From the Facts Hub · Category: Farmland & Water
Alberta’s Tier 2 farmland is not just another classification on a map. It is the backbone of our rural communities, the source of our food, and the legacy we pass to our children. Here is what the Tier 2 label really means, why it matters for Wheatland County, and what we risk losing if this project moves forward.
What Tier 2 Farmland Actually Means
The Canada Land Inventory classifies soils from Class 1 (best) to Class 7 (no capacity for crops). Tier 2 — closely aligned with Class 2 — means land with moderate limitations for agriculture. But do not let the word “moderate” fool you. In Alberta, our best farmland is concentrated in a narrow band across the province, and once it is gone, it is gone forever.
Tier 2 soils are productive, versatile farmland. They support grain, oilseed, and forage crops that feed our province and beyond. When we pave over 576 acres of it for a data centre, we are not just losing one field — we are making a permanent decision about Alberta’s food future.
Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: CLI class descriptions
The Precedent Risk
Here is what concerns us most: if the Goldfinch proposal succeeds on Tier 2 farmland, what stops the next one? And the one after that? Alberta is currently seeing a flood of data centre proposals — Meta’s $13B facility in Sturgeon County, the $10B Wild Rose Power Hub in Langdon, the $4B Beacon project in Chestermere. Our provincial government is actively promoting an AI Data Centre Strategy.
If we let this one through without proper scrutiny, we set a precedent that could reshape Alberta’s farmland landscape for decades. Every rezoning starts a conversation. But the first time you say yes to a hyperscale data centre on Tier 2 soil, you signal that our best farmland is up for grabs.
The Numbers Tell the Story
Statistics Canada reports that Alberta had 41,505 farms in 2021 (up 2.1% from 2016), but total farm area declined by 2.2% in the same period. More farms on less land means we need every productive acre we have. Meanwhile, Alberta land in crops increased by 1.5% to 25.6 million acres. The pressure on farmland is real, and it is growing.
When communities assess long-term farmland retention and succession, the arithmetic is sobering: the 576 acres of the Goldfinch site may seem small compared to the province’s 25.6 million crop acres. But it is not just the acreage. It is the location. It is the precedent. It is the principle that Alberta’s best farmland deserves better than to be sacrificed for a project with no named tenant and no independent environmental review.
Source: Statistics Canada: 2021 Census of Agriculture
What This Means for Wheatland County
Our community was built on agriculture. Our families farmed this land for generations. The idea that we would be the first municipality in Alberta to approve a hyperscale data centre on Tier 2 farmland — with the studies incomplete and the tenant unnamed — should give every one of us pause.
As Heidi Pradt, co-owner of Infinity Equine, said at the July 7 hearing: “This is the best tier farmland that we have in Alberta. Why do we have to build it on our tier 2, which is our best agricultural land?”
Good question, Heidi. We think the answer is: we should not.
Next step: Read more about the farmland and water issues, check the full facts, and if you can, support the campaign to help us protect Wheatland County.