Port Saint John has a new addition to its waterfront. Americold opens its new $100 million cold storage facility. The company will start moving goods through the harbourfront warehouse by early July.

A Global First for Saint John

The 200,000 square foot import and export hub brings 100 new jobs to the region. Your local economy gets a direct boost from this development. Americold CEO Rob Chambers says the facility is the first globally to combine cold storage capabilities with partners like DP World and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway.

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“DP World is a great terminal operator there, CPKC has the rail line there with refrigerated boxcars, what was missing was temperature controlled real estate or infrastructure right on the port,” Chambers says.

This setup allows products to enter Canada directly for nationwide distribution. It also opens trade lanes for Canadian exports to Europe, Australia, and South America. Chambers notes the solution is faster, cheaper, and greener than previous options. You will see frozen potato products and seafood moving frequently through the building.

Looking Ahead

Port Saint John president and CEO Craig Bell Estabrooks views this as a long term play to attract new container lines. He calls the facility a tremendous value added for the port. Opening the hub near the Saint John to Digby ferry terminal took much longer than the single year required to build the warehouse.

Image Credit: Avery MacRae / CTV News Atlantic

The port authority is already planning the next steps. They submitted a funding application to the federal government to upgrade over 5,000 square feet of existing warehouses. They also plan to widen and deepen the channel to allow larger vessels to dock at the port property.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the new Americold facility open?

The facility opens in early July.

How many jobs does the new facility create?

The project brings 100 new jobs to the Saint John region.

What types of products will the warehouse store?

The facility will primarily handle food products like frozen potatoes and seafood.