Town to look to county for guidance on AI data centres

Concerns over possible AI data centres in Amherstburg were brought forth before council at June 13 meeting.

The Town of Amherstburg is looking for the County of Essex to further study the issue of AI data centres.

Councillor Diane Pouget brought forth motions at the June 13 meeting of town council, one of which was to have administration prepare a moratorium prohibiting the establishment or expansion of “any high density computer centres including artificial intelligence data centres on all lands within the Town of Amherstburg.”

The moratorium would remain in effect until a thorough review is undertaken, with that including an engineering study that would look at health, safety, infrastructure, environmental and economic issues and its recommendations implemented. That motion did not proceed but another motion to have the County of Essex further examine the issue from a regional scope did.

Pouget said there are “serious concerns” about extreme use of hydro and water for cooling and heating, toxins, noise, vibrations, runoff and pollution.

“The fire risk appear to be more dramatic,” she said. “Ohio responded to 84 emergency calls in four years.”

Pouget thanked a series of residents and staff members for helping her with the motion, calling it a “very, very important” issue. She said she had a motion to be directed to the County of Essex as well.

“This is a major, major thing you’re asking,” said Mayor Michael Prue. “This is going to involve the expenditure of a lot of money if we do it.”Prue said the motion is asking for a moratorium, not a report on a moratorium. He suggested leaving the issue with staff, including the treasurer, to get information on cost and where the money would come from.

Pouget recalled the issue of wind turbines a number of years ago, the town took a stand and passed a moratorium that saw the town refuse to allow any more in town until the province could determine there would be no negative impacts on humans, birds, animals and the environment.

The province would have to provide a means of decommissioning the turbines when they were no longer effective, she added.

“As a result of that moratorium, we did not have to have one more turbine in the Town of Amherstburg,” said Pouget. “I’m asking for the same thing.”

Pouget outlined a number of measures and expenditures in town, from Open Air Weekends to budgetary recommendations and more, stating “now we’re worried about spending some money to protect our residents?”

An e-mail was received claiming a company is looking to put an AI data centre in Amherstburg, she said, and that the town should be proactive on the issue.

“The county is already dealing with this,” said Prue. 

Prue said he was hopeful the county would pay for an overall study rather than putting the entire cost on the town. He said if the town wanted to go ahead themselves on a moratorium, he asked council to identify a cost and where the money would come from.

Prue added he has no information that an AI data centre is looking to come to Amherstburg.

Clerk Kevin Fox said the matter would require professional expertise not currently on staff. He suggested a notice of motion on the matter.

Councillor Peter Courtney indicated he doesn’t want to fully fund a moratorium, believing it was a regional matter. He asked if a notice of motion was going to the county and believed they should support one going to the County of Essex.

Prue said an interim control bylaw could put a holding provision on property. Fox noted such a bylaw has been suggested in other municipalities in Ontario such as Hamilton but there are potential appeals and the associated costs in that matter.

Deputy CAO/director of development services Melissa Osborne pointed out if the county does the studies and puts an amendment in their Official Plan, it “filters down” to the municipalities’ individual Official Plans. She believed an interim control bylaw could be put in place but studies associated would have to be undertaken by the town. If there were a situation where a data centre was coming, an interim control bylaw could be put in place at that point.

Osborne recommended it go to the county and have the county undertake the studies, so that all municipalities have the same enforcement of data centres in their OP’s.

Pouget’s motion of Amherstburg proceeding with a moratorium was laid on the table and her second motion to have the county review land use policies for AI data centres, including project management, preparation of OP amendments, helping with lower tier zoning bylaws, dealing with the public and going to the Ontario Land Tribunal if necessary. Pouget ended up withdrawing her first motion, with staff directed to go forward with an interim control bylaw should it be required.

Earlier in the meeting, town council adopted its Official Plan but an effort from Pouget to have Julia Darby and Bill Petruniak address council was unsuccessful. She said reasons cited were that the process dated back to 2023 with open houses since. The reason for the delegation request was AI data centres.

Fox said the delegations were turned down because, according to the town’s procedural bylaw, where a public meeting has taken place, the planning staff writes a report based on information gathered and bring it forward. Fox outlined meetings held in 2023, 2024 and 2025. He said delegations are permitted from the gallery during statuatory public meetings but there would be no delegations between the conclusion of a public consultation meeting and the final reading of the bylaw.

Pouget said the Official Plan doesn’t recognize AI data centres, something that was unknown in 2023 and 2024. She said there has been “an explosion in technology” and she wanted to waive the rules of order to allow them to speak. Councillor Linden Crain and Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb voted against the request, which caused the motion to fail as it needs unanimous support to proceed.

Town to look to county for guidance on AI data centres

By Ron Giofu