#Alberta Municipality Declares #FarmDisaster Due to #Drought, Approves Water-Guzzling #Data CentrePlan
Jody MacPherson, July 31, 2025
"An Alberta municipality that declared an agricultural disaster earlier this month due to drought is moving forward with plans to host the 'largest #AI computer data centre on Earth,' which could drain millions of litres of water every day from the watershed.
"The watershed is located in #Treaty8 territory and across the #MétisNation of #Alberta Regions 4, 5, and 6. Almost 175,000 people live along the 1,900 kilometers of rivers that flow north into the #NorthwestTerritories. The nearest #FirstNation to the project, #SturgeonLakeCreeNation, wrote an open 'cease and desist' letter to Alberta’s premier saying it learned of the project through the media.
"In response to emailed questions from The Energy Mix, the Municipal District of #Greenview said its approach on the $70-billion #WonderValley data centre project proposed by #CelebrityInvestor #KevinOLeary had not changed despite the unfolding disaster devastating livestock producers in the region.
" 'Every project in the Greenview Industrial Gateway, including Wonder Valley, must go through rigorous environmental and regulatory reviews, including water use approvals managed by the province,' according to an email statement from the municipality. 'Council continues to monitor drought impacts, and any decisions on industrial water use will balance environmental responsibility with economic opportunity.' [I CALL BULLSHIT!]
"Greenview declared the agricultural disaster due to the ongoing drought, aggravated by a #grasshopper invasion. 'We urge all levels of government and the public to understand the gravity of the situation and to support the #agricultural community through this difficult time,' the community said in a media release.
Our producers are the backbone of not only our local economy, but also Alberta’s and #Canada’s, and they need our full support now more than ever.' "
https://www.theenergymix.com/alberta-municipality-declares-farm-disaster-due-to-drought-approves-water-guzzling-data-centre-plan/