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Moncton’s dream of development in the Vision Lands took a step forward Monday as initial details of a new city park went public.
For decades Moncton has hoped to see a 566-hectare area between the Trans-Canada Highway and Wheeler Boulevard developed. Most of the land is privately owned.
On Monday, council approved a plan to subdivide one privately owned parcel into 11 building lots, create or extend public streets, and set aside land for a park around the North Branch of Halls Creek. The plan is for a portion of the Vision Lands owned by HarbourEdge Realty Administration Corp.
Several councillors applauded the plan.
“It’s major movement to finally get something like this going on,” Coun. Paul Richard, one of the ward councillors for the area, said.
Coun. Daniel Bourgeois thanked the developer for starting the process to develop the area, saying it’s something he recalls being discussed when he was elected in 2008.
The plan presented Monday shows parkland around the North Branch of Halls Creek with building lots marked in orange along future streets and roundabouts. (City of Moncton)
However, there are no specific timelines for actual construction to begin.
WATCH | ‘It’s major movement to finally get something like this going on,’ councillor says:
New proposal for Moncton Vision Lands includes 48-hectare park
Moncton city council heard more details on Monday night about the development of a 500-hectare swath of land known as the Vision Lands.
City staff said various other steps need to be taken before any construction would take place, including securing funding to build new roads.
The city’s 2026 budget includes $500,000 to buy land for a park. No purchase price was disclosed Monday.
“I’d like to congratulate and thank the promoter for committing so much space for the creation of the park,” Bourgeois said in French.
The park would be smaller than other major Moncton parks. Centennial Park covers 93 hectares while Mapleton Park is 121 hectares and Irishtown Nature Park is 890 hectares.
Establishing a new city park in the Vision Lands has been discussed for years. In 2022, Bourgeois raised the idea and then-mayor Dawn Arnold suggested the city consider a federal urban parks program.
They made the comments as the city started talks with landowners to update city planning documents, called a secondary plan, for the Vision Lands.
Josh Davies, the city’s manager of long range policy planning, told council that an updated secondary plan is expected to be presented to council in February.
Davies said it will involve rezoning parts of the Vision Lands. Almost all of the Vision Lands are currently zoned for low-density housing.