PETL

September 11 2026

Minister says Lorneville data centre decision may be delayed by new policy

Katherine Del Salto News Beacon AI, data centre, Minister Jean-Claude D'Amours, New Brunswick, PETL, policy, Saint John, Spruce Lake Industrial Park, Voltagrid

Following the release of a new development framework for data centres, Post-Secondary Education, Training, and Labour Minister Jean-Claude D’Amours says the final decision for Lorneville’s proposed data centre will likely have to wait.

In an interview with Acadia Broadcasting last Thursday, D’Amours said there’s “a good chance” the province’s decision on the 390 MW data centre in Saint John’s Spruce Lake Industrial Park will be delayed until it can be informed by the finalized policy.

“We want to make sure that there’s sustainable development. We want to make sure that there are economic benefits, long-term impacts, but also positive community benefits,” he said.

“So, even if some projects continue in evaluation, the message right now to them is that they need to look at what we present to the population and understand that we will come with the policy sooner rather than later, and they will have to work with those new policies.”

The proponents of the proposed data centre in Lorneville are Calgary-based Beacon AI and Texas-based VoltaGrid.

The companies pitched the project in late 2025, after Saint John council rezoned a 120-hectare parcel of land as part of the Spruce Lake Industrial Park expansion to attract new industry to the city.

The proposal has sparked significant public opposition over concerns about its projected energy consumption and potential environmental and community impacts

The project is currently under regulatory review, and while D’Amours alluded that the proposal will be subject to the new policy framework, he said its evaluation process will proceed as normal.

Acadia Broadcasting reached out to Beacon AI co-founder Joseph Shovlin and VoltaGrid president and CEO Nathan Ough for comment, but the proponents did not respond.

D’Amours added that under the new policy, the province is moving away from evaluating data centre developments on a “first come, first served” basis, which is the system NB Power uses.

Instead, the government’s Growth Office, a central government unit established earlier this year to lead economic development, coordinate initiatives across departments, and accelerate major investment projects in the province, will oversee project evaluations to ensure a broader, “big-picture” assessment, D’Amours said.

“We really want to make sure that we will have a system in place, a policy in place that will reflect what we expected from proponents,” he said. “The objective is not to turn off business coming for no reason.”

However, D’Amours said NB Power will remain involved in discussions.

Province aims to finalize policy in the fall

The province unveiled the policy framework last week to guide the development of data centres.

The policy, developed by the Department of Post Secondary Education, Training, and Labour (PETL), was designed to protect electricity ratepayers, support responsible resource use, generate measurable economic and community benefits, promote environmental sustainability, and advance Canadian data sovereignty and artificial intelligence objectives.

D’Amours said the policy was also introduced as other provinces were already regulating industry.

“Other provinces already move in some direction, and we need to make sure our province is ahead in this file and make sure that we are doing the right thing,” he added.

According to the framework, proponents must meet five criteria for project approval, including covering all electricity costs without driving up rates for New Brunswickers, designing data centres sustainably, and generating new investment and jobs.

The government also said projects that deliver greater community benefits and stronger economic value will be given preference.

D’Amours said the province hopes to finalize the policy and introduce necessary legislative or regulatory modifications this fall.

The government is conducting a month-long public and stakeholder consultation to gather feedback from First Nations groups, municipalities and New Brunswickers to make the necessary changes.

D’Amours said the province is open to all feedback, adding that the consultation process will help shape details such as the evaluation criteria and the types of community benefits proponents may be expected to provide.

September 8 2026

Data centre critics cautiously optimistic about New Brunswick’s new policy framework

Katherine Del Salto News ai, Beacon AI, data centres, Donna Reardon, industry, Lorneville, New Brunswick, PETL, Saint John, Voltagrid

Opponents of data centres in New Brunswick say they are “hopeful” about the province’s new development framework, but argue it should have been introduced sooner.

The province unveiled the policy framework last week, aimed at protecting electricity ratepayers, promoting the responsible use of energy and water, generating economic and community benefits, supporting environmental sustainability, and advancing Canadian data sovereignty and AI objectives as interest in data centres continues to grow across the country.

The policy, developed by the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, also comes as Calgary-based Beacon AI and Texas-based VoltaGrid pursue plans for a 390-megawatt data centre in Saint John’s Spruce Lake Industrial Park. The project, announced in late 2025, remains under regulatory review.

The proposal sparked significant public opposition over concerns about its projected energy consumption and potential environmental and community impacts.

In a statement, activist group Resist Data Centre NB said it’s glad to see guidelines introduced, but believes they should have been in place before projects were proposed.

“This policy should have existed before any data centres were on the table for New Brunswick, and [this] demonstrates why us, the Greens, and many others are asking for a moratorium,” wrote the group in a statement. “These projects are moving ahead of policy and regulations. Lorneville is the perfect example.”

The policy must still be approved by the legislature, and the province is seeking public feedback before making any revisions ahead of debate during the fall legislative session.

The group believes the province already has the feedback that it needs from the thousands of people who joined their protests against data centres.

Resist Data Centres said that while the framework makes them hopeful, the proposed policy still leaves them with many questions.

The group also said it wants the final policy to include clear definitions and meaningful protections for New Brunswickers, with measurable standards, numerical thresholds, and consequences for non-compliance.

Saint John mayor welcomes policy

Like Resist Data Centres NB, Saint John Mayor Donna Reardon agreed that having provincial guidelines in place before the proposed Lorneville data centre would have been helpful. But said she is glad to see the policy framework come forward, adding that provincial leadership was needed as data centres become an increasingly prominent issue across the country.

“I’m seeing small towns, municipalities, big and small, trying to create a path forward, to put a moratorium, not put a moratorium, like nobody is really equipped or knows what to do in these situations,” she said. “I think we needed the leadership, so I was happy to see it.”

While Reardon said she is content with she’s seen so far, she said she would like to seek further clarification on what community benefits will look like.

Under the proposed policy, proponents would be required to clearly outline the benefits they plan to provide and explain how those commitments would be measured and evaluated. Those benefits could include commitments related to employment, training, infrastructure, community services, among others.

Reardon said she wants to determine whether proponents will be expected or required to contribute to the community beyond economic development, such as by investing in public spaces, supporting arts and culture initiatives, or providing other community benefits, adding that she believes industry should play a role in supporting the city.

Donna Reardon. PHOTO: Alex Allan/Acadia Broadcasting

“Industry can bring noise, dust, dirt and lighting, and it can bring trains and whistles and emissions, but it also brings jobs, and so you need to balance that,” she said. “It would be nice to balance that with a contribution to the betterment and development of the community that they decide to settle in.”

Although she said questions remain, Reardon believes the proposed framework addresses many of the concerns raised by residents and could help protect communities.

“I think with the province putting in all these measurables and key points in this policy framework, I think it helps to do that, in combination with the environmental impact assessment as well,” she said.

Reardon said she is looking forward to seeing how the policy develops. She added that her council will also inquire about potential rules or regulations around property tax.

Residents will have the opportunity to share their thoughts on the policy until Oct. 2 through a consultation website.

The province is also holding preliminary stakeholder consultations and said any legislative or regulatory changes will begin during the 2026-27 legislative session.

August 25 2026

‘Give them a chance’: Saint John adult learners say program cuts hurt those trying to rebuild their lives

Katherine Del Salto News CAEC, CALP, Canadian Adult Education Credential, community adult learning programs, Department of Post-Secondary Education, New Brunswick, PETL, Saint John, Saint John Kings Adult Learning Centre

Students at a Saint John adult learning centre say provincial cuts to the programs are taking away opportunities for people trying to improve their lives.

Carole Robichaud, a student at the Saint John Kings Adult Learning Centre, said some of her classmates gave up trying to get their high school equivalency diploma after a 25 per cent provincewide funding cut led to layoffs at the centre, and cut their summer classes short.

“We were all upset, and we are still upset because some of the people that were in the class gave up and some of us, we are still holding on,” she said.

Robichaud is 46 years old and dreams of one day becoming a registered nurse, but for most of her life she has struggled with school due to a learning disability that makes it harder for her to learn at a faster pace.

She said all that changed when she met Carla McAffee, her former teacher at the centre, who encouraged her to keep trying to finish her education.

“She doesn’t mind me, I can ask her million times about the questions, and she still doesn’t get mad, there’s a lot of people that do,” she said. “She’s one of the best teachers I’ve ever had in my life. I wouldn’t be this far if it wasn’t for her.”

Following the cuts, students were moved from their classroom at the John Howard Society to Place 400.

Classes are expected to resume in October, a month later than usual, but Robichaud said those who stayed are now concerned they won’t be able to do it without teachers like McAffee.

“She’s not just a teacher; she is a nurse, a therapist. She is a cheerful person, good-hearted,” she said. “She’s been there for us, she’s there for our schooling, and she’s there for us if we need to talk.

“I can’t even explain how much she means to me.”

Province cuts program’s budget, citing low enrolment

The province announced cuts to community adult learning programs (CALPs) during main estimates, citing declining enrolment.

According to Rebecca Howland, a spokesperson for the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, CALP enrolment peaked at more than 2,000 students in 2019 before steadily declining to 965 participants in 2026.

CALPs provide free education and skills training for adults and are the only programs that help learners prepare for the Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) exam, formerly known as GED.

The programs also provide foundational training in reading, writing and math, language courses and career development resources.

McAffee previously told Acadia Broadcasting that the Saint John Kings Adult Learning Centre did not renew her contract or another position because of the cuts.

She also said teacher hours are being reduced, and some student supports have been eliminated.

Adult learners want a chance to change

Like Robichaud, student Eric Surrette is frustrated with the situation.

In a statement, Surrette said he joined McAffee’s class after getting out of prison and being homeless for several years, wanting a better life for himself.

Surrette said finishing his education was his attempt to do things “the right way,” instead of going back to the way he was living.

“But then the province takes away programs and opportunities for people who are actually trying to get their lives together,” he added. “I don’t understand how that’s supposed to help people like me. If someone is trying to change, give them a chance.”

Former student Jasmine White, who earned her GED in 2018, said the centre played a key role in helping her finish her education.

*Jasmine White is a former adult learner. PHOTO: Katherine Del Salto/Acadia Broadcasting.*

White has ADHD, and like many students who went through the program, she struggled with school for most of her life.

“Teachers like [Carla] are being stripped away, the ones that sit there to help you, don’t judge you and root for you,” she said.

White said she is concerned that the cuts could be the first step toward phasing out the programs altogether.

Questions remain

White is not the only one worried about the program’s future.

Robichaud said students still don’t know what classes will look like when they resume this fall.

“We don’t know anything,” she said.

In a previous statement, Howland said the changes have not affected access to CAEC preparation and that learners can continue to seek support through their local CALP.

She added that WorkingNB offices continue to help residents access training and employment supports through personalized learning plans.

Acadia Broadcasting reached out to Saint John Kings Adult Learning Centre for comment but did not receive a response.