The federal Liberals are attempting to address Canadian concerns over the impact of large-scale artificial intelligence data centres by introducing a set of voluntary industry-backed “principles” that they say will guide new facilities’ construction.
At the same time, the government is acknowledging that “we don’t have the jurisdiction” to enforce those principles.
In Markham, Ont., Thursday, AI Minister Evan Solomon unveiled the federal government’s five-point “national framework” for how data centres should be built across the country. The move comes after high-profile opposition to new AI-servicing facilities in multiple Canadian cities.
The set of principles are entirely voluntary, backed by some of the largest international companies pursuing generative artificial intelligence programs, and are not binding in any way. Solomon stressed that decisions on data centre approvals and locations will still be up to provinces and municipalities.
The proposals suggest the federal government would prefer data centres create “lasting local benefits,” not shift electricity costs onto Canadians, minimize water use and “environmental impacts,” be transparent about their “local impacts” and bring strategic value to the country.
“All the questions Canadians are asking about how are we going to build the digital infrastructure of the future are excellent questions … we get them,” Solomon told reporters at a press conference.
“What will AI do for my community? Who is it going to benefit? Where is it going to be built? How much water will it use? Is it going to affect my power bill? Is there going to be a net benefit to my community?”
The federal framework has the endorsement of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and “signatories” include U.S. web giants Amazon, Anthropic, Google, and Meta, as well as Bell Canada and TELUS.
Are there any teeth to the plans?
Asked if the federal government would monitor whether companies are complying with the framework, Solomon suggested they would not.
“Any data centre first requires power allocation, that’s the provincial regulator, then they’re going to go to a municipality and say ‘we’d like to locate here,’” Solomon said.
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“And what we are saying in the (federal) framework … is to provide reliable and verifiable information on the standards that they set. Those are going to be enforced by the municipalities or the provinces, because that is their enforcement, we don’t have the jurisdiction.”
A July study released by York University researchers Lyndsey Rolheiser and Alexander Carlo found that while there are just four active AI-specific data centres operating in Canada, there are an additional 49 facilities either announced or currently under construction.
The rapid proliferation of AI data centres — required by U.S. companies locked into an artificial intelligence arms race against their rivals — has led to significant opposition in America.
Community concerns generally revolve around the massive water and electricity consumption used to run the facilities, as well as noise pollution inflicted on nearby homes from backup diesel generators, constantly running electronics, and cooling fans.
The massive amount of power used by AI data centres have also put additional stress onto aging North American energy infrastructure, increasing the risk of blackouts.
AI security intelligence company 10a Labs tracks local opposition to data centre construction. In the company’s most recent Data Centre Watch Report, they estimate that at least 75 projects marketed as worth $130 billion U.S. were “disrupted” by “local opposition” to the projects in the first quarter of 2026 alone.
What's driving AI data centre backlash in Canada?
Canada hasn’t seen that level of widespread opposition, largely because the country hasn’t seen the same scale of proposed data centre projects to date.
Opposition to new data centre construction in Hamilton, Ont., became a flashpoint earlier this year — but that city’s council voted in July to reject a one-year moratorium on development.
There are signs, however, that Canadians are souring on the prospect of AI products in their lives.
Ipsos’ annual AI Monitor report, released in June, found that Canadians are among the least enthusiastic populations for the technology out of 32 countries surveyed.
The reported noted that the share of Canadians who expressed excitement about AI products and services was just 26 per cent, down five percentage points from the year before. Canadians are among the most nervous when it comes to the technology — with 67 per cent saying so, a full 17 percentage points higher than the international average.
Few Canadians believe AI will improve their country’s economy (14 per cent) or the job market (11 per cent) in the medium term, and just 27 per cent trust companies that use AI will protect their personal data.
All that makes for an uphill battle for Solomon, tasked by Prime Minister Mark Carney to pitch the broader adoption of AI tools across the public and private sector.
“There’s a big rush to build because of this new technology, and you gotta build right,” Solomon said.
“We want to attract the investment, but be transparent about it. Though we need to build at speeds we haven’t seen before, (that’s) not at the expense of our values.”
As Solomon was making his announcement Thursday, the website Downdetector reported outages affecting OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, and X.com’s Grok artificial intelligence services.
With files from Global News’ Sean Boynton.
We already receive plenty of A.I. from the minds of the Liberal Party.
Oh,wait a minute, that’s “Absent Intelligence ” .
Nevermind.
Still not a single law to combat the potential crime wave rogue AI and its users and creators are capable of.
Not one.
Evan is dumb as a bag of potatoes, when was a newscaster used to make me vommit just seeing his face
Alberta will have thousand nuclear power plants and thousand AI data centers, welcome to the singularity
As long as proper protections are in place, I’m ok with data centres. We also should build refineries to capture more economic benefits from oil.
Just build them and get Canada growing and diversify our economy. But no we will sit on our hands and build nothing then pay more for the service as it will be imported instead of being produced in Canada.
This is the same thing that we have done over and over with all of our resources. No forward thinking by any government including liberals and conservatives. Such a shame that we continue to sit on our hands and no progress forward with the rest of the world.
All this government is doing right now is to grandstand to keep there voters happy and not working to improve Canadians live by lowering the costs of living and taxes.
Think forward people and these projects can be built while being regulated properly to keep the impacts low but the NIMBY mindset will do nothing to help our country. Have seen it over and over for many decades in Canada.
Also I think AI is not good but that is just my opinion as I do not use it much and think social media is destroying our society everyday but I adapt as it is our way of life now and will keep continuing to part of our lives.
If Canadians do not want AI centres then everyone stop using computers, cell phones and social media to make your points.
Remove this government
Memories of Thomas D’Arcy McGee
49 announced or under construction? Why so many? Gov. should make it so that any power sold to U.S. should be first sold to these ai factories as to not affect hydro rates. To have Ontario selling hydro to u.s. for a premium while ai factories are draining local supply is wrong potentially causing rate increases.
Just keep those elbows up and car keys by the front door 🤡
Maybe we should do the democratic thing and hold a referendum. Actually ask the people who make up this country whether they want these or not. They won’t do that because they already know the answer, and it’s not the one they want. All these Conservatives crossing the floor is an indication that party never really mattered, it was always about manipulating the population and enriching themselves. Seeing Jagmeet and his colleagues hollow out the NDP for lucrative pensions is another blatantly obvious example of widespread corruption in government.
The reason why this is a voluntary standard is that Ottawa doesn’t have much constitutional authority in this area.
Then liberal voters say China is supporting anti AI. Yet China keeps funding the Russian invasion. Carney is in debt to Chinese government banks. So we are allowing in the carbon tax Carney Brookfield battery powered Chinese EVs. China didn’t drop its tariffs but that just more plain to see corruption in the liberal neverending corruption.
Then send billions unaccounted for taxpayers dollars to Con Christina Freeland Ukraine bank account.
Nothing to see folks.
Liberals stole from taxpayers to fund the AI programs. Now taxpayers are paying heavily for the government failure again.
Waterloo Ontario AI data center cooling system broke. Turning the citizens water supply white and stinky for 4 days. Naturally no reports on the toxins released into public water or fines.
Liberals control all online information anyway. Like Russia, North Korea, China . Paying another Minister half million annually with 6 months paid vacation to help lie to the public right on par with liberals corruption.
Ah! Nothing says “addressing concerns ” like a voluntary industry standard hahaha. ELBOWZOS!!!!
data centres are a destroyer of invirement issuses they use way to much of our hydro and a i is dangerous to unpredictable!! not good for everyday interests the rich disire it because of bitcoin the biggest pyramid scam in the world!!!!
1984 surveillance center to install Chinese style authoritarian police state censorship on the internet. Of course these are not welcome! Its slavery!
75 percent opposed ,25 percent in favor.
Those numbers mean “full approval” in Liberal terms.
What Canadians think is of no concern to the Liberal Party. What helps the Liberal Party’s friends and members is the utmost of importance.
carnage has a majority canaduh people imput no longer required
Built them in Toronto we have lots of water at the lake America
Liberals did not have a problem building solar panels and cover tens of thousands acres of farmland and same with wind turbines covering coast lines
Some how they probably hope that they will stop progress in technology
closed water system, we should build them
No doubt data centres should be regulated. Provided they use their own power and use a closed wa
We should realize the anti data centre activism is funded by China. That would involve responsible journalism
Closed system cooling wastes little water… spare me the lies
Why bother have principles if you cannot in force them. This Liberal government is so weak it’s not even funny. These places use up a lot of electricity and water when the country has been in drought conditions this summer not to mention the electricity we don’t have now to supply the demand of the consumers and what about the cost of all this water and electricity will all the taxpayers water and electricity bills go because of the heavy demand. Maybe AI should take over the jobs of the politicians soon because it couldn’t do a worse job
We could always ban them and join the third world countries.
I guess if you have never entered a query on the internet for info, if your curiosity level is zero , then you don’t use a data centre
I can’t think of a cleaner less impactful industry than data centers. What industry does not use electricity and water? To those who object: Bow to your China masters, fools…
I don’t care if they build them here, the U.S, EU etc. I’ll never have any use for these centers. AI…Artificial Ignorance. Just another algorithm that tells folks what it thinks they want to hear.
YOU WERE ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE !!! TO LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE , REMEMBER ! OH YEAH, YOUR LIBS. PEOPLE LOVE THE LIBS