Huge protest rally against Vancouver AI data centres happening this weekend
A third large-scale demonstration against the proposed cluster of AI data centres in Vancouver is scheduled for this weekend on Sunday, July 26, in the downtown core.
An organizer with 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 aim was to apply pressure to City Council to pause hyperscale data centre development.
“We hope to demonstrate a concrete electoral risk to politicians who refuse to commit to pausing hyperscale data centre development until a proper regulatory framework is in place that ensures impact management, democratic participation, and community benefit,” said Guerric Haché, an organizer with No AI Vancouver.
“We’re working to ensure a safe and peaceful protest. We’re taking all possible steps to ensure people feel comfortable at the protest, and that our actions align with our motivation of care for our city and community.”
No AI Vancouver
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The demonstration on Sunday, July 26, will take place at the Vancouver Art Gallery at 1 p.m.
Hundreds of protesters are expected to turn out for the stationary rally with speakers and other activities.
“Instead of marching, there will be a greater focus on connecting participants, sharing next steps, and some community-building activities as we reorient towards the election,” explained Haché. “This is also a plus for drivers, as traffic will no longer be affected. In May, we estimate we had 500 to 700 protesters. In June, we estimate we had 1,000 to 1,200 protesters.
“Overall community response has been astoundingly positive. We’re overwhelmed by a flood of interest from people of all walks of life. We have received almost no negative feedback from any part of the community, and we’ve seen a remarkable diversity of political and social views among our supporters.”
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Speakers scheduled to speak at the stationary rally include local parents organizing with PACES (Parents for AI Caution in Educational Spaces) and labour leaders from IASTE 891 (the Canadian Animation Guild).
The group has also shared a link to a petition calling for a stop to the Vancouver AI Data Centre, which has garnered over 17,000 signatures as of press time.
The protest comes just days after City Council unanimously voted to reverse its July 14 decision to send the rezoning application for the site at 111 East 5th Ave. and 2060 Quebec St. to a public hearing on the evening of Thursday, July 23.
2026 concept of the 10-storey Telus AI data centre at 150 West Georgia St., Vancouver. (Westbank/Telus)
The proposal would see Westbank substantially renovate M3 — a six-storey office building constructed in 1977 within its Main Alley tech campus. For more than a decade, the building housed a major part of Hootsuite’s headquarters office presence in the Mount Pleasant Industrial Area.
During Tuesday’s City Council meeting, ABC city councillor Lisa Dominato initially introduced an urgent member motion to reschedule the M3 rezoning application’s public hearing. It was later determined, however, that the best first step would be to rescind the earlier decision referring the application to a public hearing.
The decision to defer the public hearing and decision was driven by both the proposal’s unusually high level of public interest and concerns that City Council would not have enough time to hear from all registered public speakers.
No AI Vancouver
The move also potentially turns the AI data centre proposal into a campaign issue ahead of the civic election on Oct. 17, 2026.
“On a practical level, AI data centres are dead weight to a city,” added Haché. “They contribute fewer jobs than if the same land was used for office space, community services, or other infrastructure like hydro substations.
“They contribute far less foot traffic to surrounding businesses. They strain the electrical grid and could cause higher prices for ratepayers. And public investment from the Liberal government means they are costing us taxpayer money before they even generate any tax revenue.”
No AI Vancouver
The No AI Vancouver co-organizer also explained that a uniting force for the group’s supporters is an underlying frustration that decisions about hyperscale data centres and generative AI are being made in “far-away corporate boardrooms and caucus meetings, by elites who have no skin in the game.”
“These decisions are being thrust upon communities with no attempt to figure out what they cost us, or whether they are really the best use of resources in addressing the many real problems Canadians are facing,” added Haché.
“Ultimately, objections to generative AI and data centres are rooted in people’s frustration with the erosion of Canada’s democracy, and the prioritization of the needs of the powerful over the needs of the people. These data centre projects have provided people with a local, tangible symbol of democratic erosion that they can rally against.”