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(Image Credit: O'Leary Ventures.)
By Curtis Galbraith
Data Centres

Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation says it has “won their first legal battle” over the Wonder Valley data centre proposal

Aug 15, 2026 | 6:01 AM

Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation officials say on social media that they have won what they call “their first legal battle with O’Leary Digital Limited.” 

This is related to the Wonder Valley AI data centre proposal. 

The post says this means a judicial challenge from the First Nation regarding a review of a water license will go ahead in December. 

Sturgeon Lake Chief Sheldon Sunshine is quoted in the same post as saying that they are “happy to have the opportunity to vindicate our Treaty rights and hold the Crown accountable on consultation.” 

He adds that “the province will push these hyperscale massive data centres in our backyards despite serious concerns.”

An official with the project said at an open house held in June in Grovedale that they hoped to start construction next year.

The full post from Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation can be found below: 

Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation has won their first legal battle with O’Leary Digital Limited.

O’Leary, having denied they had any licences through the municipality, then applied to strike SLCN’s court challenge of the Water Act licence. Today’s decision means O’Leary’s group lost on every ground. This means that SLCN’s judicial review of the Water Act Licence, including a challenge to Alberta’s Failure to consult at all, will go ahead in December.

In response to today’s decision, SLCN Chief Sheldon Sunshine says:

“Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation is happy to have the opportunity to vindicate our Treaty rights and hold the Crown accountable on consultation. O’Leary’s data centre here in Alberta is a mind-boggling, massive project, which the province has been shepherding through their regulatory system using the municipality to evade their duties to us. There is no environmental assessment and next to no consultation with our Nations.

Now, all Albertans are seeing what we have been living for 20 months – the province will push these hyperscale massive data centres in our backyards despite serious concerns. The province’s answer is “just trust us” like we saw in the Premier’s April 12 social media video.

If these massive data centres cause no harm, we ask that the province and O’Leary show us all the designs, the technical reports and let us assess these too, like every other project of this scale.”

by Curtis Galbraith