There are 194 data centres in Canada with plans for 213 projects, increasing capacity by 14 times.
Essex could put the brakes on AI data centres before the town has even received an application for one.
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An online petition calling for an interim control bylaw to prohibit AI data centres in the municipality for up to 12 months had collected “hundreds of signatures” as of Tuesday, said organizer Tyler Reh.
“We believe that AI data centers threatens the very foundation of our community,” the online petition read. “These massive structures require extensive utility infrastructure, including high-capacity power lines and water systems, which can strain local resources.”
The petition supports a motion by Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy that council approved at its regular meeting Aug. 10 to direct administration to prepare an interim control bylaw for council’s consideration.
The bylaw, expected to come before council Sept. 8, could temporarily prohibit the establishment, development or permitting of new, information technology data centres in all land-use zones across the municipality.
There is no data-centre application before the town.
The proposed bylaw is intended to give the town time to examine whether its planning rules are equipped to deal with the rapidly expanding industry.
Bondy said the town’s comprehensive zoning bylaw does not contain a specific definition or classification for the data centres, creating what she described as a regulatory gap where such a use could potentially be considered under broader industrial provisions.
Her motion also pointed to the potential infrastructure demands associated with data centres, including stormwater runoff, conservation watersheds, municipal wastewater treatment, water capacity and electrical-grid capacity.
Reh said his concerns grew in May after he saw an online post about the possibility of an AI data centre in the region. He said he contacted the mayor and was told there were no applications before the town.
Reh said he began researching what would happen if a developer wanted to build an AI data centre in Essex, including how the town’s existing planning and zoning rules would apply.
After about two weeks of research, he said he concluded the municipality’s bylaws were “wholly insufficient” to deal with the use. He subsequently prepared a presentation for town officials outlining what he believed were gaps in the town’s regulations.
