Prince William — A lack of viable location options for new data centres has led the provincial government to accept a proposal from an American firm to set up shop at Kings Landing, the famous history museum of 19th-century life in rural New Brunswick.
The quaint village just 20 minutes west of Fredericton will be transformed into a sprawling, fully functioning AI data centre — but the difference is, this one will be kept within the confines of 19th-century styles and traditions.
“It’s going to be literally horse-powered, so you don’t need to worry about the drain on energy raising power rates,” said Opportunities New Brunswick Minister Luke Randall, who admitted that ONB quietly facilitated the deal last year, without consulting those living in the area. “The water mill will be used for liquid cooling. Much of the equipment will be built by the town blacksmith.
“Inside a barn, there will be AI accelerators and high-speed interconnects, but the guides will be dressed in period-appropriate clothing. The industrial revolution happened in this time, so it’s kind of a glimpse into the past and the future at once. Instead of seeing a loom demonstration, kids will get to see GPUs in action. Cool, eh?”
The 1800s were characterized by vast social upheaval.
“And we’re showcasing that here — no one wants a data centre in their backyard, we’re slowly learning,” said Premier Susan Holt, seated alongside Randall at a large wooden table at King’s Head Inn. “People are angry and protesting, because AI data centres emit a constant buzzing sound, they slurp up water and energy, and they even raise the temperature in surrounding areas.
“The full ecological impacts have yet to be felt or understood. But we simply can’t ignore the opportunity for economic growth. Think of the tax revenue alone!”
Most New Brunswickers fondly recall touring Kings Landing when in school.
“I remember that the boys would go out and play with the animals while we had to stay inside and bake cornbread for them,” said Kelsey Bureford, 38. “And there was a little one-room schoolhouse, and a church. It wasn’t a bad field trip. I’m a bit disappointed that my kids won’t have that experience, but you can’t fight the inevitable, I guess.”
Kings Landing operators are seeing the silver lining.
“Our tourism season is short and weather-dependent, and I’m told this will help create and keep jobs during the winter slump,” said Kings Landing spokesperson Kathy Collins. “We do host annual Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, but we need something to pay the bills from January to April.
“In the 19th century, the only data centres were libraries. But we’ll improvise.” At press time, Collins was trying to figure out how to print an AI-generated flyer on an old-fashioned printing press.