Moncton, NB Named One of the Top Seven "Smart Cities" of the World! (Woohoo! Go Moncton!)

Time for me to show off my civic pride. This is huge news to us and explains in part why, while so many cities are crumbling under current economic woes, Moncton is thriving, growing and increasing it's economic base. My brother's chosen home, Fredericton, was also chosen as one of the top seven. Imagine that - two of the top seven cities in our small province! This is the place to be, people. I've been telling everyone that for years, and now the Intelligent Community Forum has recognized it, too. Woohoo!

Here's an exerpt from today's (Jan. 23, 2009) Moncton Times-Transcript newspaper:


What's A Smart City Award Worth?


Moncton and Fredericton have both been named two of the top seven "smart cities" of the world by a New York-based think tank, joining cities in Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Estonia and the United States for the honour.

Picked from an initial field of 430 candidates from four continents, the naming of two Canadian cities is all the more remarkable because of their close proximity.

The Intelligent Community Forum is devoted to the growth of what it calls the "broadband economy" and recognizes communities for innovations in high-speed communications and information technology on both the global and local levels.

In naming Moncton, ICF's judges said, "Twenty years ago, the Moncton region was a former railroad and industrial hub facing a doubtful future. Since then, this bilingual community has become a major Canadian customer contact and back office centre, and built a "near-shore" IT outsourcing industry. Private-sector carriers have collaborated in the city's growth as a telecom-centric economy, and helped power the addition of 20,000 new jobs since the early 1990s."
This is the first time the city (Moncton) entered the competition. Fredericton made the top seven list last year as well.

"When we made the Smart21 list on our first try, I was very happy," Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc said yesterday. "To be recognized on this list just reinforced that Moncton is doing a lot of things right. Now to be recognized as one of the Top Seven Communities of 2009 is phenomenal."

...


While many awards that cities can compete for are limited to those who choose to pay an entrance fee, the Smart 21 award is not among them. As well, the competition is truly global, with entrants this year from North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
The number one Intelligent Community of the year will be named in New York City on May 15.

(from the Moncton Times-Transcript Jan. 23, 2009)


For those of you who are intrigued, I found this video which is a couple years old now, but further emphasizes the benefits of this IMPRESSIVE community. Yeah, I'm proud of my hometown. Wouldn't you be?