Parkland County

So fascinating that you're, again, you're growing up, and you're seeing all kinds of the landscape of Canada.

You know, I was up, uh, uh, Parkland County, outside of, um, uh, Ed- Edmonton, Alberta.

Yeah.

Yep.

Among those consequences, the death of a 21-year-old man and the serious injuries of a 46-year-old man, an 18-year-old woman and her 10-month-old son, whose injuries are potentially life-threatening.

And Parkland County's mayor is reassuring residents an AI data center proposed for the region won't be rushed through.

People behind the project say it's a win-win, but residents are saying not so fast.

They're calling for more consultation around property values and the environmental impact.

Government said it chose those items because they were commonly found in litter and had known and accessible alternatives.

And some Parkland County residents are calling for a slowdown on the approval process for a proposed data center near Wabamun Lake, saying there's been a lack of consultation on the impact to import, pr- to property values, rather, and the environment.

Melissa Waddell says she learned about the project through a community chat.

At a town hall, she asked Technology Minister Ignat Klyubysh how residents were supposed to navigate the regulatory process.

Sarah Ryan, Global News.

Parkland County's mayor says the approval process will be as rigorous as any other, but some Wabamun Lake residents say any news of a major data center came through a group chat, not public consultation.

Melissa Waddell joined the Parkland Pushback community chat, where about 300 people are sharing their concerns.

Waddell says the county should slow things down, saying site grading shouldn't start without a master development plan.

The data center would be built on 25 acres of land near TransAlta's key pills and Sundance power plants.

Residents calling for Parkland County to slow the approval process to mitigate concerns about property values and environmental impacts.

The mayor insists the application is being scrutinized like any other.

Well, a day after the NDP rallied for Canada in Calgary, the official opposition did it again last night in Edmonton.

Melissa Waddell says she learned about the project through a community chat, where roughly 300 people are now sharing concerns about a lack of public consultation.

She says Parkland County sh- needs to slow things down and consult nearby property owners, including weighing the potential impacts on their property values before the project goes forward.

Waddell says she's also asked Technology Minister Nate Glubish how residents are supposed to navigate the regulatory process.

I got up to the mic, and I asked him my question, and I said, "Where is the understanding of the regulatory process for citizens? Because we feel like we're doing a full-time job trying to understand even what's happening in our backyard." Uh, his answer to me was, "Email us anytime, and we'll help you understand that."

EPS says there's no evidence to suggest this act was motivated by hatred.

Well, Parkland County's mayor says the approval process will be as rigorous as any other, but some Wabamun Lake residents say news of a major data center came through a group chat, not public consultation.

Melissa Waddell joined the Parkland Pushback community chat, where about 300 people are sharing their concerns.

Waddell says the county should slow things down, saying site grading shouldn't start without a master development plan.