Where They Stand

Jeff Knoll commented: I supported Oakville's Interim Control By-law because we need to understand the impacts of industrial size data centres before permitting them. I oppose a data centre of the scale contemplated for Oakville, especially near residential communities. I am concernedby the Mayor's September 28th disclosure that arrangements have already been made for the facility to receive power directly through Ontario's electricity system rather than Oakville Hydro. While no formal application has been filed, this suggests the proposalmay be further advanced than Council or the public previously understood. Oakville needs transparency, strong protections and appropriate local land use controls.

Rob Burton commented: I led our Council to be first in the country to adopt an Interim Control By-law to protect our town.

In their own words

Arvind Choudhary commented: I am not against technology. I am against bad deals. Hyperscale data centres take huge amounts of land, power and water, and give back very few jobs. Oakville cannot afford that trade. Our grid and our land have limits. Once land is gone, it is gone. As your Mayor, I will say no to hyperscale data centres and yes to MedTech, life sciences, software and CleanTech. These are real jobs for people who live here. They pay well, grow our tax base and fit our town. Oakville should power its own future, not servers for global tech giants.

Nancy Ortenburg commented: This will be a large discussion topic and we need to ensure that we are all fully informed and understand both large and small scale proposals and their potential impacts on residents, our environment and future generations.

Zena Al-Mudaris commented: Oakville should not rush into large-scale data-centre development simply because the technology and investment are growing rapidly. We should first understand the implications for residents, water, energy, infrastructure, noise, land use and the environment. I support completing the Town's study before permanent decisions are made, protecting residential neighbourhoods, requiring enforceable standards and ensuring that developers—not existing taxpayers—bear the appropriate costs of infrastructure created by their projects. I support innovation and economic development, but it must be compatible with Oakville's residents, infrastructure capacity and long-term sustainability.

Kashif Chaudry commented: I am not sure why we would allow an AI data centre in the GTA period.

Jerome Adamo commented: I’ve been writing my positions on all of these things for months … now with all the surveys coming.. it’s “Go time” They’re written with thought because we all matter. You reading this. I’ve spent decades in the union and community world sitting at tables where my voice represents other people. I’ve represented registered early childhood educators, spoken for labour on boards, and carried the voices of others into rooms where decisions are made. I don’t take that responsibility lightly. Because it matters. You matter. That’s how I would approach data centres. I support finishing the study during the current interim-control period and putting strong, enforceable rules in place around where data centres can go, noise, vibration, emissions, water use, cooling and infrastructure costs. I don’t believe residential neighbourhoods are the place for large-scale data centres, and I believe developers should pay for the infrastructure they require. I also want to be honest about what a municipality can and can’t control. Provincial powers can sometimes override local decisions. I won’t promise something I can’t guarantee. What I will promise is that I’ll take Oakville’s voice into the room with me. If Oakville says no, I go in with no. If we’re overruled, I keep asking questions, working with residents and other municipalities, and pushing for better outcomes. I’ve been here many times. And for me personally, water has to be a big part of this conversation. I teach my Kindergarten students to be “water watchers.” I’m not affiliated with Water Watchers, but I believe water is something we all have a responsibility to protect. I’m not against AI or technology. I’m against moving forward without asking the hard questions about water, electricity, infrastructure, environmental impact and who pays. Water is not the new oil. It’s something we can’t afford to take for granted. Let’s welcome innovation — but let’s do it responsibly, and most importantly…. let’s make sure the people who live here have a voice.

Natalia Lishchyna commented: I co-developed and moved the Interim Control By-Law in Oakville, the first of its kind in Ontario.

Smita Tulsani commented: Thank you for the opportunity to provide my responses and share my perspective as a candidate for Ward 6 Town Councillor. Please find my completed response attached. I appreciated the opportunity to reflect on these important issues and to outline how I would approach them if elected. I believe good local government starts with listening, respectful dialogue, and ensuring residents have a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect their community. Thank you again for reaching out and for the work you do to encourage informed community engagement.

Ali Hosny commented: I will take it even further. I will work hard to make the rules as strict/prohibiting as possible.