{"id":"2026-10-16-global-news-trevor-popoff-call-them-out-ai-data-centres-becom","kind":"mention","date":"2026-10-16","title":"‘Call them out’: AI data centres becoming an Ontario municipal election issue","outlet":"Global News / Trevor Popoff","medium":"News feature","howFeatured":"Directly interviewed / quoted","canonicalUrl":"https://globalnews.ca/news/12101130/why-data-centres-ontario-municipal-election-issue/","verification":"Verified","notes":"Previously indexed (review)","text":{"status":"fetched","excerpt":"‘Call them out’: AI data centres becoming an Ontario municipal election issue | Globalnews.ca SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT Global News Home Subscribe Site theme toggle. Switch between light or dark mode Light Dark Live Search Site theme toggle. Switch between light or dark mode Light Dark GlobalNews home Watch World Canada Local Politics Money Health Entertainment Lifestyle Perspectives Sports Shopping Commentary Contests Podcasts U.S. News ‘Call them out’: AI data centres becoming an Ontario municipal election issue…","bodyPlain":"‘Call them out’: AI data centres becoming an Ontario municipal election issue | Globalnews.ca SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT Global News Home Subscribe Site theme toggle. Switch between light or dark mode Light Dark Live Search Site theme toggle. Switch between light or dark mode Light Dark GlobalNews home Watch World Canada Local Politics Money Health Entertainment Lifestyle Perspectives Sports Shopping Commentary Contests Podcasts U.S. News ‘Call them out’: AI data centres becoming an Ontario municipal election issue Click to return to homepage Leave a comment Share this item on Facebook Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on X Send this page to someone via email See more sharing options Full Menu Search Menu Home Trending Watch Local Menu Menu Close Submit Search Topics Watch World Canada Local Change location Politics Money Health Entertainment Lifestyle Perspectives Sports Shopping Commentary Contests Podcasts U.S. News TV Programs Global National West Block The Morning Show Video Centre More… Connect Email alerts Alexa Breaking News Alerts from Global News License Content Contact Us National Change Close Change Close Barrie BC Calgary Durham Edmonton Guelph Halifax Hamilton Kingston Kitchener Lethbridge London Montreal New Brunswick Okanagan Ottawa Peterborough Regina Saskatoon Toronto Winnipeg Global News Facebook Pages Global News Twitter Accounts Global News Youtube Channel Global News on Instagram Global News on LinkedIn Global News on TikTok Global News on Telegram Global News on BlueSky Go Back Close Local your local region National Barrie BC Calgary Durham Edmonton Guelph Halifax Hamilton Kingston Kitchener Lethbridge London Montreal New Brunswick Okanagan Ottawa Peterborough Regina Saskatoon Toronto Winnipeg Share Close Share this item on Facebook facebook Share this item on X x Send this page to someone via email email Share this item via WhatsApp whatsapp Share this item via Telegram telegram Share this item on Reddit reddit Share this item on BlueSky bluesky Copy article link Copy link Calendar Close Calendar Close All event types Comedy Festival Food Health Music Sports Theatre Virtual Other Search Close Submit search Quick Search             Trending Now                         Add Global News to Home Screen Close Instructions: Press the share icon on your browser Select Add to Home Screen Press Add Comments Close comments menu Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first. Write a comment Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*). Comment Name Δ 5 comments Anonymous October 19, 2026 at 1:47 pm Russia must have got their servers back online Dave October 17, 2026 at 5:55 pm Let me know when the hypocrites stop using the devices Anonymous October 17, 2026 at 3:31 pm Thanks for the photo of the terrorist that has been releasex by our pusilanemous liberal government. Pray they flee Canada. Anonymous October 16, 2026 at 11:31 am I’ve noticed after Ukraine attacks the data centres. A lot of right wing stuff even on here disappeared. Lots of quiet short guy Zelensky October 16, 2026 at 6:52 am You roll own nothing and be happy! Give all your money to Brookfield! Ukraine needs more money! Send more billions to Ukraine Canada doesn’t need it. Video link Headline link Advertisement Close X Click to scroll back to top of the page Back to top Politics ‘Call them out’: AI data centres becoming an Ontario municipal election issue By Trevor Popoff Global News Posted October 16, 2026 5:00 am 4 min read 3:17 Mississauga city council votes unanimously in favour of one- year pause on data centre development RELATED: After receiving pushback and concern from residents in the area, Mississauga city council has voted unanimously in favour of one - year data centre moratorium in September. Lexy Benedict reports – Sep 16, 2026 Leave a comment Share this item on Facebook Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on X Send this page to someone via email See more sharing options Share Close Share this item on Facebook facebook Share this item on X x Send this page to someone via email email Share this item via WhatsApp whatsapp Share this item via Telegram telegram Share this item on Reddit reddit Share this item on BlueSky bluesky Copy article link Copy link Descrease article font size Increase article font size AI data centres have become an issue in Ontario’s municipal elections, with grassroots groups pressing candidates to support stricter regulations. Several Greater Toronto Area mayoral and city council candidates have signed a pledge promising to oppose building any data centres that fail to adhere to strict oversight and regulations. Early signatories include incumbent Mississauga mayoral candidate Carolyn Parrish and incumbent Hamilton council candidates Cameron Kroetsch and Nrinder Nann. Stop the Datacentre, a grassroots advocacy group, is looking for more signatories before municipal elections are held later this month. The pledge asks candidates to sign on if they agree with the following conditions: I will oppose any recommendation to build AI data centres which does not include stringent regulations. Data centres must not compete with households and businesses for electricity and water. Residents can’t be asked to accept round-the-clock noise pollution or air pollution. Data centres must not be eligible for tax relief or economic development incentives. Community benefits that come with data centres must be binding. Data centres should not be allowed to operate if their massive computational power is trained to act against the public good. So far, the pledge has gone out to candidates in Hamilton and Mississauga, two cities that have had heated debates over data centres already. Story continues below advertisement In September, Mississauga city council approved a one-year moratorium on new data centre approvals after residents raised concerns about a data centre project proposed in northwest Mississauga, outlining fears around energy consumption, strain on the water supply and possible noise pollution. Hamilton residents similarly pushed back against data centres in their city. But in July, city council voted down a moratorium on construction. Mayor Andrea Horwath and some councillors cited concerns around scaring away tech companies from investing in the city. Martin Reid, who is running for re-election as Mississauga Ward 9 councillor, has signed the pledge. He was one of the councillors who set in motion the city’s moratorium. “It was important [to sign the pledge] because it mirrors the motion I brought to council,” Reid said. “Residents were concerned that the proposal was putting development before planning.” Nick Tsergas, a Hamilton resident, created the pledge. He said he was motivated to hold politicians accountable after seeing the data centre issue take hold across the country. Story continues below advertisement Tsergas said the pledge is intended to hold signatories accountable to their commitments. If anyone ends up reneging on it, “we can call them out,” he added. Get breaking National news Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Get Started By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy . Tsergas was also motivated to start his record-keeping effort because of a lack of clarity from the province about whether data centres will be subject to specific regulatory standards. No legislation on the issue has been passed. The Ford government released its AI data centre playbook in August, which includes proposed policies on how to govern data centres. But it is an evaluation tool, not binding legislation. “We don’t know what those rules will look like, or when they arrive,” Tsergas said. “Will they be geared to protecting communities and addressing concerns, or will they be geared towards attracting data centre investment from large U.S. tech companies?” Why some fear data centres could be ‘a ticking time bomb’ The government’s playbook proposes prioritizing Canadian companies, community benefits and self-sustaining power systems. Story continues below advertisement However, Reid argues the proposed data centre that prompted his push for a moratorium does not satisfy several priorities outlined in the province’s playbook. The project is proposed for a plot of land in the Tenth Line and Argentia Road area. The property was formerly farmland and was acquired by U.S.-based logistics company Prologis for the proposed development. Related News More videos Here’s how some Ontario municipalities are grappling with new AI data centres New Brunswick remains deep in the red despite nearly $350M deficit shrink Nova Scotia government reminds residents about winter weather preparedness, adds new safety laws Halifax firefighters’ union commends council for steps to develop resource strategy PHAC finds no evidence of mystery brain disease in New Brunswick When the Prologis plans came across his desk, Reid did some digging and realized there was no land use designation for a data centre. “It’s a warehouse, but it has 14 generators,” he said, alluding to the grey area that data centres fall into. Tsergas also raised concern with classification, especially for data centres that propose to generate their own power. “Is it a power plant or a data centre? What’s the noise going to be like? What’s the pollution going to be like?” he asked. Reid identified safety concerns beyond environmental issues. “Fire did not have a fire study for a data centre,” Reid said. “We have a building with lithium-ion batteries in it. It could be a ticking time bomb.” Reid also said that Prologis did not plan on offering any community benefits. Story continues below advertisement “I went to them at one point and asked them to consider that, but they don’t have to do that from a development perspective. It’s not legislated, and they didn’t offer.” Global News reached out to Prologis, which said it remains committed to the project at Tenth Line and Argentia, even with the city’s moratorium in place. Prologis said construction would support 1,600 jobs. Once operational, the company estimates the project would sustain 63 direct, indirect and induced full-time-equivalent jobs. Prologis also said that it is working with the provincial government to develop the data centre playbook, and that the Mississauga site will generate $1.6 million in annual property tax revenue for the city and region. Tsergas stressed the purpose of his pledge is to seek clarity on how prospective candidates view the issue. “We’re not asking people if they like or don’t like AI. We are just asking people if they think rules should exist before a major development goes in, and what at minimum those rules should be.” Related News More videos Mississauga city council votes unanimously in favour of one- year pause on data centre development Bell conditionally purchases 895 acres for AI data centre expansion New Brunswick remains deep in the red despite nearly $350M deficit shrink Nova Scotia government reminds residents about winter weather preparedness, adds new safety laws Halifax firefighters’ union commends council for steps to develop resource strategy PHAC finds no evidence of mystery brain disease in New Brunswick Stick to the Facts Add Global News as a Preferred Source on Google to see more of our stories in your search results. Journalistic standards Comment Report an error &copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. 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