AI data centres have become a major election issue in the city of Toronto with fears over the drain they could have on local water and power resources.
Some city council candidates are calling for a pause or even a ban on developing the area’s first “hyperscale” data centre.
Local tech blogger Kevin Andrews says data centres require enormous resources.
He says it’s become a major issue for many lawmakers.
“You’ve got advanced cooling systems, you’ve got high speed fibre connections, and significant supporting infrastructure…there’s no longer just a place to store data, I mean, they’re becoming the essential infrastructure for our AI economy. What municipalities are asking is “where should these facilities be built? Can local infrastructure support this? Do they need their own zoning rules?” and “Who pays for all these upgrades?”
