Prime Minister Carney's push to build AI infrastructure is encountering local
resistance that has delayed projects and complicated federal investment plans.
Oakville, Ontario and Rocky View County, Alberta have imposed one-year pauses on
data-center projects, and Manitoba premier Wab Kinew vetted a Winnipeg-area
proposal. Residents cite high power consumption, noise and upward pressure on
electricity rates. Ottawa published on Thursday a framework requiring projects
to deliver long-term local benefits, limit environmental impacts and avoid
passing power costs to households; Amazon, Meta and Anthropic have signed the
principles. Canada currently has five large operational data centers and 159
announced or under-construction projects; the government continues to market
cool climate, abundant energy and available land as competitive advantages while
trying to address community energy, environmental and benefit-sharing concerns.
