The mayor of Sarnia is pushing Lambton County to set a clear platform for the anticipated arrival of AI Data Centres. “Right now, we’re flying blind, without radar,” said Mike Bradley in an interview with CTV News London. Bradley is calling for staff to review the potential impact of data centres on water, power, the environment and municipal infrastructure. On the other side of the coin, he wants a better understanding of how the centres could create, and potentially cost jobs. “And I think that’s why we’re all grappling with jobs versus the other impacts that could actually cut jobs in our communities. That’s what this is all about, just let’s understand what we’re dealing with, which is a difficult question,” he conceded. Lambton County is already part of the rapidly evolving data centre push, including an AI advanced manufacturing education site at Lambton College. Additionally, this past spring, MPP Bob Bailey was quoted in various local media suggesting that representatives from a data centre had reached out to him directly. But with large volumes of water, and several hundred megawatts of power needed to supply a large data centre, opposition exists. However, at the county council level, Bradley’s motion received unanimous support without comment. “And I’m not arguing the merits either way,” he stated. “I just think we need a better understanding of what we can do, what we should do, and what we shouldn’t do.” There are examples for Lambton County to look to across the country. In one case, Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE), the owner of CTV, is preparing to build a $1.7 billion data centre in Saskatchewan. BCE contends it will generate $12 billion in economic value and create more 1600 permanent, construction and spinoff jobs. Yet, the project faces opposition from environmentalists and nearby residents. It is a scenario likely to repeat in Lambton once a data centre is announced, but Bradley argues having a plan will give Lambton the edge. “We may be innovative and do some different things that others are not doing with AI data centres. It’s evolving very quickly, this part of the economy.” Council has directed staff to have the report completed by early 2027.
