Cap-Pelé, New Brunswick
Introduction
The Village of Cap-Pelé is a coastal community located a short 35 minutes commute from Greater Moncton. The Village’s population has been growing, steadily outpacing the province of New Brunswick and benefiting from the growth of Greater Moncton.
In terms of business, Cap-Pelé features a number of important industries in the fisheries, with its three wharves and numerous herring smoke houses. With high-quality seafood products and transformation plants, Cap-Pelé is a player in the world markets such as in the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean.
Cap-Pelé is a popular tourist destination with its close proximity to a number of New Brunswick’s top tourism attractions including a very successful warm water beach (Aboiteau), and other cottage amenities.
Investors considering the community will find a dynamic working environment with excellent business amenities and being strategically located 25 minutes from the Greater Moncton International Airport.
Cap-Pelé — A Magnet for Workers
In addition to the core population of Cap-Pelé, companies looking to establish in the community may draw workers from the 150,000 persons living within 30 minutes commute.
The low mobility rate in Cap-Pelé is testimony to the presence of a stable workforce and an excellent living environment.
A Quality Labour Force
Cap-Pelé has continuously attracted workers from across Southeastern New Brunswick. Yet the Village still shows room for growth as employment and participation rates are slightly lower than in Greater Moncton.
Cap-Pelé is among the most bilingual communities in New Brunswick. Over 80% of the population speaks both English and French — a great asset for companies hoping to cover Canada’s bilingual market.
In general, the New Brunswick workforce is known to have relatively low rates of worker absenteeism and among the lowest rates of workforce turnover in North America. Cap-Pelé is exemplary in these respects.
Industry Overview
Cap-Pelé is the supplier of 95% of the total Canadian exports of smoked herring. With this industry, a parallel expertise has grown in fish and seafood transformation, agriculture and manufacturing. New opportunities are presenting themselves in this dynamic industry.
The economy is diversified thanks to businesses in the services sector and a very strong tourism industry. Investors may seek to develop business in the local area or seek out a broader market from this strategic location.
Companies looking to establish operations in Cap-Pelé will be joining a community with globally exporting firms.
Selected Major Employers
| Organization: | Industry: | Employees: |
|---|---|---|
| Cap Bald Packers | Seafood Production | 500 |
| Westmorland Fisheries | Seafood Production | 260 |
Cost Environment
As Greater Moncton has among the lowest operating costs in North America, nearby Cap-Pelé also offers a highly competitive cost environment to its community.
Operating Cost Index*
City |
Back Offices/ Call Centres |
Mfg. Facilities |
Software Dev. |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | 118.5 |
109.1 |
109.0 |
| New York, NY | 116.1 |
109.2 |
107.9 |
| San Diego, CA | 109.6 |
103.4 |
103.4 |
| Boston, MA | 108.6 |
103.7 |
102.8 |
| Chicago, IL | 108.5 |
101.2 |
102.0 |
| Atlanta, GA | 99.3 |
97.7 |
99.0 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 97.9 |
100.1 |
100.0 |
| Toronto, ON | 95.1 |
94.0 |
94.8 |
| Vancouver, BC | 93.2 |
97.2 |
96.0 |
| Moncton, NB | 82.0 |
92.0 |
92.2 |
Source: KPMG Competitive Alternatives — The CEO's Guide to International Business Costs, G7-2004 Edition.
* Business costs are expressed as an index, with the United States being assigned to the baseline index of 100.0.
Regional Economic Assets
The Village of Cap-Pelé offers all of the lifestyle and cost advantages of a small, coastal community while at the same time its proximity to Greater Moncton provides companies with close access to a number of world-class economic assets including:
The Scoudouc Industrial Park (10 min. drive)
One of the province’s most important industrial parks, the Scoudouc Industrial Park is home to a number of highly successful manufacturing companies such as North America’s largest private label beverage manufacturer, Cott Beverages Canada and the world's largest maker of glass containers, Owens-Illinois. The park features over 300 acres of available, low cost land and rail access.
Greater Moncton Int. Airport (15 min. drive)
Offers multiple daily flights to Canadian and U.S. destinations.
Mount Allison University (25 min. drive)
One of the highest rated universities in Canada, Mount Allison is located in the nearby community of Sackville, NB.
Université de Moncton (25 min. drive)
A French-language university with over 7,000 students, U de M provides a pool of professional workers for the region.
Two New Brunswick Community Colleges (20 & 25 min. drive)
The community colleges in Moncton and Dieppe graduate hundreds of skilled, technical workers each year that feed into the region’s manufacturing and high tech industries.
Quality of Life
Companies that establish in Cap-Pelé are locating in a community that is known to have a high quality of life. Some of the region’s most successful entrepreneurs and community leaders have homes in the region. Cap-Pelé offers beautiful waterfront views, traditional dining and a number of cultural and recreational activities.
Cost of Living
One of the reasons why Cap-Pelé has a competitive operating cost environment is the relatively low cost of living for local residents. For example, the cost of housing — the largest cost of living expense — is much lower than would be found in larger urban centres. The monthly cost of owning and maintaining a house in Cap- Pelé is almost 20% lower than in the Greater Halifax area. High rental price is an indication of its high value for tourists and summer time vacationers.
Village Infrastructure
The Village of Cap-Pelé offers companies a well-developed infrastructure.
Tax Rates (2006)
- Provincial: $2.25/$100 evaluation
- Municipal commercial: $1.8066/$100 evaluation
- Municipal residential: $1.2004/$100 evaluation
Investment Opportunities
The Village of Cap-Pelé and Enterprise South-east, the regional economic development agency, have identified several types of companies they are looking to attract to the region. The sectors and areas of demand identified include:
- Call Center
- A marine museum/ lobster hatchery
- Residential development
- Commercial immigrants
Source of data for charts: Statistics Canada 2001 Census.