County looking at new zoning designation for data centres

Oct 6, 2026 | 6:03 AM

The County of Grande Prairie says it is looking at changes to its Land Use Bylaw regarding data centres and will be seeking public input.

Council has given first reading to an amendment that would see a Data Centre Campus District added to the bylaw. The Data Processing Establishment designation would be removed.

The county says in a news release that the change would; “reflect the changing nature of data centre development and (is) intended to modernize the County’s planning framework while providing greater transparency when considering data centre proposals.”

The release also says the change would mean that these centres would be considered under one zoning designation rather than several different ones.

“Council heard clearly from residents that they want to better understand proposed developments and have meaningful opportunities to provide input before decisions are made. These amendments create a clearer process for considering future data centre proposals and help ensure the public has opportunities to participate as those proposals move through the planning process,” says Reeve Amanda McDonald in that same release.

A public hearing will be held on December 2 in Council Chambers starting at 1 p.m. Anyone who wants to speak at the hearing has until November 27 to register.

The county is also accepting feedback through their online Engage page or by email at datacentres@countyofgp.ab.ca. Registration information for the public hearing can also be found on the Engage page.

by Curtis Galbraith