Protest march to stop Vancouver AI data centres to impact weekend traffic
A second large-scale demonstration against the proposed cluster of AI data centres in Vancouver is slated for Saturday, June 27, and traffic will be impacted throughout downtown and Fairview.
Organizers @no.ai.vancouver, which formed shortly after Telus announced it was moving ahead with plans to build a major sovereign artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure network in B.C., said that its “collective protest” was to raise awareness of several vital concerns.
“The rampant, unregulated deployment of AI in recent years is the result of the blatant theft and distribution of countless copyrighted works, negatively impacting thousands of artists, writers, filmmakers, and other creators across Canada,” said No AI Vancouver in a release.
“The development of this technology, especially in Vancouver [which is] home to some of Canada’s most creative industries, raises significant red flags. There are also open questions about the centres’ impact on the electrical grid and local water supplies, which is of particular concern given Vancouver’s current Stage 3 water restrictions.
No AI Vancouver
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The demonstration on Saturday, June 27, will begin at the Vancouver Art Gallery at 1 p.m.
Hundreds of protestors are expected to turn out for the afternoon march from downtown to Vancouver City Hall at the intersection of Cambie Street and West 12th Avenue.
“This is not just a one-day thing,” said Torin Larocque, founder of No AI Vancouver. “Keep protesting online [and] in person. Do what you can to help stop this.”
Protesters who march to Vancouver City Hall will hear from speakers including B.C. Green Party Leader Emily Lowan, Vancouver municipal election candidates Solomon Yi-Kieran and Stephanie Allen, union representative and digital artist Eddy Pedreira, and more.
The group has also shared a link to a petition calling for a stop to the Vancouver AI Data Centre, which has garnered nearly 14,000 signatures as of press time.
Daily Hive Urbanized has reached out to the VPD for more information regarding any road closures for the protest march and will update this story.
2026 concept of the 10-storey Telus AI data centre at 150 West Georgia St., Vancouver. (Westbank/Telus)
On May 11, Telus announced that it is working with the Government of Canada and Westbank on a proposed cluster of AI-focused data centres. The project forms part of the federal government’s Enabling Large-Scale Sovereign AI Data Centres initiative, aimed at strengthening Canada’s domestic AI infrastructure.
The Vancouver-based company noted the three-site B.C. network will eventually scale to more than 60,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) and 150 megawatts of computing capacity by 2032. One of the facilities is planned for Kamloops, which is expected to launch later this year.
Telus contacted Daily Hive after the first demonstration in May, which drew hundreds of people throughout the streets of Vancouver.
No AI Vancouver
“We view our investment in Canada’s sovereign AI backbone as a critical national asset – for Canadians, by Canadians – estimated to inject $9 billion into the Canadian economy and safeguarding our nation’s most sensitive data,” said a Telus representative.
“We have applied our core sustainability principles to our AI Factories, because we believe Canada should lead the AI revolution without compromising on its climate leadership. Designed to be the world’s most sustainable sovereign AI data centres, our Vancouver facilities will set a new global standard for sustainable AI infrastructure.”
The telecommunications company added that it will be 80 per cent more energy-efficient than a traditional data centre and consumes 90 per cent less water, equal to an estimated 300 million litres saved each year.
However, a Mount Pleasant resident who supports No AI Vancouver’s goal of halting construction of both data centres isn’t so sure that the data centre can be environmentally friendly.
“I’m strongly opposed to the proposed data centre on 5th Avenue because it would put our vibrant community at risk of chemical and noise pollution,” said Sarah Foot in a release.
“I fear the strain on our water supply, while we are already in stage 3 restrictions, could do damage to Vancouver as a whole. Mt Pleasant is a densely populated community with daycares, schools, and community centres, whose resources should be used to contribute to the community, not extract profit from it.”