Mayor says the Sault’s proposed data centre ‘not a large-scale facility’

An online petition with more than 2,100 signatures calls for the city to pause plans on the proposed cybersecurity centre on Yates Avenue to address concerns

A proposed data and cybersecurity centre in the city’s west end has drawn more than 2,100 signatures in a petition that asks the city to hit pause on the project.

The petition raised environmental, power consumption and transparency concerns regarding the proposed Yates Avenue facility.

“While economic development and investment in technology can bring important opportunities to our city, projects of this scale should not move forward without appropriate safeguards, transparency, and meaningful public consultation,” the petition states.

Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said the project meets two of the city’s goals: diversifying the local economy and creating new jobs.

“The land was vacant for more than 20 years, and turning surplus land into a revenue-generating asset that adds new jobs is a welcome development for all taxpayers,” the mayor said by email.

The proposal could result in Toronto-based cybersecurity firm Protexxa building a 100,000 to 160,000 square foot facility on an 8.39 acre parcel along the industrial lane.

While the project could bring upwards of a thousand new jobs to the city, the petition calls for city council to halt development until “residents have the information, protections, regulations, and meaningful public consultation necessary to ensure responsible development.”

Shoemaker said the project will bring a minimum of 200 jobs and the potential for 1,000 once the centre is fully operational.

In December, city council authorized the sale of the lands to Protexxa, in partnership with Missinabie Cree First Nation, for the project.

A global company, Protexxa is a business-to-business, software-as-a-service cybersecurity platform that utilizes AI to identify, evaluate, and resolve cyber issues for employees.

In his statement, Shoemaker said the project is “not a large-scale facility, and will require less than five-per-cent of the city’s total power availability, comparable to “what is used by other commercial or institutional businesses and facilities.”

“PUC is also developing a new transmission station next to the Protexxa site, which will bring 10MW of new power online for the company’s longer-term needs,” he said.

Environmental impacts are something people are “understandably concerned about,” the mayor said, noting the city circulated the proposal to PUC Services Inc. and the Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority for review.

Organized by Sydney Pressel-McMenemy, the petition calls for comprehensive environmental, energy, noise, and community impact information to be made available, as well as opportunities for public consultation before the project moves ahead.

It also calls for bylaws governing data centres to be passed ahead of further progress and examining whether Yates Avenue is the appropriate location for the facility, among other concerns.

Pressel-McMenemy’s petition raises concerns about the centre’s potential power and water consumption, noting such facilities “can require substantial amounts of electricity to operate servers, cooling systems, and other infrastructure.”

“At a time when communities around the world are working to reduce emissions and prepare for increasing energy demands, Sault Ste. Marie residents should know how this facility would be powered, what its expected environmental footprint would be, and whether renewable or low-carbon energy and energy-efficient technologies would be incorporated into its operation,” the petition states.

A 30-metre vegetated buffer adjacent to Wallace Terrace, north of the Yates Avenue site, will remain under city ownership.

“That buffer was originally established to separate residential uses on Wallace Terrace from industrial activity on Yates Avenue,” Shoemaker said.

“Consistent with that, direct vehicle access to the site from Wallace Terrace will not be permitted – Wallace Terrace is not a truck route, and a creek separates the property from any possible driveway connection there.”

Protexxa has indicated it will explore snow-based cooling in addition to water, which could reduce electricity and water demand, with city staff committed to exploring additional power-saving measures.

“Staff will also work with Protexxa to explore waste-heat recovery opportunities for nearby industrial or commercial users, and other measures that align with the city’s net-zero by 2050 goal,” Shoemaker said.

Despite the concerns, the petition states it is not a “rejection” of technology, jobs, or economic development, recognizing the project could bring benefits to the community.

“However, economic development should not come at the expense of environmental responsibility, neighbourhood quality of life, or public trust,” it states.

“Once a major industrial development is established, addressing problems after the fact can be far more difficult than preventing them in the first place.”