Hamilton denies land severance application for proposed AI data centre

The land severance application for a proposed but controversial AI data centre has been denied at Hamilton City Hall. Spectators in council chambers cheered the denial. If it had been approved, the vote would have set the stage for an AI development project on former Stelco lands — something the hundreds of people who gathered in front of council chambers today to protest deeply opposed. Developer Slate Asset Management wanted to sever the land it owns on Wilcox Street in order to take a step forward in the development of the facility. The company says the facility would take up a portion of the 800-acre former Stelco property, with the rest pitched as an “advanced manufacturing” and “clean energy infrastructure” site called “Steelport.” More than 1,600 people wrote to the committee ahead of the meeting, and dozens more delegated in person — almost entirely against the project. Protesters gathered outside city hall before the committee meeting, holding anti-data centre signs and chanting loudly enough to be heard inside the chambers. Members of the public packed much of the gallery inside as well. Concerns about the proposal have been raised by environmental advocates and local residents, particularly regarding the potential impact future large-scale data centres could have on electricity demand and water use.