The Magnetic Hill Zoo is nearing the completion of a major expansion to its lemur habitat, a project aimed at providing a state-of-the-art facility for the primates just in time for the summer tourism season. While the new building is almost finished, the project has faced recent financial hurdles. This week, Moncton City Council unanimously approved an additional $250,000 to bring the construction to the finish line, adding to the original $4 million budget that already included a $200,000 contingency fund.
The budget increase has drawn criticism from some local officials despite the project’s progress. Moncton Councilor Daniel Bourgeois expressed disappointment over the nearly $500,000 in total overages, attributing the extra costs to a breakdown in communication between zoo management and engineering consultants. City officials clarified that the primary driver for the additional funding was a change in material requirements. Originally, the zoo planned to repurpose existing habitat mesh from another area on-site to save costs, but final design and operational standards revealed that the old materials would not meet the specific needs of the new lemur enclosure.
As a result of this technical reassessment, the city was forced to purchase new specialized meshing that was not part of the initial project scope. Aloma Jardine, the city’s director of communications, noted that the existing mesh will now remain in its current location elsewhere in the zoo rather than being moved. Had the council rejected the additional funding, the zoo warned that the enclosure would have been significantly smaller, potentially compromising the welfare of the lemurs and delaying the grand opening.
Maintaining the project’s timeline was a high priority for the city, as the zoo faces significant reputational risks if the expansion remains a construction zone during the peak summer months. With the funding now secured, the zoo expects to complete the habitat shortly, ensuring that visitors can experience the expanded exhibit during the upcoming high-traffic season while providing the animals with a habitat that meets all modern safety and welfare criteria.
