In 2025, Olds, Alberta received a proposal for the largest Data Centre that would have ever been built in Canada -- right across the street from homes where families live and businesses where people work. The municipal government was excited about the potential tax revenue, the community was split in beliefs, and the people who were set to become neighbours with the proposed project had no pathway to protect their homes and families.

Unfortunately, the setting for this story isn’t unique. Across Canada, the United States and even the globe -- communities are being pitched these opportunities. And the proposals are packaged beautifully. It feels like a missed opportunity if the community doesn’t seize it!

But what about standardized procedures?

What about emergency and disaster preparedness?

What happens to the families who’s property value plummets because of the perpetual buzzing and never ending bright lights?

Who will cover the costs of the overage of power and water?

When our founder, Bek Macintosh, a concerned mom, began asking these questions and pulling on threads -- it became glaringly obvious that there were major gaps in decision making process. There was a risk that the community was being asked to assume, and there were no Data Centre regulatory bodies or institutions to turn to for help.

Our team has identified and successfully leveraged existing, adjacent, regulatory offices and organizations to halt the Olds project. And now, we feel it is critical that other communities have access to these same roadmaps. It is also for this reason, that we are now focused on advocating for meaningful legislation and regulation to be implemented across Canada to protect families and communities!

It is too easy for multi-billion dollar enterprises to overwhelm and confuse well-intentioned communities. We need to work together and we need government intervention to ensure that Canada’s future generations are protected from the decisions we make today.