We're residents of Wheatland County, Alberta — farmers, small business owners, and families — and we're fighting to stop a 576-acre hyperscale data centre from being built on some of Alberta's best farmland.

The developer is Diode Ventures, an American company owned by Black & Veatch, a multi-billion-dollar engineering firm. They won't name the tech giant who will eventually run it, and they've deferred key environmental studies to some undefined future stage. We're being asked to approve zoning changes blind.

THE DEVELOPER'S RECORD

Diode has tried this exact playbook twice before, in two different US states. Both times, communities organized, filled council chambers, and won.

In Peculiar, Missouri, residents covered the town in "No Hyperscale Data Centers" signs and packed city council meetings until data centres were banned entirely. The Washington Post and New York Times covered the story.

In Charles City County, Virginia, Diode planned a 515-acre campus. The community formed a non-profit, raised concerns about groundwater and noise, and the developer walked away — despite having the planning commission's support.

Now they're in Wheatland County. Same playbook. Same secrecy. Same unanswered questions.

WHAT'S AT STAKE

If approved, this would mean:

• 3.5 million square feet of data centre buildings on 576 acres of Tier 2 farmland

• Up to 9 years of construction with 2,555 additional car trips per day on rural roads

• Closure of Range Road 264 — cutting off access for multiple families

• Unknown groundwater and aquifer impacts; the developer hasn't completed the studies

• Industrial noise from cooling systems and generators threatening livestock, especially horses

• Permanent loss of some of Alberta's best agricultural land, once and forever

VOICES FROM THE COMMUNITY

Heidi Pradt runs Infinity Equine, a hunter-jumper horse business right next to the proposed site. She told county council: "I do not think that the applicant has demonstrated enough technical expertise — on groundwater impact, environmental impact, noise impact, impact to livestock — for this application to proceed."

Heather Gagne has put 15 years of her retirement savings into her 30-acre property just 2.6 km from the site, only to face losing her access road and enduring construction traffic for nearly a decade. She told council: "I'm testing out my retirement next year, and I'm hoping that's not a wasted amount of money."

At the July 7 public hearing, 24 residents spoke in opposition. One spoke in favour. Over 100 written submissions came in, with the vast majority opposed. Council chambers were completely full.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

This isn't one isolated fight. On July 8, Meta announced a $13 billion data centre in Sturgeon County. There's a $10 billion, 479-acre proposal near Langdon. A $4 billion plan near Chestermere. If the Goldfinch project goes through, it sets a province-wide precedent: Alberta's prime farmland is up for grabs.

WHERE THE MONEY GOES

We're neighbours and volunteers — not professional fundraisers. Every dollar goes directly to independent experts who give our community a credible voice at the table:

• Independent hydrogeologists to protect our groundwater: $20,000

• Acoustic experts to assess noise impacts on livestock: $12,500

• Legal and planning fees to ensure due process: $17,500

• Agricultural impact assessment: $12,500

• Communications and public awareness: $7,500

• Contingency for future appeals: $7,500

Total goal: $75,000. We'll post regular updates on exactly where every dollar goes.

If you believe Alberta's farmland is worth protecting, please donate and share this campaign.

Visit our campaign website

Thank you — from all of us in Wheatland County