Kevin O’Leary’s proposed $70 billion Wonder Valley AI data centre project in Alberta is facing intense public scrutiny after internal records revealed local officials quietly altered land-use rules to accommodate the development prior to informing the public.

Documents uncovered through Access to Information requests show that the Municipal District of Greenview engaged in confidential negotiations with O’Leary’s representatives months before the project was publicly unveiled.

Key Findings from Internal Documents

  • Early Negotiations: Greenview officials were actively designing infrastructure for a "massive data centre" by September 2024.
  • Executive Meetings: High-level discussions occurred between O’Leary Digital leadership, local economic development directors, and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith well before public disclosure.
  • Bylaw Adjustments: Municipal staff initially categorized data centres as "discretionary uses"—a status requiring individual council review and public input. Following a closed-door meeting in October 2024, staff reclassified data centres as "permitted uses" to eliminate "undue regulatory hurdles."
  • Six-Minute Hearing: In November 2024, council unanimously passed the zoning amendment following a six-minute public hearing where the Wonder Valley project was never mentioned to residents.
  • Public Announcement: The $70B project was officially announced on December 9, 2024, boasting a 65-square-kilometre footprint and up to 9 gigawatts of power capacity.

Rising Legal and Community Opposition

The project has triggered widespread backlash, legal challenges, and public protests across the region:

  • First Nations Lawsuit: In 2025, the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation filed a lawsuit against the Alberta government over a connected water licence, citing a failure to properly consult indigenous communities.
  • Regulatory Exemptions: Legal experts have questioned the province's decision to exempt the massive fossil-fuel-powered facility from a full environmental impact assessment.
  • Developer Response: Representatives for O'Leary Digital stated that public consultations and disclosure obligations rest entirely with the municipal government, not the developers.

Greenview officials maintain that no final development permits have been issued and that early agreements did not legally bind the municipality to sell the land or amend local bylaws.