Toronto residents push back on proposed 56-megawatt AI data centre

Toronto so far has spent the summer dealing with brutal heat waves, devastating wildfires, and other reminders that cities are already feeling the pressure of climate change.

Now, a proposed 56-megawatt AI data centre has entered the chat.

The proposed STACK Infrastructure expansion at 3650 Danforth Ave. would transform an existing albeit much smaller data centre into one of the city's largest AI facilities, bringing more servers, more power demand, and a whole lot more questions from local residents.

We're not just talking about a few extra machines quietly humming away in a back room. The plan is to add two new buildings packed with AI servers, expanding the site from its current 8-megawatt operation into a 19-acre campus (roughly the size of 10 soccer fields) that could require 56 megawatts of power. 

Large AI data centres require enormous amounts of electricity and specialized infrastructure, which is why Scarborough Southwest Councillor Parthi Kandavel and local residents are pushing for more information before the project moves ahead.

Residents are concerned about everything from electricity demand and water consumption to noise and the potential impact on surrounding neighbourhoods. Over 2,500 signatures have been collected thus far on Kandavel's petition.

"We do not believe an application of this scale should be finalized while critical questions remain unanswered and before Toronto's data-centre work can properly inform the review," reads the petition.

Kandavel asks the City to take a more careful approach before approving a facility of this scale, including reviewing the potential impacts on local infrastructure, the environment, and nearby residents.

"A project this large should have to demonstrate that local infrastructure can support it, that nearby residents will be protected," Kandavel writes in the petition, adding that the City should "answer residents' questions about electricity, water, noise, infrastructure costs, community benefits and data safeguards."

One of the biggest questions residents have is why a project of this size is not going directly to a City Council vote.

The reason, Kandavel says, is that data centres are already permitted under the site's existing zoning. Because of that, the application is moving through the Site Plan Approval process rather than requiring a rezoning.

Toronto is currently working on its first city-wide approach to large-scale AI data centres, but that policy work is not expected back at City Council until 2027.

And Toronto isn't the only city trying to figure out how to handle the rapid growth and demand of AI.

Mississauga is facing a similar issue, with councillors set to vote July 29 on a proposed one-year moratorium on new AI data centre developments. Supporters of the pause argue that cities need to first understand the environmental impacts of these massive facilities before approving more of them.

Back in June, Hamilton was looking into a temporary pause on new AI data centres as concerns grew over their impact on communities. However, on July 15, councillors rejected the pause with a 10-6 vote to resume.

For residents near 3650 Danforth Ave., the debate is far from over. Kandavel's motion will be brought forward at Toronto City Council at a later date.