@tryangregory.bsky.social:
And why is Carney determined to integrate AI all through the public service while laying off tens of thousands of workers?
Oh, right.
We Saw What AI Data Centers Don’t Want You to See 21:41 Min by PBS Terra and Floodlight News, May 28, 2026
We investigated one of the world’s largest AI data centers, using thermal drone footage to reveal the hidden pollution powering the AI boom. As companies race to build the future of artificial intelligence, residents and experts warn that fossil fuels, secrecy, and weak regulation may be putting communities at risk.
@sustainablesong.bsky.social:
Canada’s richest 1% already has as much wealth as the poorest 80% of us. In just one year, our 40 richest billionaires increased their wealth by another $95 billion. We’re a wealthy country. It’s just increasingly concentrated in ever fewer hands.
GDP “success.”
The IMF counts Canada’s economic position as the strongest in the G7. Carney cultists throw it in our faces daily. But all they measure is “How fast are billionaires racing towards becoming trillionaires?” That’s the measure of success that a career in banking conditions you to internalize.
Handouts to the rich leave circulation for tax havens. Giving the poor money has a multiplier effect, fuelling consumer demand that strengthens economies every time that cash changes hands before it still inevitably ends up in the pockets of the rich anyway.
A Universal Basic Income could jumpstart our wounded economy, save a bunch of lives, & create 600,000 new jobs, strengthening our economy from the bottom up.
But it would require leaders that care about non-oligarchs, & we don’t have one of those.
Instead, we race to eliminate jobs with AI, & the Mark Carneys of the world seem to think out of sight is out of mind where the poor are concerned, as if they’ll just quietly lie down and die when cost of living crushes them.
But history proves that isn’t what they do. They get angry.
Fascism scholars tell us pervasive inequality serves as the primary catalyst & focal point for the rise of right wing authoritarianism. Fascist movements never take root in nations where GDP is more fairly distributed. Economic cruelty helps grow fascism.
Hundreds of Rural Albertans Line Up to Battle Data Centre Goliath by Jody MacPherson, May 29, 2026, The Energy Mix
Rebecca MacIntosh/YouTube
A proposed C$10-billion artificial intelligence data centre and power plant complex in Olds, Alberta, has sparked more registered intervenors than any utility project in the province’s recent history, according to a veteran regulator.
The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) doesn’t officially keep track of the statistics. But Victor Choy, lead application officer at the regulator, told The Energy Mix the project has generated more formal requests to participate in a hearing than any case he’s seen in 18 years on the job. It’s difficult to say whether it’s the most people who’ve ever filed a Statement of Intent to Participate (SIP), said Choy, because SIPs can be submitted by both individuals and groups.
When The Mix reviewed the submissions listed on the AUC website just prior to the May 29 deadline, there were just over 1,000 registrants, mostly individuals.
After an initial rejection in March, Quebec-based Synapse Real Estate Group has re-applied for AUC approval of a 1.4-gigawatt gas power plant sited within town boundaries, just over an hour’s drive north of Calgary.
Synapse plans to generate power for its data centre, an amount equivalent to about a million homes, using gas from nearby pipelines.
Frac’d gas! It’s much more polluting than coal, health harming, noisy, water contaminating, and the water injected for frac’ing is permanently removed from the hydrogeological cycle which Alberta cannot afford. Carney is massively ramping up exporting frac’d gas to other countries, including USA. What when the gas runs out? Using gas to produce stupidity is a stupid idea.
The project doesn’t include a tie-in to Alberta’s electricity grid, so it is exempted from the province’s special data-centre tax approved this past December.
Alberta’s Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish told a packed town hall in Olds on April 7 that the location of the massive power plant on 300 acres of recently rezoned land did not seem to fit the definition of “light industrial,” adding “I think that’s pretty common sense.” His reply received applause and shouts of “thank you” from the audience, overwhelmingly opposed to the location.
“Maybe light industrial is a data centre, but light industrial is not a mega gas plant,” said Olds resident Carol Edwards. “That’s heavy industrial, and this data centre comes with a mega gas plant attached.”which are insanely toxic.
Edwards told The Mix that Olds is “a wonderful place to live, really nice people, beautiful community, well maintained, I just fell in love with this place.”
She said several residents approached Synapse and asked them to move the project five kilometres outside of town, even suggesting “a couple of ideal locations” and “promising not to oppose it.”
Synapse’s failure to consider the concerns of those “directly and adversely affected,” and “significant deficiencies” in its environmental evaluations and noise impact assessments, were among the reasons the AUC rejected its first application.
Now, the AUC has accepted a second application, but has requested further information from the company with a deadline of June 5 to respond.
The AUC identified 26 issues, including land use zoning, the emergency use of 600 diesel-fuelled generators, air quality, need for public benefits, the emergency response plan, battery storage, water volumes, public consultation, wetlands disturbance, noise mitigation, and reclamation.
Synapse CEO Jason van Gaal did not respond to The Mix’s emailed questions before the deadline, including a query about whether he would reconsider the project location given the large public outcry.
“It’s very disturbing that this person is coming in and is willing to literally destroy a heritage town,” said Edwards. “You don’t put that kind of facility inside of town boundaries.”
Jasona Rondeau, a self-described “social advocate” from the small hamlet of Blackie, south of Calgary, registered as an observer for the Synapse proceeding. She told The Mix she has been helping Olds residents navigate the regulatory process.
Using her experience as an elementary school teacher, Rondeau travels all over the province assisting communities with a regulatory process she describes as “arduous” and “disruptive to people’s lives.”
The process of intervening in a hearing can be “traumatic, in some cases,” Rondeau explained, with husbands and wives finding themselves on opposite sides of the debate.
The Mix asked both Glubish and Olds Mayor Dan Daley what support they could offer to the community going through what could be a lengthy AUC process.
“We hear from residents regularly and we take those conversations seriously,” wrote Daley.
He said the town hosted public open houses, has posted regular updates about the project, replied to over 200 emails, and held briefings with the developer and various government officials “to help us convey information as accurately and fulsomely as possible.”
According to documents filed by Synapse, town council members also participated in the company’s public notification process, going door to door with company representatives prior to the first AUC application filing.
Glubish wrote in an email to The Mix that Alberta’s “concierge service” was put in place “to help proponents navigate government processes and identify the regulatory agencies, approvals, and infrastructure considerations associated with major AI data centre projects.”good old Nazi Alberta always helping the billionaires that invade and harm us, never helping us cope with their invasions.
As for community support, he stated: “The government does not weigh in on matters before the Alberta Utilities Commission or the decisions they issue. Further questions should be directed to those involved with the project or the AUC.”See. The fucker even admits it. They point to the non regulating regulators. If one contacts them, they tell us to contact the gov’t. It’s an endless cycle of abuse.
Alberta’s NDP caucus did not respond to The Mix’s request for comment on this story.I bet, same as they are pro fossil fuel polluters, the NDP are pro AI. NDP will do anything to please American polluters. The more they violate the law and public health, the more support they get.
Rondeau stepped up to help communities understand the AUC process after seeing the successful denial of a solar project near Frank Lake, a wetland near High River that is internationally designated both an Important Bird Area frequented by more than 257 bird species and a Key Biodiversity Area. Now, she’s also turning her attention to data centres, particularly those on prime agricultural land or where biodiversity or human health is threatened. Rondeau said the Synapse application was “the absolute worst thing I’ve ever seen,” and she told the Synapse CEO as much in an email, saying “it’s awful.’”
“Olds has a fighting chance because there is strength in numbers, and once you start building that energy, it really radiates, and that is exactly what’s happening right now,” said Rondeau. “The momentum is unmistakable, and people are coming together like you wouldn’t believe.”
Around 265 people concerned about the Olds data centre gathered at the site last weekend “not to protest,” said organizer Rebecca MacIntosh, whose home is across the street from it, but to form a “unity line” along the roadway, holding hands in solidarity.
“This [project] has forced dozens and dozens of families to put their lives on hold now for months, because nobody in our government or in our municipality is going to stand up on our behalf,” she told The Mix.
MacIntosh is filming a documentary about the community’s response, saying that building a data centre and power plant so close to homes “needs to be a national issue and an international issue, not an Olds issue.”
Daley agreed that “residents are right to have concerns and questions; this is a significant project of a significant scale.” He added his reassurance that “if it can’t be built responsibly, it won’t be built.”If true, then why did AUC accept the first application, never mind the second? Everything is wrong with this fucking project and the company, AUC, Alberta gov’t and Olds officials know it.
This story is part of The Energy Mix’s partnership with the Small Change Fund.
Comments 35
- Kjersti Keller Notnear a residential area. Never has been built in a town and we do not want to be the experiment!!
- Stephanie Price Maybe we should organize a petition or some kind of community vote. I think most people understand that something this size is going to cause substantial problems for nearby residents, agriculture and businesses. The number of employees the site will require is less than a dozen once construction completes but the problems will just be getting started. There isn’t a single case where people living close to a data center saw their lives improve, they all hate it. There’s plenty of unused space in Alberta. There is no reasonable argument as to why they need to be next to communities or farms.
- Just Me The line up don’t look very big ! How come you didn’t include a larger picture of the crowd if it was so big !
- Mitchell Beer. We’ll invite folks from Olds to answer this one! The groundswell on this project has been amazing, as you can see from the AUC data — more than 1,000, in a town of 9,679 according to provincial data. https://regionaldashboard.alberta.ca/region/olds/population/#/?from=2021&to=2025Reply
- Jody MacPherson Hi – Two different things – The line-up in the photo was for a community gathering, the “line-up” to give input into the location of the 1.4 GW power plant is now more than 1,100 participants.
- Judith Van My question is how long will the gas last when this power plant is operational? Will it take all the gas reserves that future Alberta residents will require for winter furnaces and hot water tanks….just think will we be having cold showers in the near future????
- Jody MacPherson The AUC also has questions about the gas supply. Their questions are: “(a) When fully constructed, what is the daily gas requirement of the data centre? (b) Please list the local natural gas producers in the area. (c) What is the available gas capacity at the various upstream gas processing facilities in the area? (d) Confirm whether Synapse has secured gas supply and if so, from which supplier(s) and is it a long-term contract? (e) Please elaborate on the available gas supply in the area over the lifetime of the power plant.
Does Synapse have plans to contract natural gas from the Integrated Alberta System in the future? (f) Please elaborate on what Synapse plans to do if the gas supply is insufficient or interrupted.“
- Jody MacPherson The AUC also has questions about the gas supply. Their questions are: “(a) When fully constructed, what is the daily gas requirement of the data centre? (b) Please list the local natural gas producers in the area. (c) What is the available gas capacity at the various upstream gas processing facilities in the area? (d) Confirm whether Synapse has secured gas supply and if so, from which supplier(s) and is it a long-term contract? (e) Please elaborate on the available gas supply in the area over the lifetime of the power plant.
- Grant Jobst I also would like to mention the water. There are already problems with lack of water
- Jody MacPherson Great point. The AUC has asked for clarifications on a discrepancy in the application. The Request:
“(a) Please clarify the discrepancy in the estimated water usage.
(b) Please confirm the source of the water. Also confirm whether a municipal licence is needed
and whether the source will have adequate volume for this project.”
- Jody MacPherson Great point. The AUC has asked for clarifications on a discrepancy in the application. The Request:
- Dale Lapointe Maybe the QUEBEC BASED company should build it in QUEBEC.
- Abu MANDATORY REQUIREMENT:
… let the top 25 “leaders” wanting to build and run those projects, FIRST build and FULLY RELOCATE to the NEAREST proximities of these novel and dangerous mega projects!!! - Terry Stirton Build it in Quebec. Them and Ontario are about to begin utilizing their gas resources and have clearly announced Alberta will see no equalization benefit whatsoever. Build it in Quebec and use your own resources as opposed to further depleting Alberta’s remaining stability. Also, as per zoning and proximity, this is obviously a NO.
- Susan Van Grinsven If theses million/billionaires are so sure this is good for us tell them they have to put $10 billion in a trust fund to cover some of the costs this will create … Kevin Keary must be stopped too!!
- Jody MacPherson Check out our full investigation of Kevin O’Leary’s proposed data centre in northern Alberta here:https://www.theenergymix.com/hidden-wonder-valley/
- Gary Edwards It’s all about MONEY, they don’t care about what could happen. The amount of electricity and water these megs Ai centres use is ridiculous. Why are we building such massive infrastructure just to cost the people more to survive and to destroy our water reserves. It has to be stopped, governments don’t care so it’s up to the people.
- Brian Newhook Take this project somewhere else where resources can support it and will not impose on people’s lives. Take it far away from people.
- Ray Toews I live way down north and we would welcome a data center. We have a new gas pipeline, plenty of water and it is colder here. Build your power plant here.
- Les Dobos I agree wholeheartedly with the residents of Olds that a project this immense should not be ANYWHERE near their community or human habition period! The AI revolution is so very destructive in too many ways to count. It sure has its uses too though but….
Established generations of communities deserve their rights to continue with
“their way” of life and the GREED of over rich persons and companies shouldn’t be allowed to try and walk all over their lives because they have money. This project needs to be located far far away from any humans and any wildlife if it gets approved. We have all survived without it and always advanced and evolved without it. Stop trying to take away the individuals right to think for themselves. Stop trying to replace the human factor in every capacity.
If someone in Olds needs my signature in a petition, let me know and I will sign it to support your rights to remain a humble community. Thank you. Les D. - Tracy Gray Fight hard your lives are about to be destroyed. Your homes are now worthless.
- Debbie Quintin All Alberta’s should be very concerned about what is happening in Olds. Common sense needs to prevail here. This Data centre should never be located near any residential area . These people are fighting for their lives over a Quebec company that has tried to infiltrate their community and destroy their lives . Without being transparent on what the repercussions will be to their community. We should not have any community in Alberta have to fight what is common sense. These things should never be approved for a residential area such as proposed in Olds. They can take their data centres and put in their own back yard in Quebec!!Families in Quebec do not deserve to be abused by the tech billionaires and their abusive, stolen, stupid, mega polluting, energy water and land wasting AI data centres that lie and produce crap that rots brains and will be used for mass surveillance.
- Geordie Water used by the future data center is a missing factor. To cool machine learning GPUs a massive amount of water is needed and it has proven to degrade the local areas supply massively. This must be acknowledged and accounted before giving approval for a plant to support a local data centerAnd if they use closed loop systems for cooling to reduce water use, those require PFAS, and regular emptying and refilling. Companies like to dump the toxic waste without treatment, directly into water ways or on land.
- Ani I have heard that where data centres are built, utilities prices for homeowners in the area increase….we the People will have to pay for their high demand…be it water, electricity or gas.
- Michelle If this is a Quebec based company then they should build this somewhere in Quebec inside one of their small communities.
- Steve Imagine if we had a few wind turbines ro help power it.
- Timothy Robertson Time to get angry…
- Laural Kurta For the record, Synapse is the company that is pitching the idea. As they have with other projects, they will quickly sell it once it has been approved. This has NOTHING to do with the province of Quebec. Please put your biases away. This is the project of company with wealthy investors…nit a province. AI centres are being pitched in every province if the country. You would be wise to remember that she UCP and Premier Smith announced this project before anyone in Olds even had a sniff of it. The town moved all its offices a year ago. This has been in the works with the municipality and province for some time
- Luc Most of these people haven’t taken the time to actualy look at the facts.
They are using achaic outdayed information, and in fact have zero clue on what they are facing or dealing with.
Ive talked with hindreds at this point.
Most are bading thier info on old methods.
3/4 of thier concerns are in fact delt with by laws, that were put in place to counter and nullify thier very concerns.
Its like being scared of getting trampled by a horse and wagon crossing the street… you dont see them anymore.They dont use up water. (No more than a local indoor swimming pool,)
They dont polute, (noise, light, emisions, or otherwise,)
They dont strain or increase the cost of power/electricty.
Theres laws to prevent all that, as well as other stuff.Theyre essentialy kicking a golden goose out of the yard, and then going to the store to buy a carton of eggs.Isnt Canada tired of trailing behind and living off the crumbs of every industry whike everyone eles os making bank eating 12 course meals?We need to invite industries. We need to griw, bevome more self reliant and sufficient.
For what its worth, thats what Trump is (trying,) doing for america.
We cant live off them anymore. - C. Steele Absolutely no data center’s at all anywhere in Canada. The cost far outweighs its actual importance too our land, animals, people. Too destructive. No discussion for compromise, even for cash.
- Vern Macinnis We do not want this glutton of our resources in alberta. Back to Quebec.
- Orlando Oliver Transalta has received rezoning approval on land in the center of their coal mining land from Paekland County west of Edmonton. Rezoning on many quarter sections of land has been approved. Every thing needed, natural gas, water, high voltage transmission lines is nearby. The land is near the Sundance and Keephills power planta. Why not build data centers there, NOT within the town limits of Olds??
- Asif Dwarika We need the data center and a nuclear plant who controls the grid builds the economy it’s the future get with it
- Lenorah Jensen I want to see this in National News AI is not a pandemic but people need to be explained the use of Data Centre start discussion and become educated on AI.
- Jess Jensen There is a petetion going around. Only 70 signatures on change . Org
- Niaomi The idea to build such a project anywhere near a town or city is reprehensible. The idea of not first considering implications to the environment, not only for humans, but our fellow inhabitants of the Earth is reprehensible the idea that elected government officials would attempt to ride roughshod over the people they were elected to take care of is unbelievable. They seem to have forgotten who actually pays their salary and should be fired.
- David Ross Quebec doesn’t want Alberta pipelines…Alberta should refuse Quebec data centres.
Refer also to:
2024: AI and the death of dignity. Another reason why I hate AI.
2023: Why I hate AI