• N.S. premier’s office scolds professor over comments on AI data centre

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-28 18:24:41.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Energy, Technology, Infrastructure, Environment]

  The office of Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston filed a formal complaint against Toronto Metropolitan University associate professor Sibo Chen after he publicly raised validity concerns regarding water usage and electricity rate hikes associated with Everwind Fuels' proposed $10-billion artificial intelligence data centre leased to Anthropic. William Burns, a communications adviser in the premier's office, criticized Chen's remarks as irresponsible and lacking local research, while Chen defended his statements as peer-reviewed analysis concerning the general environmental impacts of large-scale data centres. The controversy centers on the massive infrastructure project, which involves a 20-year lease for the U.S. AI company and has faced public scrutiny over its potential strain on provincial power rates and environmental resources.

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• Nova Scotia committee to discuss $10B AI data centre planned for Cape Breton

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-27 12:36:41.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Technology, Energy, Infrastructure, Economy, Environment]

  Nova Scotia’s standing committee on natural resources and economic development is scheduled to discuss EverWind Fuels' controversial $10-billion artificial intelligence data centre project planned for Cape Breton. Announced on October 16, the project features a 20-year lease signed by U.S. artificial intelligence firm Anthropic for an 18,600-square-metre facility in Point Tupper that will draw 95 megawatts of electricity during its initial phase. Opposition parties and legislative witnesses—including Richmond County officials and provincial energy and environment deputy ministers—will examine potential environmental impacts, local water supply strain, and electricity rate implications. Premier Tim Houston’s government maintains that sufficient checks and balances will govern the project and has asserted that household power rates will not increase.

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• Rally urges New Brunswick government to rethink energy plans

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-20 20:56:59.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Energy, Environment, Climate, Infrastructure, Technology]

  Protesters rallied outside the New Brunswick Legislature during the reading of the speech from the throne to oppose government energy and industrial plans, including the proposed Tantramar gas plant, Lorneville data centres, Sisson mine, and the potential re-opening of fracking. Advocates, including the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and the Save Lorneville group, raised concerns over pollution, public health risks, and an increased strain on utility provider NB Power, noting one proposed artificial intelligence data centre would draw 200 megawatts. In response, Premier Susan Holt stated that her government will enforce stringent draft policy conditions requiring projects to demonstrate no negative impacts on water resources or energy rates alongside clear community benefits before receiving approval.

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• ‘Just not acceptable’: Backlash grows over Nova Scotia AI data centre project

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-19 20:13:17.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Municipal, Energy, Infrastructure, Technology, Environment]

  Energy and infrastructure company EverWind announced a $10 billion private investment to build a large-scale data centre campus at its existing Point Tupper site near Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, with AI firm Anthropic signed on as a long-term tenant. The project is planned to begin with an initial 95-megawatt phase in late 2027, scaling up to a full development capacity of 420 megawatts by 2028, and includes a $2 billion investment to advance EverWind's onshore wind energy projects. Opposition parties and community advocates are pushing back, demanding an emergency sitting of the Nova Scotia Legislature due to concerns over public consultation, grid reliability, electricity rates, and water resource impacts.

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• New Brunswick data centre debate highlights cross-country tension over AI facilities

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-19 11:49:46.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Energy, Technology, Infrastructure, Environment, Economy]

  New Brunswick Crown-owned electric utility NB Power has received 10 confidential applications from data centre projects requiring up to 900 megawatts of power, sparking cross-country tension and citizen opposition. Notable proposals include a $2 billion artificial intelligence hub by Beacon Data Centers and VoltaGrid featuring a 400-megawatt data centre in Saint John, a $2.7 billion, 375-megawatt proposal by Faster Than Light in Fredericton, and a 50-megawatt campus proposal by U.S. firm Cross River Infrastructure Partners. While the provincial government works on a data centre policy framework to spur economic growth and tax revenue, grassroots groups like Save Lorneville are demanding a moratorium due to environmental and power grid concerns.

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• ‘They shouldn’t be surprised’: Nova Scotians take stand against major data centre project

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-17 19:56:27.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Energy, Technology, Infrastructure, Environment, Economy]

  Energy and infrastructure company EverWind announced a $10 billion private investment to build a major data centre campus at its Point Tupper site in Nova Scotia, which will be leased and operated by AI development company Anthropic. The project is planned to launch with an initial 95-megawatt phase in late 2027, expand by 325 megawatts in 2028, and ultimately reach a 420-megawatt capacity, generating up to 2,000 construction jobs and 215 operational roles. However, local residents and protest organizers have expressed strong opposition due to potential impacts on local water supplies from Landry Lake, energy consumption, and lack of community consultation, prompting plans for further demonstrations.

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• Nova Scotia to host massive data centre to power Anthropic's AI assistant Claude

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-16 14:00:00.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Infrastructure, Technology, Energy, Environment, Economy]

  EverWind Fuels is developing a massive 420-megawatt artificial intelligence data centre in Point Tupper, Nova Scotia, designed to power Anthropic's AI assistant Claude under a 20-year lease agreement. The project involves $8 billion in private capital funding for the facility and an additional $2 billion for four planned onshore wind farms to supply renewable energy. The two-stage facility will feature a capacity of 95 megawatts in phase one (online by late 2027) and 325 megawatts in phase two (2028), utilizing a closed-loop water-glycol cooling system drawing an average of 100,000 to 500,000 litres of water per day from Landrie Lake. Additionally, a consortium of Mi’kmaw communities fronted by Membertou First Nation is negotiating a nine per cent equity stake in the project.

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• First Nation in N.S. launches joint venture using sea water to produce jet fuel

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-14 18:08:49.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Indigenous, Technology, Energy, Environment, Economy]

  The Eskasoni First Nation has launched a joint venture called eFuels Mi’kmaq Limited with Sydney, Nova Scotia-based clean technology startup Aeon Blue to produce low-cost eFuels for the aviation and rocket sectors. Eskasoni First Nation is investing $1.5 million into the $4-million pilot-stage project, securing a majority ownership stake. The facility will utilize saltwater electrochemistry to split hydrogen from seawater and capture carbon dioxide from the air to manufacture the fuels, with the project projected to create approximately 80 jobs and provide engineering and management opportunities for community members.

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• 2nd potential AI data centre worries Saint John residents: ‘We have questions’

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-05 20:52:15.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Municipal, Energy, Technology, Environment, Infrastructure]

  Residents in Saint John, New Brunswick, represented by the advocacy group Save Lorneville, are raising concerns over a second proposed large-scale artificial intelligence data centre following the revelation of plans by U.S.-based Cross River Infrastructure Partners. The proposed project has initially requested 50 megawatts of network-firm power through correspondence with Opportunities New Brunswick, adding to ongoing public scrutiny over an already proposed 390-megawatt data centre and gas plant at the Spruce Lake Industrial Park by VoltaGrid and Beacon Data Centers. Local advocates and residents have cited a lack of updated regulatory frameworks, unknown impacts on municipal water and electrical grid capacity, and potential risks to greenhouse gas emissions and public health.

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• Upcycling waste: researchers pitch newest solution for Giant Mine’s arsenic trioxide

  Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
  Date: 2026-09-20 10:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Mining, Environment, Resources, Technology]

  Researchers led by Tamara Etmannski at the University of British Columbia have successfully converted arsenic trioxide samples from the Giant Mine into metallic arsenic suitable for use as semiconductors in electronic devices. The process involves dissolving the toxic byproduct in water and adding a chemical reductant to separate out pure metallic arsenic. The Giant Mine Oversight Board, chaired by Graeme Clinton, is reviewing the research alongside alternative permanent solutions—such as turning the waste into glass—to address the 237,000 tonnes of toxic waste currently stored and frozen underground in Yellowknife. While scaling the process to an operational plant would take approximately 10 years and does not fully offset the plant's capital cost through market sales alone, proponents note it could eliminate long-term maintenance and storage liabilities.

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• An alternative to treat and release? Alberta to approve $4.6 million grant for tailings ponds water treatment research

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-09-17 18:10:50.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Energy, Environment, Mining, Technology, Indigenous]

  Emissions Reduction Alberta offered a conditional $4.6 million grant to Tũ Nipi Water Solutions—an Indigenous-owned venture formed by Fort McKay Oil Services and BioLargo Canada based in the Fort McKay First Nation—to fund research and development of water-treatment solutions for tailings ponds in the Athabasca oilsands region. The funding, expected to roll out in early 2027 for closed-lab testing, aims to develop alternatives to controversial treat-and-release wastewater proposals for handling the more than 1.4 billion cubic metres of fluid tailings currently stored in the province. The initiative aligns with recommendations from Alberta's Oil Sands Mine Water Steering Committee and incorporates traditional knowledge alongside advanced cleantech applications.

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• 'AI is here to stay': Cherry-picking Glubish tells concerned Grande Prairie crowd to call their MLAs about data centres

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-09-17 15:32:29.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Technology, Energy, Environment, Infrastructure, Municipal]

  Approximately 300 residents attended a contentious Sept. 11 town hall in Grande Prairie regarding the proposed 65-square-kilometre Wonder Valley AI data centre project backed by Kevin O'Leary. Alberta's Minister of Technology and Innovation, Nate Glubish, defended the initiative by stating artificial intelligence is here to stay and pointing to a closed cooling system meant to mitigate water use from the Smoky River. However, local participants and critics, including resident Casey Klein and SAIT research scientist Dr. Robert Davies, raised concerns that the facility—which holds interim and preliminary municipal licences to draw up to 6 million and 24 million cubic metres of water annually—would impose cumulative environmental impacts through thermal energy emissions, low-frequency fan noise, and heavy resource exploitation within the Municipal District of Greenview and the Peace Country Region.

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• Carbon capture CEO says critics ‘told me I was crazy,’ hopes Alberta project proves them wrong

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-09-17 11:00:33.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Energy, Environment, Climate, Technology, Taxation]

  Montreal-based Deep Sky Corp. operates its Deep Sky Alpha direct air capture facility near Innisfail, Alberta, where it pulls carbon dioxide from the air, stores it underground, and sells offset credits to corporations such as TD Bank Group, Microsoft Corp., and Royal Bank of Canada. U.S.-based GE Vernova Inc. is partnering with Deep Sky to install a machine designed to capture up to 1,500 tonnes of carbon annually by late 2026. The capital projects and equipment are supported by a federal refundable tax credit covering up to 60 percent of eligible direct air capture spending through the end of 2035.

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• Carbon capture CEO says critics ‘told me I was crazy,’ hopes Alberta project proves them wrong

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-09-17 11:00:33.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Energy, Environment, Climate, Technology, Industry]

  Montreal-based Deep Sky Corp. operates its Deep Sky Alpha direct air capture facility near Innisfail, Alberta, where it pulls carbon dioxide from the air, stores it underground, and sells offset credits to buyers including TD Bank Group, Microsoft Corp., and Royal Bank of Canada. The company utilizes a refundable federal tax credit covering up to 60 percent of eligible spending on direct air capture equipment through the end of 2035. GE Vernova Inc., a U.S.-based partner, is bringing a machine to the Alpha site designed to capture up to 1,500 tonnes of carbon annually by late 2026.

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• Danish entourage bullish over Alberta carbon-capture partnerships

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-09-08 11:05:23.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Energy, Environment, Climate, Technology, Trade]

  Danish organizations including Green Hub Denmark, Clean, and the Triangle Energy Alliance are expanding carbon-capture partnerships with Alberta entities such as the University of Alberta, Deep Sky, Edmonton Global, and Alberta Innovates due to Alberta's standing in carbon-capture technology and a shifting European investment climate regarding the United States. The collaboration features ongoing research linkages, such as between Aarhus University and the Deep Sky facility in Innisfail, alongside upcoming delegations at the Carbon Capture Conference scheduled for September 15-16 at the Edmonton Convention Centre. However, trade tensions and potential U.S. tariffs impacting Canada create ongoing economic uncertainty for prospective Danish investors looking north.

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• Ottawa lays out plan for AI data centres as community backlash grows

  Source: Global News Politics
  Date: 2026-09-03 19:59:23.0
  Tags: [National, Ontario, Technology, Infrastructure, Energy, Environment]

  AI Minister Evan Solomon unveiled a federal five-point national framework in Markham, Ontario, introducing voluntary principles for the construction of large-scale artificial intelligence data centres to address community concerns regarding electricity, water use, and noise. The framework is endorsed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and signatories including Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Bell Canada, and TELUS, though the federal government acknowledged it lacks the jurisdiction to enforce the standards, leaving enforcement to provinces and municipalities. A study by York University researchers Lyndsey Rolheiser and Alexander Carlo noted that while only four active AI-specific data centres operate in Canada, 49 additional facilities are announced or under construction.

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• New Brunswick wants public feedback on data centre plan

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-01 19:55:48.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Energy, Technology, Environment, Infrastructure]

  The New Brunswick government is seeking public feedback until October 2 on a draft data centre policy designed to prevent electricity rate spikes and minimize environmental impacts while supporting Canadian artificial intelligence development. The provincial consultation coincides with a regulatory review of the proposed 390-megawatt Spruce Lake AI Hub located west of Saint John, which was pitched by Beacon Data Centres and VotaGrid.

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