The City of Saint John has received its first proposal for a new business in the expanded area of the Spruce Lake Industrial Park, sparking concerns among some local residents regarding potential environmental impacts.
Beacon AI Centers from Calgary and VoltaGrid from Texas are jointly planning to construct a data center on a 120-hectare plot within the industrial park. Data centers serve as hosting facilities for large computer systems that manage extensive data storage for businesses and governments, as well as support various online services like video streaming platforms and AI search engines.
Councillor Greg Norton views the proposal positively, highlighting the economic benefits it could bring to the region, including potential investment of over $2 billion, increased tax revenue, job opportunities, and overall growth prospects for Saint John. Norton emphasized the significance of industrial parks as drivers of economic development and expressed optimism about attracting further investments to unlock the city’s full potential.
To address community concerns, Beacon and VoltaGrid intend to engage with local residents through an open house scheduled for November 5 at the Lorneville Community Centre. The companies are already outlining measures to minimize potential impacts, such as utilizing enclosed buildings to reduce noise and implementing control systems for heating, cooling, noise management, and fire suppression.
Despite the positive outlook, some residents, like Adam Wilkins, a prominent member of the “Save Lorneville” community group, remain apprehensive about the project. Wilkins argued that the proposed data center contradicts the city’s commitment to attracting environmentally friendly industries, citing concerns over land destruction, water usage, and proximity to residential areas. He has taken legal action against the rezoning decision made in July and continues to advocate against development on the designated site.
Wilkins also pointed out differences between the proposed data centers in Alberta, emphasizing the distance from residential areas and the rejection of a similar project near farmland due to proximity issues. In Saint John, VoltaGrid’s role in supplying energy to the data center through a natural gas-fired power-generating system is a key aspect, aiming to reduce reliance on the municipal water system by exploring alternative water sources like the Bay of Fundy.
While acknowledging the community’s worries, Norton assured that the project would undergo a thorough environmental impact assessment and emphasized the companies’ commitment to engaging with residents and addressing public concerns through community consultations. The companies are set to present their plans to the Saint John council in a private session on November 4, with hopes of commencing operations at the data center by early 2028.