Dozens of musicians gathered at the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation Community Hall on Tuesday for an informational session regarding the proposed Wonder Valley AI data center campus and its potential impact on their traditional land. Although community members had numerous inquiries, the project company was absent.
O’Leary Digital is planning a $70 billion, nine-gigawatt facility in the Municipal District of Greenview, approximately 130 kilometers southwest of the SLCN reserve. During the session, SLCN attorney Francco De Luca discussed the project’s history, concerns, and the regulatory obstacles it faces.
De Luca emphasized the importance of consultation to uphold the Crown’s Aboriginal treaty rights and comply with regulatory processes such as the Water Act and Environmental Protection Enhancement Act, which aim to safeguard Alberta’s water and environment. He expressed concerns about the project due to the lack of a provincial impact assessment and the ongoing judicial review of SLCN’s water license for the project.
Issues raised by De Luca included the potential environmental impact of heat, noise, and disruption to wildlife in the area surrounding the proposed development site along Highway 40. Chief Sheldon Sunshine highlighted the significance of the land for traditional activities like hunting and trapping, expressing worries about the project’s encroachment on their community’s territory.
O’Leary Digital CEO Paul Palandjian assured that efforts were made to avoid disrupting animal habitats in the site planning and that a designated area for wildlife preservation was included in the project’s map.