LOWER RIVER INHABITANTS, N.S. — Some Nova Scotians said they were left with outstanding questions after two lengthy information sessions on a planned artificial intelligence data centre in southern Cape Breton.
EverWind Fuels hosted the session Wednesday night at a community centre in the rural town of Lower River Inhabitants, N.S. The company also held a session Tuesday in D’Escousse, N.S.
Both nights ran late as residents lined up to ask company officials about plans for a $10-billion, 18,600-square-metre AI data centre in nearby Point Tupper, N.S., a project set to come online by the end of 2027.
American tech company Anthropic has signed a 20-year lease for the centre, which would draw 95 megawatts of electricity in its first phase. A 325-megawatt expansion is expected in mid-2028.
Julissa Stewart, a resident of Richmond County living about 20 minutes from the proposed AI data centre site, attended both sessions and asked several questions.
“Between last night and tonight, I think a lot of great questions were posed, and we still didn’t get answers,” she said after Wednesday’s meeting.
Stewart asked officials about the project’s lack of environmental assessment and how the firm would be held accountable. She said it felt as if officials were avoiding giving direct or complete answers.
“I’m in the same position I was in prior to the information sessions … We need to put this (project) on pause until we have all the information, until we can write regulations,” she said.
Stewart said she worried about the potential unknown, long-term impacts a massive data centre could have on the environment and people’s health. She also was concerned that assurances provided by the company and the provincial government had not been solidified into legally-binding agreements.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston has said he doesn’t know whether any new legislation is needed to regulate what would be the province’s first AI data centre.
He’s repeatedly said the existing approval processes come with guidelines that would be followed.
During the two sessions, community members asked about pollution potential, and what safeguards and environmental protections would be in place.
Many also voiced concern about the American AI giant that would lease the centre.
In opening Wednesday’s session, the event moderator said EverWind officials were prepared to stay until everyone got a chance to ask their question.
Mark Stewart, the firm’s engagement director, told the crowd EverWind was aware of concerns and would take in feedback. He said additional sessions in neighbouring towns would be planned as the project progresses.
Cassie Kiftle from Bible Hill, N.S. -- a roughly two-hour drive west of Lower River Inhabitants -- said she had concerns about the American AI giant behind the project and the security of Canadian data.
She asked whether EverWind would be held accountable if Anthropic ever leaked Canadians’ data.
“It would be their data, their obligations and their responsibility,” said Brendan Chard, EverWind’s vice president of power.
“We’re providing the infrastructure, we’re building the data centre … the company would be responsible.”
Kiftle said she appreciated the efforts of EverWind officials to share what information they could.
She said she left the session believing the data centre proposal was a bad idea.
“I don’t want an AI data centre here. Not because I don’t want economic growth for the province, but because of the company that will be leasing it,” she said.
Teresa MacNeil attended Tuesday’s session and asked EverWind to share details of the investors behind the $10-billion project. EverWind officials said they could not speak on private investors.
MacNeil said without details around who would fund the project, it was unlikely the community would get on board.
“I am not for or against the data centre, but I need more information,” she said in an interview Wednesday.
“I did not get that information last night.”
Brandon Kroetsch also attended Tuesday’s session. He said he felt “slightly more informed” afterwards, but much of the information provided lacked detail and specifics.
“There’s a lot of information that’s been pumped out that’s very boilerplate, scripted, and just not useful,” he said.
Earlier Wednesday, the premier said he was happy with how public consultations had progressed.
Houston said he heard that Tuesday’s information session was calm and respectful.
“There were lots of answers and (we) certainly know that there are no answers that would satisfy some people on this file, but we’re just trying to make sure we follow the science, we follow facts and we just move forward in an appropriate way,” Houston told an unrelated news conference in Dartmouth, N.S.
“But the data centres … It’s happening, so we might as well in Canada show a leadership role, and Nova Scotia can take a leadership role, have those data centres here under our laws, our regulations, and in areas that they’re appropriate.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2026.
By Lyndsay Armstrong
-- With files from Devin Stevens in Halifax
