The people of Lorneville are still looking for answers to their questions about a proposed data centre and natural gas power plant in the community.
A community engagement session was held Thursday night, and many in attendance were not satisfied with what they heard.
About 300 residents, city councillors and supporters gathered for what was initially planned as an open house information session organized by VoltaGrid and Beacon Data Centres.
The evening quickly became more of a town hall-style event, with various speakers and questions being put to representatives from Beacon, the provincial Department of the Environment and Local Government and other agencies and companies associated with the project.
Organizers said the VoltaGrid and Beacon representatives were hesitant to proceed with a town hall.
“They had no interest,” said resident Adam Wilkins. “They clearly set it up as an open house.”
Wilkins said he spoke to Joseph Shovlin, Beacon’s executive vice-president for origination, and asked how the company planned to connect with the hundreds of people in attendance.
“And he couldn’t answer that, which was basically the theme for the night,” Wilkins said.
Wilkins accused Beacon and VoltaGrid of hiding at various tables around the room and providing what he described as “B-S” answers.
“But when the lights and every media camera and everybody in the community inside and outside and people listening online ask one question so they (VoltaGrid and Beacon) can provide an answer to everybody, they could not do that.”
For many in attendance, it was an unacceptable result one year after a similar meeting.
Several times, Shovlin volunteered to answer a question put forth by the community.
But he was often unable to provide information and said many of the questions were “new.”
The reaction from the crowd would best be described as incredulous.
“We asked the same questions a year ago,” one person shouted.
Shovlin was told by organizers the meeting felt like an empty gesture if no answers could be provided after a year to get the answers.
“Why did you come here this evening without the clear answers?” Shovlin was asked.
Several members of Saint John common council were in attendance, including all seven new members elected in May, as well as Ward 1 Coun. Greg Norton.
Coun.-at-large Gina Hooley said she was grateful she was able to look at some of the information available at the meeting.
“There was a lot of information to be taken away during the session,” Hooley said.
She said the opposition to the project is not a surprise, and added part of the point of the evening was for people to submit questions that need to be answered.
“I hope that everybody took that opportunity to engage and have their voices heard.”
More to come…
