Meta AI data centre proposal sparks protests in Alberta

Hundreds of residents gathered in Morinville, Sturgeon County, Alberta, chanting “Down, down with corporations” and displaying signs featuring Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to oppose Meta Platforms’ plan for a one‑gigawatt artificial‑intelligence data centre. Organisers, including 20‑year‑old university student Ben Baril, warned that the facility’s high water and electricity demand could raise utility bills and strain local resources.

Meta says the $13 billion project, its first data centre in Canada, will be operational within two to three years and is part of a broader AI‑driven hyperscale push across the country. The Alberta government’s “concierge” service is helping the company navigate regulations, while Premier Danielle Smith noted the centre will initially draw surplus grid power until a new natural‑gas plant comes online in 2030, and that its water use will match that of a typical golf course thanks to a closed‑loop cooling system.