When a U.S. company made its data centre pitch to some concerned Saint John residents late last year, he called the city an untapped “gold mine” for artificial intelligence projects. The heads of Saint John Industrial Parks and the Fibre Centre in Moncton used similar terms, describing the city as a “hidden gem” and “hidden secret” for AI. WATCH | Former premier Frank McKenna considers rich legacy of NBTel : Some see Saint John as hidden gem for data centres | Duration 3:03 VoltaGrid and Beacon AI Centres want to bring a data centre to Saint John because of its fibre system. Former premier Frank McKenna says this dark fibre infrastructure comes from innovations made decades ago by former telephone company NBTel. Green Party Leader David Coon said that Saint John is not the only city that has available dark fibre.

Source: CBC News January 15, 2026 14:52 UTC