Two hyperscale projects, a comparable fight in rural Utah, and the protests tracking both. December 2024–2026. Updated July 29, 2026.
Alberta's data-centre buildout follows the same logic as the rest of this project's argument: privatize the upside, socialize the downside. Wonder Valley and Utah's Stratos project show the same pattern playing out in two jurisdictions — route the approval through a process insulated from ordinary public consultation, then treat the result as settled. The protest thread below tracks where the public has pushed back directly, and where that pushback has actually moved the outcome.
Every source below links to a verified working article. Sourced throughout from CBC News, Canada's National Observer, CTV News, The Energy Mix, ChrisD.ca, Osler, Bennett Jones, AESO, Utah News Dispatch, Salt Lake Tribune, KSL, ABC4, Fortune, People's Dispatch, The Tyee, Utah Public Radio, and Casey Klein's first-hand open house account. The ⚑ Calculated Target badge marks events that specifically target a group with limited capacity to retaliate — through a lawsuit, a lobby, a boycott, or a large enough voting bloc — rather than the general public. The ⚑ Protest tag marks organized public demonstrations, rallies, and marches — use the Protests filter below to see just those.
2024
December 2024
Wonder Valley Alberta
O'Leary announces Wonder Valley with Premier Smith
Kevin O'Leary announces a proposed $70 billion AI data centre near the Smoky River in the MD of Greenview, just days after the province publishes a strategy on becoming a global leader in welcoming data centres. Premier Smith calls it a landmark investment. Within a month, O'Leary and Smith appear alongside Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
2025
January 20, 2025
Wonder Valley Alberta
O'Leary Ventures signs letter of intent — NDP raises consultation alarm
O'Leary Ventures signs a letter of intent to purchase and develop thousands of acres within and beyond the Greenview Industrial Gateway. NDP Indigenous relations critic Brooks Arcand-Paul says Wonder Valley's proponents are already late to the table with Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation — before any land has even changed hands.
Early 2025
Wonder Valley Alberta
Indigenous consultation failures emerge ⚑ Calculated Target
Court documents reveal Alberta's own Aboriginal Consultation Office — the body meant to ensure Indigenous consultation happens — advised Greenview to skip consultation entirely when applying for the Smoky River water licence. Chief Sheldon Sunshine of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation says the Nation's traditional way of life has been "systemically eroded."
Treaty rights bypassed
June 2025
AB AI Data Centre Policy
AESO caps large-load grid connections at 1,200 MW, citing reliability risk
The Alberta Electric System Operator introduces an interim 1,200 MW connection limit for large-load projects — including data centres — in effect until 2028. The cap is an early acknowledgment that proposed data-centre demand across the province already far exceeds what the grid can absorb without risking reliability and affordability for everyone else on the system.
July 8, 2025
Wonder Valley Alberta
Same council meeting: drought disaster declared, land deal with O'Leary expanded
At the same July 8, 2025 meeting where Greenview council declares an agricultural disaster for its livestock industry — citing worsening drought, moisture shortages, and grasshopper infestations — council also amends its purchase and sale agreement with O'Leary Ventures to add a 1,926-acre parcel of land. Full buildout would still require roughly 70% of Alberta's all-time peak electricity demand for the entire province.
Land deal grows the same day as the disaster declaration
December 31, 2025
Wonder Valley Alberta
Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz resigns amid cabinet shakeup
Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas since 2023, announces her resignation from cabinet on New Year's Eve, effective January 2, with plans to leave her Calgary-Shaw seat entirely by May 2026. She offers no substantive reason beyond "timing is everything." Grant Hunter is sworn in as the new environment minister. The resignation fuels speculation of an early election call, given several contentious referendums scheduled for 2026. Schulz is one of more than two dozen MLAs facing active recall campaigns.
2026
January 2026
Wonder Valley Utah
Stratos Project referred to MIDA on national security grounds
The Governor's Office of Economic Development refers the Stratos Project to Utah's Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) after classifying the hyperscale data centre as serving a military and national security purpose — a classification critics call a "legal fiction." This routing is what will later make the county's approval legally irrevocable.
March 6, 2026
Olds AI Data Centre
AUC closes Synapse's $10-billion Olds data centre application as incomplete
The Alberta Utilities Commission closes Synapse Real Estate Corp.'s application for a proposed one-gigawatt AI data-centre campus and 1.4-gigawatt gas-fired power plant near Olds — billed as ten times larger than any existing data centre in Canada — finding it did not meet the minimum standards to begin a formal regulatory review. The project has already drawn more registered intervenors than any utility application in the province's recent history, with residents citing pollution, noise, property values, safety, and strain on local health and emergency services.
Application closed; developer plans to reapply
March 23, 2026
AB AI Data Centre Policy
Anti-AI data centre march reaches Calgary City Hall
Protesters march to Calgary City Hall as part of a growing anti-AI-data-centre movement, raising concerns about unchecked growth, energy and water demand, and the lack of democratic process behind how these projects are approved — one of the first Alberta demonstrations to target the province's data-centre buildout as a whole, rather than a single site.
April 2026
Wonder Valley Alberta
Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation's water appeal dismissed ⚑ Calculated Target
The Environmental Appeals Board dismisses the Nation's challenge to the Smoky River water licence, ruling the diversion represents approximately 0.0556% of the river's yearly flow — a framing critics say ignores cumulative impacts and treaty rights. Days later, O'Leary's company signs its deal to buy thousands of hectares of the former Crown land. Chief Sunshine calls Alberta's failure to require a full environmental assessment "ludicrous." Sturgeon Lake appeals the water ruling to the province's superior trial court.
First Nations appeal denied — now before the courts
April 10, 2026
Olds AI Data Centre
Synapse reapplies for Olds data centre and power plant
Less than a month after the AUC closed its file, Synapse Real Estate Corp. resubmits its application for the Olds project — with a revised noise assessment covering emergency backup generators and a completed (rather than draft) environmental evaluation. The town government sees an opportunity for tax revenue and jobs (roughly 70 permanent, 200 indirect); many residents remain opposed, citing pollution, noise, and strain on local services.
Under regulatory review
May 4, 2026
Wonder Valley Utah
"Shame! Shame! Shame!" — Commission approves Stratos over mass protest
Over 1,000 people fill the Box Elder County Commission meeting. As commissioners unanimously vote to approve the 40,000-acre Stratos project area, the crowd erupts in chants of "Shame!" No public hearing is held; the decision is rushed through in days. Commissioners deny public comment and quickly exit after the vote.
Approved over community objection
May 7, 2026
Wonder Valley Utah
Water rights withdrawn after nearly 4,000 protest filings
Following an unprecedented wave of water rights protests — citing that "Great Salt Lake is already 6 feet below a healthy level" — developers withdraw their initial water application. They will refile a second application within days, restarting the process and effectively bypassing the protests already filed.
Community forces withdrawal — developers refile
May 8–14, 2026
Wonder Valley Utah
BEAR files referendum — mermaids rally at the Capitol
The Box Elder Accountability Referendum (BEAR) files two referendum applications for a November vote. Days later, hundreds protest at the Utah Capitol — including people dressed as mermaids — carrying signs: "Keep sharks out of the Great Salt Lake," "You can't drink data," and a banner reading "Mr. Terrible." O'Leary claims without evidence that 90% of protesters were paid and bused in, and suggests the opposition is driven by Chinese misinformation.
May 12, 2026
Wonder Valley Utah
"A betrayal of democracy" — MIDA's irrevocability draws national attention
Commentary spreads describing MIDA as a "semi-secret state agency" that stripped local officials of land-use and taxing authority — the Commission's approval came without a public hearing, in a matter of days.
May 19, 2026
Wonder Valley Utah
O'Leary walks back his China-funding claims — with "no evidence"
After weeks of accusing Alliance for a Better Utah and Elevate Strategies of ties to the Chinese Communist Party across at least 10 media appearances, O'Leary posts: "After seeing a major spike in coordinated opposition campaigns around our Utah projects, we conducted a digital audit and traced a large amount of the activity back to an organization called Alliance for a Better Utah" — and separately clarifies on X that he has "no evidence" the groups are funded by China.
Claim walked back after weeks of repetition
May 23, 2026
Wonder Valley Utah
600+ rally at Capitol: "Air, water and land — we'll keep on fighting"
More than 600 Utahns gather on the Capitol steps chanting: "Data center dollars don't trickle down, Kevin O'Leary get out of our town." A Deseret News poll finds a majority of Utah voters oppose the project.
May 28, 2026
Wonder Valley Utah
Referendum rejected — MIDA's irrevocability challenged in court
Box Elder County's attorney rejects both BEAR referendum applications, citing the MIDA Act's irrevocability provision. The State Auditor launches a public transparency dashboard on MIDA the same week, revealing the authority has spent more than $836 million and holds over $2.8 billion in assets. Separately, Alliance for a Better Utah and five Box Elder residents sue MIDA directly, arguing its irrevocability framework is unconstitutional and cuts off citizens' legislative rights under the Utah Constitution.
Two lawsuits underway
Early June 2026
Wonder Valley Alberta
Project timeline slips toward 2028; water use scaled back ahead of open house
O'Leary Digital's Spring 2026 newsletter, released ahead of the Grovedale open house, shows construction pushed from the original 2026 start to a possible 2027 start, with initial power availability targeted for 2028 and full buildout beginning in 2029 — preliminary work now more than a year behind the original schedule. The company also lowers its projected maximum water draw from the Smoky River to under 6 million cubic metres a year, calling it "substantially lower" than earlier estimates, following sustained criticism over the Smoky River water licence.
Timeline slipping; water use reduced
June 3, 2026
Wonder Valley Utah
BEAR appeals referendum denial; second civil-rights lawsuit filed against MIDA
BEAR appeals the county's referendum rejection to Utah's 1st District Court. The next day, Alliance for a Better Utah and five anonymous Box Elder residents file a separate civil-rights lawsuit naming MIDA, county officials, and Senate President Stuart Adams and Senator Jerry Stevenson as defendants, arguing the project area hands control over land use, public health, and taxation to unelected officials without a public vote.
Two more legal challenges filed
June 4, 2026
Wonder Valley Alberta
Wonder Valley open house at Grovedale — Casey Klein's account
A chaotic, overcrowded open house at Grovedale Community Hall. CBC reports a packed crowd, with northern Albertans raising sustained concerns about water use, power demand, and Indigenous consultation. Two Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation representatives sit at a table; local politicians do not engage with them. Asked what happens if all six Indigenous Nations oppose the project, the answer is: "There are legal avenues available." Carbon capture is described as a "path," not a guarantee. Casey Klein concludes: "For that reason alone, I oppose Wonder Valley moving forward."
June 9, 2026
AB AI Data Centre Policy
Alberta files Data Centre Regulation, codifying "Bring Your Own Generation" policy
The province files the Data Centre Regulation (AR 117/2026) under the Electric Utilities Act, formally establishing Alberta's "Bring Your Own Generation" framework: the AESO is directed to prioritize connection requests from large data centres (over 75 MW) that supply their own power generation ahead of those seeking to draw from the public grid. The AESO gains authority to write and amend the ISO rules needed to operationalize the framework, subject to AUC approval; a companion technical connection guide follows June 12. A 2% levy on computer hardware is also introduced for grid-connected data centres of 75 MW or more, effective December 31, 2026 — though reporting notes the levy nets out to roughly nothing once a facility is profitable and paying corporate tax. Separately, a Canada–Alberta memorandum of understanding commits both governments to a joint policy framework, targeted for July 2026, to actively incentivize large data-centre development, including subsidies for "Canadian sovereign computing."
Framework in effect; Phase 2A rules still being finalized
June 10, 2026
Wonder Valley Utah
Box Elder County passes data-centre moratorium — but exempts Stratos
Commissioners unanimously approve a 180-day moratorium on new data-centre and data-centre power plant proposals, giving the county time to study land-use codes for future development. The moratorium does not touch the Stratos project itself, since MIDA developments bypass standard county land-use approval entirely. A KSL poll finds 71% of Box Elder County respondents oppose the data-centre plans; residents call the moratorium a start but say it does nothing for the project already approved.
Moratorium in place; Stratos unaffected
June 16, 2026
Wonder Valley Utah
Second water protest period closes — Sierra Club warns of a pattern
The second water rights protest period, opened May 18, closes. Sierra Club Utah warns the refiling "effectively restarts the administrative process and skirts thousands of community protests" already on record.
Protests refiled, process restarted
June 23, 2026
Wonder Valley Utah
Utah primaries: project shrinks by 20,000+ acres, a project champion loses his seat
By Utah's June 23 primaries, O'Leary has agreed to slash the Stratos campus by more than 20,000 acres. Utah Senate President Stuart Adams — one of the project's biggest legislative advocates — loses his re-election bid after 20 years in the state legislature, along with a Republican county commissioner who had also backed the project. The two results are read locally as a direct political cost for supporting Stratos.
Project shrinks; a key backer loses re-election
June 27, 2026
AB AI Data Centre Policy
Edmontonians rally at the Legislature on a national day of action against AI data centres
A group of Edmontonians hold a rally at the Alberta legislature as part of a Canada-wide, decentralized National Day of Action Against AI Data Centres, with sister actions in Vancouver and other cities the same day. Organizers highlight Wonder Valley specifically, noting the proposed Greenview site could draw far more power daily than the City of Edmonton uses.
July 8, 2026
Meta Data Centre
Meta breaks ground on $13B Sturgeon County data centre — its first in Canada
Meta breaks ground on a 1 GW data centre in Sturgeon County, northeast of Edmonton — its first in Canada and 33rd worldwide, and one of the largest private-sector investments in Canadian history at more than $13 billion. The facility, expected to draw roughly as much power as Edmonton uses on a peak day, will occupy an area larger than Vancouver's Stanley Park and support about 300 permanent jobs after roughly 3,000 construction workers finish building it. Residents criticize the lack of public consultation before the announcement; a Sturgeon County resident organizes a long-weekend protest, and Amnesty International Canada publicly raises concerns about the project. A subsequent Leger poll finds overall community support still outweighs opposition. Premier Smith offers public reassurances about the project's impact.
Construction underway; local opposition organizing
July 17, 2026
Wonder Valley Utah
O'Leary sued for defamation over the China smear campaign
Alliance for a Better Utah and Elevate Strategies sue O'Leary and Fox News, alleging that across at least 10 media appearances he ran a "smear campaign" branding the organizations as Chinese Communist Party "cells" organizing opposition to Stratos. O'Leary's attorney, Jeff Neiman, calls the suit a "cash grab," saying the organizations used O'Leary's comments to raise funds, and welcomes discovery into "the misinformation campaign against the data center in Utah."
Defamation suit live; discovery pending
July 18, 2026
AB AI Data Centre Policy
Alberta holds 92% of Canada's planned data-centre capacity — and the opposition to match
Reporting finds Canada has 194 active data facilities with another 213 in planning — and the vast majority of those planned projects are slated for Alberta, which accounts for 92% of the country's planned data-centre capacity despite currently holding just 3.3% of active capacity. Alberta's deregulated electricity market and abundant natural gas make it uniquely attractive for developers wanting to self-generate power on site. Beyond Wonder Valley, Olds, and Meta's Sturgeon County project, at least four more are moving through the pipeline: TransAlta's Keephills site in Parkland County, where a February 27 MOU with CPP Investments and Brookfield sets out an initial 230 MW power purchase agreement with potential to scale to 1 GW; Beacon AI Centers' 400 MW, USD $4 billion campus near High River in Foothills County (targeting energization by December 2026); Gryphon Digital Mining's site near Pincher Creek, expected to reach up to 130 MW by the end of 2026; and the multi-site "Technologies New Energy & Data District" initiative spanning Olds, Bonnyville, Calgary, and Edmonton, a combined $1.26 billion and 240 MW. Opposition is building province-wide around the same concerns raised at each individual site: electricity costs, water use, noise, and a lack of public consultation before deals are announced.
Opposition organizing across multiple sites
August 2, 2026
Meta Data Centre
Residents protest Meta's data centre outside Sturgeon County offices ⚑ Calculated Target
Residents gather outside the Sturgeon County administration building in Morinville to protest the Meta data centre, calling on the county to answer for the lack of public consultation before the project was announced. It's one of the first organized, publicly advertised protests against an Alberta data centre to draw on the same grassroots-mobilization playbook seen at Olds — a sign the opposition building around individual sites is starting to coordinate.
Source: Community-organized event, Sturgeon County Offices, 9613 100 St, Morinville
August 4, 2026
AB AI Data Centre Policy
Government launches "digital refineries" microsite to sell the Meta data centre
A slick propaganda section appears on the Government of Alberta's own website, urging Albertans to think of gas-fired, water-intensive AI data centres as "digital refineries" — "gas becomes electricity, electricity becomes computing power, computing power becomes intelligence." A Léger poll fielded July 17–19 finds support for the Sturgeon County project at 44% versus 36% opposed based on bare facts alone — but once government talking points about job creation and self-generated power are added, support rises to 57% versus 27% opposed, illustrating how directly public opinion is being shaped by the campaign in real time.
Public messaging campaign underway; independent economists skeptical of the underlying AI investment case
August 2026
Wonder Valley Alberta
AUC application expected — public intervention window opens
Wonder Valley's application to the Alberta Utilities Commission is expected by end of August. As of this point, no AUC application has been filed for power generation approval, even as site clearing is already underway and timber is being harvested during site preparation. Residents are told to monitor the AUC website themselves for updates.
Watch auc.ab.ca for the filing