The three mayors of Greater Moncton delivered their annual State of the Tri-Communities address to members of the Chamber of Commerce on Thursday morning and growth was a common theme.

Statistics Canada recently noted how the Moncton census metropolitan area is the fastest growing in the country with nearly 172,000 residents as of July 2022.

Moncton mayor Dawn Arnold acknowledged that level of growth does come with challenges.

“But I would rather face the challenges of growth any day over the challenges of decline.”

Despite social issues such as homelessness and affordable housing, Arnold remains optimistic and said she felt more hopeful than ever before.

Arnold also spoke about how an empty lot (following the demolition of Highfield Square in 2013) became the Avenir Centre which has been a catalyst for downtown growth.

Dieppe mayor Yvon Lapierre said his city will soon hit 35,000 people as it focuses on immigration, the environment, heritage and public transport.

Lapierre wants to see greater collaboration with his neighbours surrounding public transport.

“I’d like to see a reduction of the amount of traffic on the road and get more people using buses.”

A former resident of Montreal, Lapierre said the metro system there was very efficient but joked he wouldn’t be advocating for a subway anytime soon.

Riverview mayor Andrew LeBlanc said the town strives to become more welcoming and is embracing a growing business community.

He said council has focused on recreation with an expansion planned for Mill Creek Nature Park following the purchase of two parcels of land.

Last year, the town opened a steel staircase in the park which connects the lookout with the dam.

LeBlanc also noted how the town is awaiting funding from the provincial and federal governments for its new health and wellness centre at a proposed cost of $46 million.