Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew recently rejected a proposed AI data centre near Winnipeg, citing concerns over water use, noise, and a perceived lack of public benefit.
The instinct to protect communities from unwanted development is understandable. But when the objections collapse under scrutiny, and when the stakes include Canada’s standing in the global AI economy, the decision deserves a harder look.
Critics of data centres frequently invoke water consumption, and there is genuine nuance worth discussing.
Large facilities do use water for evaporative cooling. But comparison matters. A typical 18-hole golf course uses approximately 300,000 gallons of water per day during summer months.
