By Kezia Royer-Burkett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Data centres are becoming a growing topic of debate across Ontario as municipalities respond to the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure. Communities across North America have begun questioning how these large-scale facilities are planned, regulated, and integrated into existing neighbourhoods.
The City of Burlington has received an application for a new data centre proposed for the former Mother Tucker’s/Tucker’s Marketplace site at 3110 South Service Road. The proposed development would be located within an employment-zoned area in the city.
Public concern surrounding data centres is often connected to historical experiences with industrial development. Across the world, past industrial projects, including chemical plants, factories, mining operations, and other heavy industries, have, in some cases, resulted in environmental contamination, pollution, and negative health impacts for surrounding communities. These experiences have contributed to a broader public desire for transparency, strong environmental oversight, and assurances that new developments will not create unintended consequences for residents or future generations.
While data centres differ significantly from traditional industrial facilities and generally do not produce the same types of emissions, questions remain about their potential impact on electricity demand, water usage, land requirements, noise, electronic waste, and quality of life.
According to the City of Burlington, the application currently under review is for a site plan approval. The city stated that where data centres are permitted depends on zoning regulations, municipal servicing capabilities, provincial electricity grid considerations, and other regulatory requirements.
Data centres are currently permitted within the city’s Official Plan in employment areas and larger commercial areas. Under the city’s Zoning Bylaw, data centres are defined as an “Information and Data Processing” use or an “Office” use. Information and Data Processing uses are permitted within employment zones.
The city explained that because the proposed use is already permitted under the Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw, the Planning Act does not require a public meeting or notification of adjacent property owners for a site plan application. The Planning Act requires site plan approval decisions to be delegated to municipal staff rather than city council.
“The City has received an application for site plan approval, but no decisions have been made,” the city said. “The proposal will undergo a comprehensive technical review before any decisions are considered.”
The applicant has indicated the proposed facility would require approximately 17 megawatts of electrical capacity and has been working with Burlington Hydro regarding servicing requirements. The proposal includes a two-storey building with underground and surface parking. The city also confirmed the proposed facility design would be air-cooled and would not use municipal water for cooling.
Electricity requirements by data centres vary significantly depending on their size. According to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, smaller data centres can consume between one and five megawatts of power, while medium-sized facilities may consume up to 20 megawatts. Large hyperscale data centres can consume 100 or more megawatts continuously, which can be comparable to the electricity use of tens of thousands of homes.
The proposed Burlington facility has already become a topic of discussion among residents, elected officials, and municipal election candidates.
Ward 3 council candidate Katy Moore shared her concerns on the Burlington Connected Facebook group, saying, “Because of its smaller size and location in commercial zoning, it does not need city council approval. City council needs to create a plan around AI centres and it needs to be layered with provincial and even federal levels. A coherent, cohesive plan is required to stop this from happening again. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”
Ward 6 Councillor and mayoral candidate Rory Nisan responded on Instagram, highlighting the size of the proposed facility compared to larger projects being discussed elsewhere.
“The facility proposed for Burlington is not a big data centre. It’s roughly one-tenth the size of the Hamilton proposal. It takes up less space than an Olympic-sized hockey rink. All of council unanimously approved the zoning bylaw that permits this use just four months ago. And most importantly, I have confirmed with the Commissioner of Development that a noise study has been submitted and will be peer reviewed to ensure no noise impacts on the community. Facts, not fearmongering, putting the residents first, always. That’s the Promise of Burlington.”
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward said she understands why residents have questions about the proposal and the broader implications of data centres.
“I have heard and share the concerns that residents have about the potential impact of data centres on water, noise, and power supply and rates, at a time we want to ensure sufficient power for community priorities like housing, economic growth, and shifting to clean energy sources,” Meed Ward said. “We also recognize data centres respond to the growing use of data, online services, cloud computing, and more digital applications.”
“I’m committed to ensuring that community interests are protected in all that we do, and that we provide transparent, balanced, and accurate information.”
The proposed facility falls within Ward 4, currently represented by Councillor Shawna Stolte, who has not yet registered for re-election. Ward 4 municipal election candidate Chris Carter weighed in on whether data centres of significant scale should have a dedicated zoning or planning framework.
“Yes, I believe data centres of significant scale should be subject to a dedicated zoning or planning framework that gives city council a meaningful role in decision making,” Carter said.
“Relying solely on existing Planning Act processes was not designed with facilities of this nature and impact in mind. Burlington residents deserve a transparent, fulsome process, one where council can set conditions, require impact studies, and ensure community input is genuinely considered before approvals are granted.”
Ward 2 Councillor and mayoral candidate Lisa Kearns also raised questions about the city’s current approach to data centre planning in a social media post.
“Burlington, we need your voice,” Kearns said. “As far as I can see, our city has never contemplated AI data centres in its zoning or land use planning provisions. Burlington neighbours want investments that don’t jeopardize our community. Now I’m all for technology and innovative advancements, but with the horror stories coming out of American cities related to quality of life, water, and drains on energy resources, it’s so important that we take a pause and consider the appropriate studies.”
Research from the Brookings Institution has suggested that municipal governments should approach data centre development as more than a real estate decision, recommending that municipalities consider long-term benefits, including local innovation, workforce development, and economic opportunities, when negotiating major technology infrastructure projects.
In Hamilton, proposed artificial intelligence data centre developments have sparked significant public debate. Projects such as Slate Asset Management’s proposed National AI Compute Facility at Steelport and a separate proposal at McMaster Innovation Park have raised questions about electricity demand, water consumption, and community impacts.
For Burlington residents, one of the key questions moving forward is whether there will be an opportunity for public input before the application process is completed. A potential motion brought forward at city council could be one avenue for public discussion, although under the current Planning Act process, site plan approval itself is delegated to city staff.
The conversation around data centres in Burlington is expected to continue, particularly as the city enters a municipal election year.
As the application moves through the review process, discussion is expected to continue, with questions about energy capacity, environmental impacts, economic benefits, and opportunities for public input likely to remain central to Burlington’s future planning discussions.
