Moncton renames street for new Cabela's store

A major American retailer has convinced Moncton City Council to make an exception to an incoming rule and re-name the street where it will be located 'Cabela Court', after the company.

In a news release, the hunting, fishing and outdoor equipment giant,Cabela's Incorporated,said its first Atlantic Canada store will open off Mapleton Road in 2015 ina 50,000 square foot building.

Monctonalready approved the naming ofMarriott Drive last year, which leads to a Marriott hotel, but council had asked for a new policy on naming city streets to avoid future public streets being named after private companies.

Thatnew street namingpolicy was passed last night.

But notbefore Moncton City Council voted to re-name Portico Court, Cabela Court.

Bill Budd, the director of urban planning, says the U.S. outfitter deserves special status.

"It will have a significant impact on the city, it will be a major tourism draw," Budd said.

Daniel Bourgeois was the only councillor to disagree with re-naming the street afterCabela's.

"We're saying on the one hand, 'Well since we haven't adopted yetlet's pass this one quickly,and then we'll stop doing it,'" Bourgeois said.

Budd responded that Cabela's often asks municipalities to rename the street where they build a store.

"They have 50stores and a number of their stores have Cabela'sBoulevard or CabelaCourt or street," Budd said.

Bourgeois says other municipalities ban this practice.

"Many communities prohibit the use of these commercial names because it can imply an economic advantage to private enterprise," Bourgeois said.

Cabela's currently has four stores in Canada in Saskatoon, Regina, Edmonton and Winnipeg.

Cabela'ssaidit expects to employ approximately 140 full-time, part-time and seasonal workers when it opens in Moncton.