Ford government to approve AI data centres ‘sooner rather than later’ amid moratorium calls

Ontario's Ford government plans to approve its first batch of new AI data centres "sooner rather than later," according to Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli. The announcement comes as the province faces growing calls to halt the construction of new AI data centres due to environmental and data sovereignty concerns.

Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli stated that the government has been receiving "lots of proposals" for new projects but has not yet provided a timeline for when they will be approved. The government is currently assessing these proposals and expects to make decisions in the near future.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner plans to turn these concerns into new legislation that would implement a moratorium on AI data centre construction until more stringent guidelines are in place. The Green Party leader argued that the government has failed to put adequate safeguards in place to prevent harm to communities from these data centres.

Even though the province frames the need for Canadian-based data centres as an economic issue to safeguard local data from falling into international hands, Schreiner pushed back on this assertion. He emphasized that location is not the same as sovereignty, stating that even if a data centre is located in Ontario, the data still belongs to the owner and is subject to U.S. laws.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles suggested that her party would support the Green Party's bill, which would create an advisory committee comprised of experts in AI, digital information, water, and land use planning. She also pointed out that several municipalities, including Oakville, Mississauga, and Sault Ste. Marie, have implemented a one-year moratorium on data centre development.

Fedeli reassured the public that the government has a "do no harm to citizens" approach to data centres. However, he did not disclose whether municipalities would have veto powers over the approval process.