up the east coast of North America from the southern United States. This
can be amplified locally by "sea effect" snow squall activity from the
nearby Gulf of St. Lawrence. Major snowfalls typically average 20-30 centimetres
and are sometimes mixed with rain or freezing rain.
Spring is always late since the sea ice in the nearby Gulf of St. Lawrence
requires time to melt. Daytime temperatures get above freezing are typical by
mid to late March but occasional late snowfalls April and occasionally May ado
occur. Summers are hot and humid with daytime highs usually reaching the mid to
high 20's. Rainfall is modest and periods of drought are not uncommon. Autumn is
influenced by the retention of heat in the nearby Gulf of St. Lawrence and
daytime temperatures remain warm until mid October. First snowfalls usually
occur by mid November although consistent snow cover does not take place until
mid to late December. Both October and November tend to have heavier
precipitation and the Fundy coast of New Brunswick occasionally experiences the
after effects of hurricanes and tropical storms.
Average Monthly Temperaures:
|
High |
Low |
| Month |
Celsius |
Fahrenheit |
Celsius |
Fahrenheit |
| January |
-3 |
26 |
-13 |
8 |
| February |
-2 |
28 |
-13 |
9 |
| March |
3 |
37 |
-7 |
19 |
| April |
9 |
48 |
-1 |
30 |
| May |
17 |
62 |
5 |
41 |
| June |
22 |
71 |
10 |
50 |
| July |
25 |
77 |
14 |
57 |
| August |
24 |
76 |
13 |
55 |
| September |
19 |
67 |
8 |
46 |
| October |
13 |
55 |
3 |
37 |
| November |
6 |
43 |
-2 |
28 |
| December |
-1 |
30 |
-9 |
16 |
Getting to Moncton:
AIR:
Moncton is served by a newly expanded
international airport, the Greater Moncton International Airport (YQM). The GMIA
is the third busiest and third largest airport in Atlantic Canada and handles
more traffic than all other airports in New Brunswick combined.
Regular carriers serving the GMIA (and destinations) include:
- Air Canada Jazz, - (Halifax, Montreal, Toronto)
- WestJet, - (Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, Calgary, Edmonton, Varadero and
Holguin Cuba (Seasonal))
- CanJet, - (St. John's, Toronto, Sarasota Florida (Seasonal))
- Continental Express, - (Newark)
A number of charter airlines including Corsair (France), Air Saint-Pierre
(France), Condor (Germany), Air Transat (Canada) and Skyservice (Canada) also
fly into the GMIA with direct connections to St. Pierre and Miquelon, Dominican
Republic, Cuba, Germany and France.
RAIL:
Moncton is serviced by railway
companies VIA Rail Canada. VIA Rail provides daily rail passenger service to
Halifax and Montreal.
ROAD:
Moncton is located on Route 2 (the
Trans-Canada Highway), at the junction of two other major four lane divided
highways. Route 2 leads to Halifax in the east and Fredericton and on to central
Canada in the west. Route 15 intersects Route 2 at the northeastern boundary of
Moncton and leads to northern New Brunswick and also to Prince Edward Island.
Route 1 intersects Route 2 just 15 km west of Moncton and leads to Saint John
and on to the United States border. Moncton is within two and a half hour drive
to all other major maritime cities.
Moncton is a hub for the Acadian Lines interprovincial bus service. The Greater
Moncton Area is also serviced by Codiac Transit, which operates on 25 routes in
Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview.
Currency:
Canadian currency is in decimal dollars. There are one dollar coins (called
"loonies" because of the loon depicted on the gold colored coin); two
dollar coins with a gold colored center and silver border ( called "toonies"
because they are equal to 2 loonies); dime; nickel and penny. The paper currency
comes in denominations of $5; $10; $20; $50; $100.
Exchange rates vary widely depending on where money is exchanged. Banks give the
best rate. The easiest method of securing cash at the best exchange rate is to
make withdrawals using a US credit card from the ATM machines found at major
banks and stores. As in the US, some banks charge a fee and a transaction tax,
so check with the banks to find the best value. Using credit cards is also
excellent as most credit card providers will convert the CAD charge amount to
USD using the prevailing international exchange rate at the time the transaction
is processed.
Taxes for Travellers
In New brunswick, Sales taxes consist of 8% PST and 6% GST. The tax applies to
most goods and services although in NB, PST is not applied to most clothing and
footwear (as well as most groceries, prescriptions and other essential items).
Non-Canadian residents are entitled to claim a rebate of all GST paid on
accommodations and certain categories of goods purchases (see Canadian
Travel Information on this site). |
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