What's Happening - Protect Wheatland County

What’s Happening: Full Timeline

This page tracks every major milestone in the Goldfinch data centre file — from the first application through to council’s decisions and what comes next. We update it as new information is published.

Wheatland County Administration Office — where council meetings and the July 7 public hearing were held — Wheatland County Administration Office and Council Chambers, east of Strathmore on Highway 1. This is where council is deliberating the Goldfinch proposal. Photo: Wheatland County.

September 29, 2025 — Application Filed

Diode Ventures files Application PL2025-005 with Wheatland County, proposing to rezone 576 acres of Tier 2 farmland for a hyperscale data centre campus. The application includes an Area Concept Plan (ACP), amendments to the Goldfinch Industrial Area Structure Plan, and a land-use redesignation.

📄 Read the full application (PDF, 81 pages) · Wheatland County project page

April 2026 — Revised Application

After early community feedback, Diode submits a revised application changing the proposed zoning from Intensive Industrial to Industrial General. The updated plan also addresses some of the concerns raised by nearby landowners.

📄 See the application changes (PDF)

June 24, 2026 — Public Hearing Notice Published

Wheatland County publishes notice of a public hearing on Bylaws 2025-32, 2025-34, and 2025-25, scheduled for July 7. Residents are invited to speak or submit written comments.

📄 Public hearing agenda package · County project page

July 7, 2026 — Public Hearing

Council chambers overflow. Twenty-four residents speak in opposition — one person speaks in favour. More than 100 written letters are submitted, the vast majority opposed.

Key speakers include Heidi Pradt (co-owner of Infinity Equine, directly adjacent to the site) and Heather Gagne (resident 2.6 km away, with 15 years of retirement savings invested in her 30-acre property). Both raise concerns about groundwater, noise, traffic, livestock impacts, and the developer’s failure to name an end user.

📰 StrathmoreNow: Hearing coverage (Jul 8) · Global News: Video coverage

July 7, 2026 — Council Vote

Following the hearing, council votes on the three bylaws:

Bylaw 2025-32 (ASP amendment allowing data centres): First and second readings approved. A motion to proceed directly to third reading was not carried unanimously — the bylaw requires further council consideration before final approval.
Bylaw 2025-34 (Land use redesignation to Industrial General): Similarly advanced with first and second readings approved.
Bylaw 2025-25 (Closure of a portion of Range Road 264): First reading only. The road closure remains the furthest from final approval.

Bottom line: The proposal has moved forward, but nothing is final yet. Council has more work to do before any of these bylaws receive third and final reading.

📰 StrathmoreNow: Council vote coverage (Jul 10)

July 8, 2026 — Meta Announces $13B Data Centre in Sturgeon County

On the heels of the Wheatland County hearing, Meta announces Canada’s largest-ever data centre — a $13 billion facility in Sturgeon County, north of Edmonton. The announcement signals the scale of the tech industry’s interest in Alberta and underscores what’s at stake for agricultural communities across the province.

📰 Globe and Mail: Meta data centre coverage

July 11, 2026 — Community Campaign Launches

GoFundMe campaign launches with a $13,000 goal to fund independent hydrogeology, noise, traffic, and legal expertise. This site goes live as the community’s information hub.

📢 Donate to the GoFundMe

🔴 Current Status — Council Deliberating

Wheatland County Council is deliberating on Bylaws 2025-32, 2025-34, and 2025-25. A decision could come at any time. If the bylaws pass, the project moves to the development permit stage, where detailed site plans, noise studies, traffic impact assessments, and technical reviews would be required — and where community voices will matter again.