Burlington City Council has voted 3-2 against a proposed one-year pause on new data centre and AI facility development, deciding instead to fast-track a new policy framework while a key site plan application moves ahead under staff review.
The marathon July 21, 2026 council meeting stretched more than nine hours and heard from 17 residents and business groups before the close vote. Councillors Lisa Kearns and Mayor Marianne Meed Ward backed the moratorium, while councillors Rory Nisan, Paul Sharman, and Angelo Bentivegna voted to reject it.
The debate was sparked by a proposal from Toronto-based Gliese.AI Inc. to build a 17-20 megawatt data centre at 3110 South Service Road, the former Mother Tucker’s/Mother Tucker’s Marketplace site near the Queen Elizabeth Way and Guelph Line. That application remains under review by city staff under delegated authority, and no final decision has been made.
Those who opposed the moratorium argued it would send the wrong signal to investors. “Common sense has prevailed over a campaign of fear,” said Councillor Nisan, who is also running for mayor. The Burlington Chamber of Commerce also opposed the pause, with president Terry Caddo warning that “a moratorium is a great big stop sign for anybody who wants to come into Burlington” and would hurt the city’s business reputation.
Instead of a freeze, council directed staff to report back in December 2026 with a full policy toolkit, including potential zoning updates, infrastructure requirements, environmental standards, and a public engagement plan. In a separate vote, council passed a resolution urging the federal and provincial governments to create province-wide rules for data centres, rather than leaving each municipality to deal with proposals on its own.
“We know that demand for data centres is growing across Ontario, and I believe we need standard regulations across the country, rather than piece-meal, case by case responses,” said Mayor Meed Ward, who chairs Ontario’s Big City Mayors Caucus.
Burlington currently has no specific zoning rules for data centres, meaning they are permitted in employment zones without council or public input. The proposed Gliese.AI facility would use air cooling instead of municipal water, a requirement under Halton Region bylaws, and the president of Burlington Hydro, Gerry Smallegange, described the project as a “one and done” fit with existing capacity.
The vote came just one week after neighbouring Hamilton also rejected a similar data centre moratorium 10-6, after initially supporting the idea 15-1 in June. Both decisions highlight the tension between attracting tech investment and managing community and environmental concerns as AI infrastructure demand surges across Ontario.
