Aliant Tower
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
Aliant Tower consists of is a 127 metre high microwave tower of reinforced concrete on a concrete base located on the southwest corner of Botsford Street and Queen Street in Downtown Moncton.
HERITAGE VALUE
Aliant Tower is designated a Local Historic Place for its unique physical properties, its economical and technological growth and its location.
At the time of its construction, Aliant Tower was the tallest microwave communications tower of its kind in North America. It remains the tallest structure in Moncton, dwarfing the neighbouring Place L’Assomption, the tallest office building in the Province, by 46 metres. The tower was erected in a regional record 16 days of continuous concrete pouring, rising at a rate of 6.7m per day. It was designed by John Maryon International Limited of Toronto and built by Dineen Construction Limited of Toronto. By being such a prominent detail of Moncton’s skyline, the Aliant Tower is a featured element in much of the city’s promotional and marketing imagery.
Aliant Tower is also recognized for its importance as a symbol of economical and technological growth in Moncton’s history. In choosing Moncton as the location for this innovative tower, NBTel claimed to be predicting where the growth of the Province as a whole would take place.
The tower’s placement at the corner of Botsford Street and Queen Street is also significant. The tower sits on the site of Moncton’s first telephone exchange, which was started in 1883 by George C. Peters with five subscribers.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
The character-defining elements relating to the structural elements of the building include:
- concrete resulting from a continuous pour;
- relative height of the structure.
The character-defining elements relating to the grounds and context of the Aliant Tower include:
- central location in Downtown Moncton;
- distinction as a recognizable landmark;
- site of Moncton’s first telephone exchange.
From Historic Places Canada