Latest news with #EnvisionSaintJohn
CBC
30-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Saint John adds a green focus to industrial park plan
'Emitting' industries would be barred from Spruce Lake park, but residents not reassured Saint John has revised its controversial plan to expand the Spruce Lake Industrial Park, shifting the focus to attracting businesses from the green and clean sectors and not heavy industry. Lorneville residents opposed the expansion of the nearby park out of fears for the environment and community life, but the latest draft plan would prohibit any businesses from an "emitting" industry, such as one with smokestacks. The plan originally focused on making hundreds of hectares "pad ready" and redesignating the area for potential heavy industrial use, but did not specify sectors. The changes follow feedback a task force gathered from residents of the community on the southwestern edge of Saint John, which the city heard "loud and clear," said David Dobbelsteyn, the city's director of growth and community services. "We're very confident … we actually have a proposal here that sort of meets the needs the communities are looking for in terms of feeling more secure and protecting the environment," Dobbelsteyn said. "But also ensuring that we create venues for more jobs and more growth for the region that's in desperate need of it." At a media event this week, two development groups spoke in support of new proposal, saying the city is seeing global investment interest from green and clean businesses but needs readily available land to accommodate them quickly. "Clean and green energy, green manufacturing, data centres, warehouses — there's all kinds of interest from different industries," Ian MacKinnon, director of Saint John Industrial Parks, said this week at a media event about Spruce Lake. MacKinnon and Envision Saint John's CEO Andrew Beckett both said the need for the land for these industries is critical because many interested businesses won't wait if they have to go through a complicated rezoning process. "You would be adding months, if not years, to the process," Beckett said. "Businesses will say we can go elsewhere. They want certainty in terms of where they're going to be." In October, the city hit the breaks on the original plan for the Spruce Lake expansion because of the concerns raised by residents. Although the city created a task force for discussion with residents, the pushback escalated as the meetings continued over the winter. One last meeting was held April 23, and the updated proposal was posted on the city's planning website Shape Your City on Friday. As part of its argument for the expansion, the city says companies typically require 40 hectares per site for development, but property that size is not available or properly zoned elsewhere in the city. The draft plan for Spruce Lake would increase a buffer around the park to 250 metres from 150 and nearly doubles the minimum setbacks for "volatile" industrial uses to 500 metres from 300 metres. Uses such as asphalt, concrete or cement plants, fertilizer manufacturers, lumber, paper and pulp mills, and similar developments would be prohibited. The proposed plan also says the city wouldn't allow development on provincially significant wetlands and would only allow development on other wetlands if there was a clear business case for it. A public hearing and a council vote on the draft will be held on May 12. Lorneville resident Adam Wilkins, a leader in the opposition to the expansion and chair of the task force, said the proposed changes don't reassure him or other community members. "We're not against economic development or jobs in the city," he said. "But at what cost? Is it the risk to health and safety for the people that live here and live nearby, the risk to environment and climate change resilience?" Residents want more information Even requiring the new businesses to be clean or green doesn't address a main concern of the community members, he said. They still don't know exactly what will go on the land. "How do you put restrictions on something that doesn't actually exist yet?" he said. "If there was a business attached to what was coming, you could know what the pros and cons are, what the risks are …but there is nothing there." Beckett and MacKinnon said they could not reveal what businesses have expressed interest in Saint John. Dobbelsteyn said companies often prefer not to be identified so their competitors aren't alerted and potentially get to an opportunity ahead of them. "So there's really sensitive negotiations with site selectors when they're identifying where could developments go," he said.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Saint John is staring down trade troubles — and the oil industry has the biggest risk
Saint John is often called 'Port City,' with exports to the United States leading the way. (Submitted by Port Saint John) As the calendar counts down to what could be a devastating trade war between Canada and the United States, a New Brunswick leader is warning that one of Saint John's biggest sectors could be hit especially hard. Andrew Beckett, chief executive officer of Envision Saint John, said that while industries like agriculture or paper and pulp will feel the pain of U.S. tariffs, the oil industry will suffer a particularly hard blow. "We've got Canada's largest oil refinery in a small city and over 80 per cent of its exports go to the U.S.," he said in an interview. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce last month identified Saint John as the Canadian city at greatest risk of damage from tariffs that U.S. President Donald Trump has been threatening to levy for the last few months. Canada's retaliatory tariffs will also drive up prices on imported products, which will be felt by Canadian consumers. For Beckett, whose organization aims to develop business opportunities for export-minded Saint John, the threat of tariffs is a serious problem. "It's an extremely frustrating time," Beckett said, "for everybody involved, not just ourselves." Trump brought in tariffs of 25 per cent on most Canadian and Mexican goods on March 4, with 10 per cent on energy. Just two days later, he paused them until April 2. Beckett said there is already a significant impact because tariff threats have helped caused unemployment to rise to 7.5 per cent. He said provincial estimates have put potential job losses at 11,000. Local businesses will be affected significantly as bringing steel and other materials in from the United States costs more. Beckett said that these costs are also being passed on to consumers because businesses raise prices in response. As a result, consumer confidence is being "rocked," he said, which will "have ripple effects throughout the economy generally." Andrew Beckett, CEO of Envision Saint John, said a looming trade war is shaking consumer confidence. (Submitted by Envision Saint John) These effects involve less investment from businesses due to uncertainty about the impacts of tariffs and market instability. Beckett said that the city could mitigate these impacts by taking advantage of the port's position as a "global gate," and expand exports to Europe and South America. He also said that the situation might be viewed as a potential for Saint John to move beyond the U.S. market. Saint John Mayor Donna Reardon made international news when she said "we're breaking up with the U.S." as Trump's tariffs went into effect. WATCH | Mayor Donna Reardon reacted earlier this month to devastating tariffc impacts: Reardon said the city not only has Canada's largest oil refinery, but has been reliant on lucrative seafood and lumber markets based largely in the U.S. "We've been in this comfortable relationship with our American cousins, and now we're being attacked," Reardon said earlier this month. Reardon has said Saint John will survive but needs to strengthen its relationship with other countries.
CBC
22-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Saint John is staring down trade troubles — and the oil industry has the biggest risk
Saint John is often called 'Port City,' with exports to the United States leading the way. (Submitted by Port Saint John) As the calendar counts down to what could be a devastating trade war between Canada and the United States, a New Brunswick leader is warning that one of Saint John's biggest sectors could be hit especially hard. Andrew Beckett, chief executive officer of Envision Saint John, said that while industries like agriculture or paper and pulp will feel the pain of U.S. tariffs, the oil industry will suffer a particularly hard blow. "We've got Canada's largest oil refinery in a small city and over 80 per cent of its exports go to the U.S.," he said in an interview. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce last month identified Saint John as the Canadian city at greatest risk of damage from tariffs that U.S. President Donald Trump has been threatening to levy for the last few months. Canada's retaliatory tariffs will also drive up prices on imported products, which will be felt by Canadian consumers. For Beckett, whose organization aims to develop business opportunities for export-minded Saint John, the threat of tariffs is a serious problem. "It's an extremely frustrating time," Beckett said, "for everybody involved, not just ourselves." Trump brought in tariffs of 25 per cent on most Canadian and Mexican goods on March 4, with 10 per cent on energy. Just two days later, he paused them until April 2. Beckett said there is already a significant impact because tariff threats have helped caused unemployment to rise to 7.5 per cent. He said provincial estimates have put potential job losses at 11,000. Local businesses will be affected significantly as bringing steel and other materials in from the United States costs more. Beckett said that these costs are also being passed on to consumers because businesses raise prices in response. As a result, consumer confidence is being "rocked," he said, which will "have ripple effects throughout the economy generally." Andrew Beckett, CEO of Envision Saint John, said a looming trade war is shaking consumer confidence. (Submitted by Envision Saint John) These effects involve less investment from businesses due to uncertainty about the impacts of tariffs and market instability. Beckett said that the city could mitigate these impacts by taking advantage of the port's position as a "global gate," and expand exports to Europe and South America. He also said that the situation might be viewed as a potential for Saint John to move beyond the U.S. market. Saint John Mayor Donna Reardon made international news when she said "we're breaking up with the U.S." as Trump's tariffs went into effect. 'We're breaking up with the U.S. and it's time to move on,' says Saint John mayor Duration 7:25 New data from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce suggests Saint John will be the Canadian city hardest hit by the U.S. tariffs. Mayor Donna Reardon says mayors and premiers are now putting their differences aside to focus on a common enemy: Donald Trump. WATCH | Mayor Donna Reardon reacted earlier this month to devastating tariffc impacts: Reardon said the city not only has Canada's largest oil refinery, but has been reliant on lucrative seafood and lumber markets based largely in the U.S. "We've been in this comfortable relationship with our American cousins, and now we're being attacked," Reardon said earlier this month. Reardon has said Saint John will survive but needs to strengthen its relationship with other countries.
