The city has struck a new task force intended to keep Mississauga residents informed as a study on the impact of AI data centres is completed.

A Hyperscale Data Centre Task Force that includes City of Mississauga councillors, city planning staff, industry stakeholders and members of the public was approved Tuesday at city council.

The temporary body will, among other functions, provide “regular updates” on a comprehensive review being conducted by senior city staff. They’re looking into the large data centres and any new rules coming from the provincial government that would regulate the rapidly growing industry.

“Transparent reporting for the benefit of the public” will also be provided by the new task force, which was called for in a motion brought forth this week by Ward 10 Coun. Sue McFadden.

Council moves to halt buiding of new data centres

The green light for the task force comes two weeks after city council approved an interim control bylaw that halted the building of large data centres in Mississauga for at least one year.

City of Mississauga councillors were unanimous in their support of the temporary bylaw that imposes a moratorium of one year — and up to two years — on data centre developments in Mississauga. Pausing such developments will allow the city more time to study the matter and any new rules that would regulate the rapidly growing industry.

The huge facilities, which use significant amounts of energy, have faced severe public backlash in Mississauga, throughout Ontario, across the country and in the U.S. as well.

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Data centres are being proposed — and built — in many towns and cities across North America to support the rapid growth of artificial intelligence.

While Mississauga’s new interim control bylaw will delay construction of any such large data facilities in the city, Mayor Carolyn Parrish said earlier this month it’s likely they’ll get built at some point in the near future.

Her comments and other discussion among councillors and senior city staff in early September followed the presentation of a staff report outlining the Ontario government’s latest “playbook” for the building of data centres across the province.

Mississauga joins Oakville as Ontario municipalities that have placed one-year pauses on data centres.

Council’s Sept. 16 decision came as U.S.-based Prologis looks to build a two-storey data centre in the Meadowvale area of Mississauga.

Idea for interim control bylaw came forward in July

In late July, city councillors unanimously agreed to direct staff to develop an interim control bylaw that would impose a moratorium on data centres.

Council’s decision at that time followed some two dozen deputations from residents and other stakeholders at the July 29 city council meeting, the vast majority of whom spoke against the large new facilities.

Discussion at the July 29 city council meeting was prompted by a motion from Ward 9 Coun. Martin Reid that sought to temporarily halt the development of major data centres in Mississauga.

The motion called for a temporary bylaw that would prohibit new large-scale digital infrastructure facilities — including artificial intelligence, cloud computing and hyperscale data centres — for up to one year while the city undertakes a comprehensive planning study. 

The temporary pause applies citywide and can be extended to a second year if additional time is needed to complete the review. 

The task force approved on Tuesday will be disbanded when city staff complete the review and council gives the green light to any recommendations that will be brought forth.


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