Oakville Mayor Orders Data Centre Report as AI 'Gigafactory' Rumours Grow

The buzz over a possible AI "gigafactory" in north Oakville now has Town Hall moving. Mayor Rob Burton has directed staff to prepare a report on how data centres and AI infrastructure are regulated, with the report due to council by August 10.

Burton issued the direction on July 21, asking the town's chief administrative officer to lay out the planning approvals involved and the environmental, legislative, economic and municipal-policy questions these facilities raise.

For now it's groundwork, not a decision. The town says it has received no development application and has no approvals before council, though it acknowledges land "may be under consideration by a proponent." Any application would go through the full planning review, with public input posted under the town's Planning Public Notices.

The project behind the rumours

The land in question is a vacant 25-acre property at 3480 Ninth Line, near Burnhamthorpe Road, named in a real estate listing as the site for HIVE BUZZ HPC's planned facility. The company announced a $3.5-billion, 320-megawatt project in May, more than 100,000 GPUs and 800-plus construction jobs, saying only that it would land somewhere between Toronto and Waterloo.

The prospect has split residents. Supporters point to jobs and investment; critics raise electricity and water demand, noise and environmental impact. Some want the town to go further than a report and consider an interim control bylaw before any application arrives.