Spruce Lake Industrial Park Expansion

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About the Project
The City of Saint John, Regional Development Corporation, and Saint John Industrial Parks are proposing an expansion of the Spruce Lake Industrial Park, an initiative that represents one of the most significant economic development opportunities in a generation. This expansion is about more than just land, it's about jobs, growth, and ensuring a strong and sustainable future for our community.

As Canada’s most tariff-exposed city, we face unique challenges and incredible potential. By creating space for new, clean, and future-focused industries, we can attract investments that have the power to transform our local economy and create thousands of good-paying jobs, both immediately and over the long term.

Why Are We Expanding?
When many people hear "industrial," it can conjure outdated images of smokestacks and heavy pollution. That’s not what this project is about. The City isn’t interested in attracting that type of development in Lorneville.

Instead, we’re actively attracting green and clean sectors, like advanced manufacturing, data centres, semiconductor fabrication, logistics hubs, and green energy development. These modern industries are typically non-emitting, quiet, and built with leading-edge technology and environmental safeguards. Saint John is currently receiving serious interest from companies looking to invest billions in large-scale developments. Without properly zoned, ready-to-develop land, these opportunities will go elsewhere. By expanding now, we position our community to compete and win on a global stage.

Expanding the availability of land within Saint John’s industrial parks is a priority for the City of Saint John, as identified by Common Council under the top four catalytic infrastructure projects.

Why Lorneville?
Lorneville offers a unique combination of assets that are attractive for economic development opportunities, including:

Land: The Province owns over 3,000 hectares of land that it acquired in 1971 for industrial uses in the area. The City is requesting 645 hectares for this expansion. Many interested companies require 40 hectares per site. Land in that volume is not available and properly zoned elsewhere in Saint John.
Electricity: Nearby access to 50% of the province’s electricity supply. Point Lepreau and Burchill Wind Farm are non-emitting, which makes this ideal for clean industries.
Water: Abundant access to fresh and salt water, and City services like potable water and sewage.
Logistics: Close to highways, Port Saint John, and served by three Class 1 railways.
Labour Force: A skilled local workforce and educational institutions to support growth.

This unique combination of land, water, electricity, logistics and labour in one location is very rare, not just in New Brunswick, but in the entire world.

Public Engagement and Response
Since the proposal was introduced, the City has engaged with Lorneville residents in meaningful and unprecedented ways. Multiple public information sessions have been held, and a Community Liaison Committee was formed and met for 27 hours across eight sessions to discuss 22 topics in detail. To read the full report of staff and recommendations see Related Documents.

Improvements to Lorneville Planning Application Based on Resident Feedback

Protecting Residents

  • Significantly Increased Setbacks:
    • Industrial buildings must be at least 250 metres from residential property lines, the largest setback requirement for an industrial park in New Brunswick. Elsewhere in Saint John, similar setbacks for these types of buildings would be 30 metres.
    • Any industrial use that could be considered volatile will be prohibited within a minimum distance of 500 metres from residential areas. Notably, even the Crane Mountain Landfill has only a 150-metre setback.
  • Restricting Industrial Uses:
    • Only non-emitting industries, i.e. those without smokestacks, will be permitted.
    • The following land uses would be explicitly prohibited in the expanded Spruce Lake Industrial Zone: Asphalt plant, cement plant, concrete plant, fertilizer manufacturer and storage, lumber mill, petroleum refinery, pulp mill, paper mill, recycling facility, metal shredding and scrap or salvage yard.
  • Mandatory Professional Risk Assessments:
    • The expanded industrial park will be the first in New Brunswick where the local municipality requires professional risk assessments, ensuring potential risks are either prevented or adequately mitigated.
  • Height Restrictions:
    • Buildings within 250 metres of residential property lines cannot exceed 24 metres in height. Beyond this distance, height is limited to 48 metres. These limits ensure that shadows won’t be cast onto any residential properties.
  • Groundwater Monitoring Program:
    • A permanent groundwater monitoring system, designed by hydrogeologists, will continuously safeguard residents' drinking water wells.

Protecting the Environment

  • A permanent natural treed buffer area (150-metre-wide to separate residences from the Industrial Park). You could fit King Square within this buffer zone 50 times over.
  • Enhanced wetland protections. There will be no development ever in or near the salt-water marsh estuaries, also called Provincially Significant Wetlands (PSW) in the area.
  • Protection of watercourses in the area.
  • Significant preservation of natural areas (a combined 107.1 hectares designated as park and natural area)
  • Impacts to wetlands and woodlands will be limited. The potential removal of any trees or filling of non-PSW wetlands will only be done if there is a clear business case to do so.

These protections provide a reasonable balance to protecting residents and the environment with the need for much needed jobs and economic growth for the region.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
An EIA was submitted on June 11, 2024, and is publicly available through the NB Department of Environment and Local Government. For more details, and to review the full EIA document, click here or see Related Documents.

Next Steps: Municipal Plan Amendment & Rezoning
To proceed, Common Council must approve a Municipal Plan amendment and zoning change. This will formally enable the industrial park expansion while locking in the resident protections and environmental buffers.

How to Participate

  • Email your comments to: cityclerk@saintjohn.ca
  • Attend the Public Hearing: May 12, 2025, at 5:15 p.m., Council Chambers, City Hall.

About the Project
The City of Saint John, Regional Development Corporation, and Saint John Industrial Parks are proposing an expansion of the Spruce Lake Industrial Park, an initiative that represents one of the most significant economic development opportunities in a generation. This expansion is about more than just land, it's about jobs, growth, and ensuring a strong and sustainable future for our community.

As Canada’s most tariff-exposed city, we face unique challenges and incredible potential. By creating space for new, clean, and future-focused industries, we can attract investments that have the power to transform our local economy and create thousands of good-paying jobs, both immediately and over the long term.

Why Are We Expanding?
When many people hear "industrial," it can conjure outdated images of smokestacks and heavy pollution. That’s not what this project is about. The City isn’t interested in attracting that type of development in Lorneville.

Instead, we’re actively attracting green and clean sectors, like advanced manufacturing, data centres, semiconductor fabrication, logistics hubs, and green energy development. These modern industries are typically non-emitting, quiet, and built with leading-edge technology and environmental safeguards. Saint John is currently receiving serious interest from companies looking to invest billions in large-scale developments. Without properly zoned, ready-to-develop land, these opportunities will go elsewhere. By expanding now, we position our community to compete and win on a global stage.

Expanding the availability of land within Saint John’s industrial parks is a priority for the City of Saint John, as identified by Common Council under the top four catalytic infrastructure projects.

Why Lorneville?
Lorneville offers a unique combination of assets that are attractive for economic development opportunities, including:

Land: The Province owns over 3,000 hectares of land that it acquired in 1971 for industrial uses in the area. The City is requesting 645 hectares for this expansion. Many interested companies require 40 hectares per site. Land in that volume is not available and properly zoned elsewhere in Saint John.
Electricity: Nearby access to 50% of the province’s electricity supply. Point Lepreau and Burchill Wind Farm are non-emitting, which makes this ideal for clean industries.
Water: Abundant access to fresh and salt water, and City services like potable water and sewage.
Logistics: Close to highways, Port Saint John, and served by three Class 1 railways.
Labour Force: A skilled local workforce and educational institutions to support growth.

This unique combination of land, water, electricity, logistics and labour in one location is very rare, not just in New Brunswick, but in the entire world.

Public Engagement and Response
Since the proposal was introduced, the City has engaged with Lorneville residents in meaningful and unprecedented ways. Multiple public information sessions have been held, and a Community Liaison Committee was formed and met for 27 hours across eight sessions to discuss 22 topics in detail. To read the full report of staff and recommendations see Related Documents.

Improvements to Lorneville Planning Application Based on Resident Feedback

Protecting Residents

  • Significantly Increased Setbacks:
    • Industrial buildings must be at least 250 metres from residential property lines, the largest setback requirement for an industrial park in New Brunswick. Elsewhere in Saint John, similar setbacks for these types of buildings would be 30 metres.
    • Any industrial use that could be considered volatile will be prohibited within a minimum distance of 500 metres from residential areas. Notably, even the Crane Mountain Landfill has only a 150-metre setback.
  • Restricting Industrial Uses:
    • Only non-emitting industries, i.e. those without smokestacks, will be permitted.
    • The following land uses would be explicitly prohibited in the expanded Spruce Lake Industrial Zone: Asphalt plant, cement plant, concrete plant, fertilizer manufacturer and storage, lumber mill, petroleum refinery, pulp mill, paper mill, recycling facility, metal shredding and scrap or salvage yard.
  • Mandatory Professional Risk Assessments:
    • The expanded industrial park will be the first in New Brunswick where the local municipality requires professional risk assessments, ensuring potential risks are either prevented or adequately mitigated.
  • Height Restrictions:
    • Buildings within 250 metres of residential property lines cannot exceed 24 metres in height. Beyond this distance, height is limited to 48 metres. These limits ensure that shadows won’t be cast onto any residential properties.
  • Groundwater Monitoring Program:
    • A permanent groundwater monitoring system, designed by hydrogeologists, will continuously safeguard residents' drinking water wells.

Protecting the Environment

  • A permanent natural treed buffer area (150-metre-wide to separate residences from the Industrial Park). You could fit King Square within this buffer zone 50 times over.
  • Enhanced wetland protections. There will be no development ever in or near the salt-water marsh estuaries, also called Provincially Significant Wetlands (PSW) in the area.
  • Protection of watercourses in the area.
  • Significant preservation of natural areas (a combined 107.1 hectares designated as park and natural area)
  • Impacts to wetlands and woodlands will be limited. The potential removal of any trees or filling of non-PSW wetlands will only be done if there is a clear business case to do so.

These protections provide a reasonable balance to protecting residents and the environment with the need for much needed jobs and economic growth for the region.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
An EIA was submitted on June 11, 2024, and is publicly available through the NB Department of Environment and Local Government. For more details, and to review the full EIA document, click here or see Related Documents.

Next Steps: Municipal Plan Amendment & Rezoning
To proceed, Common Council must approve a Municipal Plan amendment and zoning change. This will formally enable the industrial park expansion while locking in the resident protections and environmental buffers.

How to Participate

  • Email your comments to: cityclerk@saintjohn.ca
  • Attend the Public Hearing: May 12, 2025, at 5:15 p.m., Council Chambers, City Hall.
Page last updated: 04 May 2025, 11:43 PM