Residents of a hamlet east of Calgary are voicing strong concern about a proposed AI data centre in their community's vicinity. The Wild Rose Power Hub, a multibillion-dollar hyperscale data centre, would be built two kilometres southwest of Langdon, a community of roughly 6,000 people in east Rocky View County.
Project Details and Resident Reactions
Chinook Development L.P. is leading the proposal, which would take up 194 hectares of land approximately 10 kilometres east of Calgary city limits. The subject site covers three quarter sections of farmland and is along Township Road 232 and 1.6 kilometres west of Highway 797. Baxtel.com describes the project as a $10-billion endeavor.
Josh Antonishyn, a long-time Langdon resident of 30 years, said an open house held this week drew almost unanimous disdain from attendees. “I don’t think there was any positive feedback — everyone is against it,” he said. “All the conversations I could hear, not one was positive or in favour of it.”
Key Concerns: Farmland, Water, and Noise
Antonishyn’s opposition stems from the loss of agricultural land, noting the data centre would displace nearly 500 acres of prime farmland. He also cited concerns about noise and water usage — 190,000 litres per day, according to information from the open house. “They mention it’s a closed loop system but there’s an initial fill,” he said. “The water is not going to be trucked in, it’s going to be pulled from Langdon. I know other developments use water as well, but the level of consumption, I don’t think, is sustainable for us over the long term.”
Project Benefits and Developer Response
Chinook Development L.P. did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. However, a project website indicates that at full build-out, the Wild Rose Power Hub would support between 975 and 2,100 operations jobs, ranging from management of high-tech computer systems to networking and infrastructure storage. The project would tie into adjacent high-voltage transmission lines and substations to power the data centre’s operations. The centre will include off-site utility servicing, on-site stormwater retention, and closed-loop cooling systems supplemented by other liquids, such as glycol, to minimize local watershed impacts.
“As a hyperscale-level data center, this project positions Rocky View County as a leader in Alberta’s burgeoning AI and technology sector,” the website states. “The hub will house the essential digital infrastructure needed to manage and process the data of the future.”
Economic vs. Community Interests
While Antonishyn concedes tax revenue from the data centre would likely bolster the county’s commercial tax base, he said the economic benefits should not outweigh Rocky View County’s duty to represent constituents’ best interests. The debate highlights tensions between technological advancement and local community values in rural Alberta.
