Vulcan County residents opposed to a proposed data centre are appealing a zoning change in court. This photograph shows servers inside the data centre of French company OVHcloud in Roubaix, northern France on April 3, 2025. Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images file photo

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A group of Vulcan County residents is seeking a judicial review of a county council decision to rezone land where a local developer is proposing to build an AI data centre.

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In June, Vulcan County council rezoned about 340 hectares to rural industrial from rural general to allow for the development of a data centre campus, which applicant Eric Steeves says would likely see a project of 1,000 megawatts dedicated to IT computation built over several phases.

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But residents are now challenging the decision in the Alberta Court of King’s Bench, and seeking to have any future data centre proposal take place through “a lawful, transparent and procedurally fair process.”

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“Municipalities need to follow their own bylaws, respect environmental protections that have been in place for decades and make decisions based on complete information through a process that is fair to everyone — not just the applicant,” David Anderson, a member of the Little Bow AI Data Centre Committee, said in a news release emailed to Postmedia.

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Residents argue the development should not go ahead at the proposed location near Travers Reservoir due to the area being environmentally significant, the reservoir’s “critical” irrigation and recreation uses, and its proximity to a lakeside community, Little Bow Resort, and the Southern Alberta Bible Camp.

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“It is outrageous that anyone would even consider building a data centre complex or any other industrial development in this unique area,” said Sylvia Farrant, another Little Bow AI Data Centre Committee member.

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“You couldn’t pick a more inappropriate spot in the province if you tried.”

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A proposed data centre in Vulcan County would be located near the Travers Reservoir, pictured here on November 11, 2025. Mike Drew/Postmedia file

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Residents say they also have concerns about the potential for fire, as well around the access and evacuation route, noise, lighting, and air and water pollution.

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Vulcan County Reeve Jason Schneider said Wednesday the rural municipality will have its day before a judge to show what officials did and answer any questions.

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“It’s an option available to anybody if they feel something wasn’t done correctly, and I guess we’ll see where it goes,” said Schneider.

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Steeves said Wednesday he’s going to continue working on the project with local stakeholders and nearby villages such as Champion and Lomond, and Little Bow residents.

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Steeves, who needs to get approvals for the project from the Alberta Utilities Commission and Alberta Electric System Operator, as well as from Vulcan County for a development permit, doesn’t foresee a judicial review of the rezoning decision causing major delays.

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But it does add “another layer of uncertainty and complication,” he said.

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“Little Bow residents are there for recreation and having a home that they can enjoy the peace and quiet, so they’re going to have a different perspective than a fifth-generation farmer that’s trying to bring the tax revenue base and jobs to his local area,” said Steeves.

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“I respectfully can see where Little Bow Resort is coming from and I can see why they have concerns, and that’s fine.”

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