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Redwater, Sturgeon County

Firing line of fury for Alberta’s technology minister at AI data centre town hall

Aug 21, 2026 | 10:15 AM

Alberta’s technology minister faced a firing line of fury at the government’s second town hall on its plan for artificial intelligence data centres.

Nate Glubish was peppered with profanity from audience members at the Thursday event in Redwater, north of Edmonton, in Sturgeon County.

Tech giant Meta announced plans to build a 13-billion-dollar A-I data centre project in the region.

Attendees raised environmental concerns and demanded specifics on safeguards, and some said trust in the provincial government had already been lost on the file.

Glubish says Meta’s proposal is an economic opportunity the province cannot pass by.

Thursday’s event came one day after Glubish was met with jeers, badgering and boos during a similar town hall in the central Alberta city of Lacombe.

Opponents have said the government hasn’t addressed concerns about how data centres might be regulated or cleaned up if they stop operating.

Glubish has said the province has strict rules to protect local water supplies, keep power bills under control and ensure megaprojects aren’t built near residential areas.

(The Canadian Press)