Bell Aliant announces new $25-million data centre in Saint John

CTV Atlantic: Advanced data centre Bell Aliant has announced plans to build a $25-million data centre in Saint John with the help of $5 million from the N.B. government.

Bell Aliant has announced plans to build a $25-million data centre in Saint John with the help of $5 million from the New Brunswick government.

The company says the advanced data centre is being built to meet the current and future needs of the province's information and communications technology sector.

About 24 jobs will be created during construction and 22 full-time positions will be required to operate the centre.

“What is clear is that this data centre could have been built anywhere,” says New Brunswick Premier David Alward. “This is key, we believe, to maintaining our ICT sector and direct jobs in our province.”

The data centre will provide space for companies around the world to store their information. The centre comes complete with multiple backup systems in a building that can never lose power, even during wild weather.

“You basically have to sign your life away to get into the business and then the physical security of the building itself, no windows, thick walls, and heavy control of the pipes of the communications themselves,” says Karen Sheriff, president of Bell Aliant.

People in the information technology sector say the facility will be noticed around the world.

“We will be known now in Saint John for this capability, so yes, businesses will now look at where they’re going to house their data and that will spring up other businesses to support those businesses,” says Bob Justason of Mariner Partners Inc.

Construction is slated to begin soon.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Mike Cameron and The Canadian Press