Part of the facts . Category: Council Process and Timeline
The Night Wheatland County Spoke Up
On July 7, 2026, our community showed up. Twenty-four residents stood before council to oppose the Goldfinch data centre proposal, while just one spoke in favour. Another 100+ written letters were submitted — the overwhelming majority against. It was a clear, powerful message: this community is paying attention.
According to coverage from StrathmoreNow and Global News, the concerns raised were deep, informed, and personal. This was not a room full of angry residents. It was a room full of neighbours asking hard questions.
What Residents Told Council
Heidi Pradt, who co-owns Infinity Equine — a hunter-jumper horse operation directly adjacent to the proposed site — put it plainly to council:
I do not think the applicant has demonstrated enough technical expertise — on groundwater impact, environmental impact, noise impact, impact to livestock — for this application to proceed.
She also reminded everyone what is at stake:
This is the best tier farmland that we have in Alberta. Why do we have to build it in our tier 2, which is our best agricultural land that we have?
Heather Gagne, who lives 2.6 km from the site and poured 15 years of retirement savings into her 30-acre property, spoke about the life-changing stakes:
I have sunk my last 15 years of retirement into this. I am testing out my retirement next year, and I am hoping that is not a wasted amount of money.
This municipal district promoted agriculture, it promoted quiet living space… that whole ideology we were looking for when we moved into this place.
Where Things Stand Now
Council advanced Bylaw 2025-32 — the ASP amendment that would allow data centres in the area — through first and second reading, but deferred third reading. Bylaw 2025-34 (land use redesignation) similarly advanced. And Bylaw 2025-25, which would partially close Range Road 264, only passed first reading — the furthest from final approval.
You can review council’s full agenda package here and watch the meeting video on Wheatland County’s YouTube channel. For ongoing updates, check the county project page.
What This Means for Us
Our community showed we are organized, informed, and ready to fight for this land. But council has not made a final decision yet. Bylaw 2025-32’s third reading is still pending — and that is where the vote really counts.
The outcome in Peculiar, Missouri — where Diode proposed a similar project and the city removed data centres from zoning entirely after community opposition — shows what organized residents can accomplish.
Visit our campaign site to stay involved. Share it with your neighbours. And if you have not already, write to your councillor before the next vote. Every voice matters.