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STURGEON LAKE CREE NATION CALLS FOR FEDERAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF O’LEARY’S PROPOSED AI DATA CENTRE – THE WONDER VALLEY PROJECT

This facility will be one of the largest single-site heat sources on the planet

Treaty No. 8 Territory: Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation is requesting a federal impact assessment of the O’Leary AI Data Centre proposed for their territory. The project has already been exempted from Alberta’s environmental assessment and secretly received a Water Act licence, without consultation. The province has determined that this project only requires the lowest level of consultation with SLCN (Level 1).

The Government of Alberta is seemingly bending over backwards to assist O’Leary’s Group. This is further evidenced by Alberta’s Indigenous Relations Minister Rajan Sawhney, on April 22, 2026, Minister Rajan Sawhney explaining the government of Alberta’s assistance on this project in the legislature: “O’Leary Digital Limited has been engaging with Tech and Innovation concierge service, and the Aboriginal consultation office is a part of that concierge service”.

“The Crown’s alleged “concierge” service on consultation with O’Leary’s group has been, and continues to be, cause for serious concern. This is amplified in the Government of Alberta’s refusal to require any transparency or assessment of impacts,” said Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation Chief Sheldon Sunshine. “This is a massive project with significant emissions, water use and, most alarming, create a heat island in an area already ravaged by wildfire, drought, and climate change.”

In preparation of this request to Canada’s impact assessment agency, Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation commissioned a report by University of Utah physicist, Robert Davies. In his preliminary overview of this project, Davies notes that “As proposed, this facility will be one of the largest single-site heat sources on the planet.”

The federal government normally designates gas powered generating facilities with production capacity of 200 megawatts for impact assessments. This project’s powered facilities will be 45 times at nine gigawatts. SLCN will be calling on the federal government to conduct this assessment and uphold the Treaty.

Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation is turning to the federal government because of the government of Alberta’s refusal to engage in proper consultation on this project.

“After the Alberta government lost the First Nations’ separatist challenge, Premier Smith said the duty to consult applies only to major projects. This is false. Yet we have either not been consulted at all or have been given the lowest level of consultation on what the province itself describes as the world’s largest AI data centre,” said Chief Sunshine. “From experience, we know the province does not take the duty to consult seriously even when it comes to projects.”

Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation is preparing for a hearing with O’Leary Digital Limited on June 8, 2026, in which O’Leary is attempting to challenge the Crown’s failure to uphold the duty to consult.