County of Grande Prairie issues data centre development permit near Sexsmith

Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-09-30 18:09:48.0
Tags: [Alberta, Municipal, Technology, Energy, Infrastructure, Governance]

The County of Grande Prairie issued a development permit under its 2003 Land Use Bylaw for a new artificial intelligence data centre near Sexsmith in the Emerson Trail area, featuring five buildings measuring 80 by 180 feet and 15 make-up air generator accessory structures measuring eight by 20 feet. Following public pushback from residents regarding transparency and potential impacts on water, noise, and the environment, County Reeve Amanda McDonald announced that future data centre applications meeting right-zoning requirements will now be routed through the Municipal Planning Commission. The underlying land-use redesignation applications for the project site were submitted by Christopher Balderston (CEO of Ground Level Land Corp.), Pamela Balderston, and Ryan Curry (operating as RB Curry Auto Transport), placing the development within Ground Level's planned Redtail Business Park. Although the municipal development permit has been granted, the project remains subject to provincial regulatory agency requirements, such as obtaining an Alberta Energy license, which heavily restricts the municipality's jurisdiction over additional environmental and operational conditions.