The County of Grande Prairie has issued a development permit for a proposed AI data centre near Sexsmith, a decision that has prompted local officials to revise how similar projects will be reviewed in the future after residents complained about a lack of transparency in the approval process.
The permit covers a site in the Emerson Trail area and allows for five main buildings measuring 80 by 180 feet, along with 15 smaller accessory structures measuring eight by 20 feet that will house make-up air generators. The application was reviewed against the county’s existing land-use rules and was approved administratively, a process that did not require public notice or a hearing.
Residents Raise Concerns
Once word of the approval spread, some residents voiced concern on social media about potential impacts on water, noise and local wildlife, while others contacted county officials directly to ask why they had not been given more information about the project before it was approved. The county subsequently issued a public statement acknowledging what it described as significant public interest in the project and recognizing that residents wanted clearer information about what the approval means.
County reeve Amanda McDonald said data centres have technically been a recognized land use under the county’s Land Use Bylaw, which dates to 2003, for several years. However, she said the scale of facilities now being proposed is markedly different from what the bylaw originally anticipated. The application in question met the existing requirements at the time it was reviewed, she said.
County Changes Approval Path
In response to the concerns raised, the county has altered how it will handle future data centre applications. McDonald said any development permit application that qualifies as a data centre under the proper zoning will now be directed to the municipal planning commission rather than being approved solely through the administrative route.
The county has not disclosed the name of the developer behind the Sexsmith-area project. However, land-use change applications considered at an Aug. 10 hearing list Christopher Balderston, Pamela Balderston and Ryan Curry as the landowners, with one application also naming the business RB Curry Auto Transport. Those applications sought to redesignate two parcels from agricultural use — one to a designation permitting development with greater visibility near major roadways, and the other to a designation allowing higher-impact utility, industrial or manufacturing use. The locations named in those applications match the area covered by the development permit.
Christopher Balderston’s public LinkedIn profile identifies him as CEO of Ground Level Land Corp., a company describing itself as a privately owned real estate investment group focused on acquiring and developing land in the County of Grande Prairie. The address tied to the data centre permit is also listed as a future development within the company’s Redtail Business Park project. The county has not confirmed whether any of the individuals or companies named in the land-use applications are directly connected to the data centre development permit.
Provincial Sign-Off Still Required
McDonald noted that the municipal permit alone does not clear the way for construction, as the project must still satisfy requirements set by the province and its various regulatory agencies. She said the proposal aligns with Alberta’s broader strategy for AI data centre development.
She also said provincial decisions can limit how much the municipality is able to impose on a project. For example, if the province opts to waive an environmental impact assessment, the county’s ability to add further conditions would be constrained, leaving it largely limited to requirements such as fencing or lighting direction. In such cases, McDonald said the county’s main recourse would be to raise concerns directly with the relevant provincial ministries.
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