What makes a city great?
Many cities in Canada – and in particular the Maritimes – are seeing a steep rise in population due to newcomers searching for a better lifestyle and a safe, affordable community.
But what exactly makes a city a great place to live?
Certainly, some obvious things are high on the list: ample housing options, good schools and attractive work opportunities. Other things though, may not be so obvious.
Greg and Alex Parker are a UK couple who re-settled in Fredericton in 2021. They say they looked at Fredericton because a friend had previously moved here and recommended it. So, they dug deeper. “We have two young girls so we looked at schools but we also looked for outdoor and cultural spaces and opportunities. We were thrilled to find Odell Park and the trail system around the city, Crabbe Mountain close by, and the Playhouse with outstanding live performance options.”
Greg, a CFO who works remotely for a global flooring company out of an office in Knowledge Park, and Alex, a language specialist who teaches both French and English at UNB and Université de Moncton, knew they could work from anywhere. What they were searching for was a vibrant community in which they could immerse their family and that would provide a beautiful setting for an active lifestyle. “We have been diving into the community and love activities that put us into an environment where we engage and learn and grow alongside others. We go to the markets, to shows, to galleries, to the many local establishments downtown and along the river. Vibrance is really what makes a place livable.”
Tim Yerxa agrees. As Executive Director of the Playhouse for the last 23 years, he’s talked to many newcomers and residents alike who say that accessing arts, culture and entertainment opportunities is key to an interesting life. “What makes a city a great place to live is not that the garbage gets picked up on time or that the taxes are low,” he says. “It’s that there are unique and diverse cultural and recreational opportunities that add up to a better human experience.”
“Culture is an important contributor to attracting, retaining, and supporting residents and businesses in the region. It creates an environment in which creativity and innovation are constant. Enriching live performance experiences – made available to all – bring us together to learn and share from one another and connect cross-culturally. They add to our collective social and cultural development. Performing artists spark our imagination, create new bridges of understanding and provide new perspectives on the world. Connecting and learning from one another cross-culturally and across various abilities has a significant social, health and community benefit. It makes for a strong, vibrant community.”
In fact, the vision for Fredericton Playhouse Inc., the non-profit that oversees the Playhouse, is a community strengthened by live performance. That was one of the driving factors behind more than a decade of work to bring a new Performing Arts Centre to life in the city – a project that is now underway and scheduled to open in 2026.
“A venue such as the new Performing Arts Centre will allow us to double or triple the impact made at the current Playhouse,” Tim explains. “It will without question significantly contribute to our region’s economic development and tourism strategy, but it will also be key in attracting the talent we need to fill our workforce – doctors, nurses, teachers, care workers, builders, entrepreneurs and many more. The Performing Arts Centre will become a community hub in a growing city that will strengthen our position as an intelligent province. This is important not only for attracting talent to Fredericton but also to the communities along our river valleys and beyond.”
Krista Ross, CEO of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, believes that one of the conditions for growth in the city is infrastructure, and that Fredericton needs a Performing Arts Centre that befits a modern, capital city.
“Being a low-cost jurisdiction isn’t enough – we spent decades as being one of the most affordable jurisdictions in North America to live and we experienced stagnant population growth (or decline) until five years ago. Modest population growth in recent years has produced multiple crises – in part because we didn’t make investments when we should have – let’s not repeat those mistakes.”
Tim emphasizes that Fredericton – and New Brunswick as a whole – is already a special place, and we need to thoughtfully continue to add to its vibrance.
“We live in a wealth of beauty, nature and infrastructure that we all cherish. From our beautiful river to the trail system to the walking bridge, the green spaces, art galleries, historical government buildings, tree-lined streets, sports facilities, art centres, craft breweries and so much more…our community has a unique character that residents and visitors fall in love with. Adding a big-city-calibre Performing Arts Centre to the mix will add to the high quality of life we’ve come to know. It will be a special place for future generations, just as the spaces we enjoy now were gifts from our forebears to us. It will strengthen the social fabric of our city. It will set us – and those who come after us – up for success.”
