Moncton, Fredericton and Saint John all showed significant growth in the latest census result. Moncton led the charge by growing by 8.9 per cent, Fredericton grew by 5.8 per cent, and Saint John showed growth for the first time in five years, with a growth of 3.5 per cent.

With residential housing construction on the rise as the country grapples with the housing crisis, the Nature Conservancy of Canada warns urban expansion can come with growing pains.

In an interview on Thursday, their national media relations director, Andrew Holland, said, “The big for key for municipalities is to have good land use planning planning practices so that they’re not losing some of our natural defenses such as our forests and wetlands.

“They can be very beneficial for urban wildlife and protecting our communities against climate change and the heavy rainfalls and flooding and the significant weather events that we tend to get more and more.”

The City of Moncton has hired consultants to develop an urban growth strategy, “that will address where and how residential and employment growth should occur in Moncton over the next 25 years,” according to Andrew Smith, Moncton’s long-range policy planning manager.

On Thursday, he said the public will be asked for feedback on it, and it will be presented to council toward the end of 2022.

Currently, Moncton is seeking to attract more residents to the downtown core.

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