On Wednesday, the city council of Mississauga, Ont., voted to put a one-year hold on artificial intelligence data centres.
This marks a shift from what has been happening elsewhere in Ontario. Earlier this month, Hamilton’s city council turned down a similar moratorium. Meanwhile, Vaughan has already given the green light to a hyperscale AI data centre that is nearing completion and expected to go live later this year.
The motion in Mississauga passed without opposition. Mayor Carolyn Parrish did not participate in the vote since she only votes if there is a tie.
Source link
‘Hyperscale’ data centre proposed for city’s northwest area
The site proposal discussed during Wednesday’s meeting involves a planned 50-100 megawatt facility at Tenth Line West and Argentia Road, located less than 300 metres from homes. Story continues below Mississauga and Ontario have had various data centres for years; however, if this project goes ahead, it would be one of the province’s first hyperscale facilities. These larger centres consume much more energy than smaller ones, which raises concerns about noise levels, water use, and power grid strain. The outcome of the vote leaves uncertainty about how or if this project will move forward. Before the vote took place, city councillor and mayoral hopeful Alvin Tedjo mentioned that additional protections are necessary despite the role data centres play in Canada’s economy.
Get daily National news
Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you’ll never miss the day’s top stories. “Right now there are no regulations,” he said. “There’s no guardrails that would ensure what we’re looking for is what we get. There’s a lot of concerns around power consumption, how that creates heat islands, the noise attenuation that’s going to be happening. We want to make sure there are safeguards so that the quality of life of residents isn’t affected by this in a negative way.” This sentiment was shared by several local residents who voiced their worries while wearing anti-AI buttons on their jackets during public comments. A notable speaker included University of Toronto doctor Mili Roy, who expressed concerns about increased energy demand potentially being met with gas-fired electricity-bringing further environmental issues. Story continues below Roy also noted that studies link water usage by data centres to local water scarcity and contamination issues. An additional resident who spoke lives close to where the hyperscale data centre is proposed. She stated that nothing stemming from it could justify putting residents’ health at risk.Data centres becoming an election topic
The fate of data centres in Mississauga and other cities across Ontario might become part of discussions during this fall’s municipal elections. More on Politics More videos The upcoming mayoral race in Mississauga is anticipated to be quite competitive as former mayor Bonnie Crombie aims to reclaim her position from Parrish. Prior to voting, Parrish mentioned concerns about losing millions in tax revenue but acknowledged understanding “the fear of the unknown.” Additonally, she indicated that this moratorium will apply broadly across many properties beyond just the hyperscale facility. Crombie also shared her thoughts by posting a video on X before voting took place. She stated she has heard community concerns regarding environmental impacts and promised to form an expert advisory panel if elected; they would help create guidelines for assessing data centre proposals. Residents have raised important questions about data centres, including electricity, water and infrastructure. Those are fair questions, and they deserve clear answers. As Mayor, I’ll bring together independent experts to provide the facts and help Council develop a clear… pic. twitter. com/W0OKTz Zf BH. paragraoap”>Source link
