Miramichi Hits Pause on Zoning That Would Let Data Centres Into Heavy Industry

Miramichi city council has paused a zoning amendment that would have opened heavy industrial land to data centres and battery energy storage — and cancelled the public hearing that was set for August 4.

The decision came at the July 21 council meeting, after a city Facebook notice earlier in July drew hundreds of comments and a wave of direct complaints to councillors and staff. The vote to halt the process and scrap the hearing was unanimous, according to local coverage.

What the bylaw would have done

The proposal would have amended zoning bylaw 110 so data centres and battery storage could locate in heavy industrial (HI) zones, subject to conditions rather than a fresh rezoning fight for each site. Conditions discussed publicly included city sign-off on water and sewage, NB Power approval for a grid connection, environmental approvals (including an environmental impact assessment), and a minimum 250-metre buffer from residential areas.

City officials stressed that passing the amendment would not itself approve a project or pick a developer. No Miramichi-specific megawatt size, acreage, or capital cost has been published for a local facility — because, staff say, there is still no formal proposal before council.

Why council hit pause

Coun. Lisa Harris told CBC the city should take time and bring in people who can advise: “We're talking about something that people are genuinely afraid that could ruin the water, that could cause temperatures to go up.” Council directed staff to gather more information, seek third-party expertise, and consult other levels of government.

CAO Greg Sargent said staff will keep assembling analysis and recommendations. Economic development director Jeff MacTavish told the Telegraph-Journal the file has been of interest because of brownfield HI land and the absence of large energy users that once came with paper mills — and that staff had already hosted site visits with prospective developers, including one exploration meeting in partnership with Natoaganeg First Nation. Those developers have not been named publicly.

Staff have floated tightening any future draft to closed-loop cooling only. Coun. Lori Matchett has questioned whether a 250-metre buffer is enough for noise. Miramichi East MLA Michelle Conroy has voiced broader opposition in correspondence to the city, pointing to fights elsewhere in the province over data centres.

Provincial backdrop

Miramichi’s pause sits beside a louder provincial argument over AI compute load — including the proposed Spruce Lake / Lorneville project near Saint John and calls for a moratorium that have already surfaced in the legislature. Energy Minister René Legacy, in a statement to CBC about data-centre development generally, said projects should not raise electricity rates for ratepayers, should use closed-loop water systems, put excess heat to productive use, and deliver real jobs for host communities.

For Miramichi, the next step is process, not a shovel: if council comes back with a rewritten amendment, planning staff have indicated the review path would effectively restart through the Greater Miramichi regional planning machinery before another public hearing is booked.

Sources

• Miramichi council pauses data centre bylaw to seek expert opinion, government consultation — CBC — July 21 decision, Harris and Sargent, bylaw 110 conditions, provincial Legacy statement
• Miramichi rethinking data centre bylaw after complaints — Telegraph-Journal — unanimous halt, Aug. 4 hearing cancelled, MacTavish on brownfields and developer visits, closed-loop revision talk
• Miramichi proposes bylaw change that would allow AI data centres — Telegraph-Journal — July 12 notice, Mayor Arsenault framing, Conroy concerns, Spruce Lake context