Nearly two-thirds of Canadians want provincial governments to limit the development of large data centres amid concerns about water consumption, electricity costs and whether local communities will benefit, according to a new Angus Reid Institute poll.The survey found 64% of Canadians favour restrictions on data centre development in their respective provinces, compared with 18% who want governments to encourage more projects.Opposition was particularly strong in Saskatchewan, where 70% want development limited, while 64% of Albertans said the same.The highest levels of opposition were recorded in Manitoba and Atlantic Canada at 72% each.The findings come as governments seek to capitalize on growing demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure while facing questions about the massive amounts of electricity and water required to operate data centres.In Saskatchewan, Bell has proposed an expansion that could add 900 megawatts of capacity and create a 1.2-gigawatt AI infrastructure hub. The project could represent as much as $52.5 billion in spending.In Alberta, Meta has started work on a $13-billion, one-gigawatt data centre campus north of Edmonton that would be supported by a dedicated natural gas power plant.The federal government earlier this month introduced national principles for data centre development that call for projects to avoid shifting electricity costs onto households and businesses while minimizing freshwater consumption and other environmental impacts..The Angus Reid Institute said those concerns closely match the reasons Canadians gave for wanting data centre development restrained.Among respondents who favour limits, 51% cited high water consumption as a concern. Another 38% worried data centres could increase electricity costs for households and businesses.More than one-third, 34%, said the benefits would primarily flow to large technology companies rather than local communities.Canadians who support additional data centre development pointed instead to potential economic benefits.Among those who want governments to encourage development, 47% cited new spending and economic growth, while 33% said additional data centres could strengthen Canada's competitiveness in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.Another 30% cited job creation as a reason to encourage more projects.
