Thorold City Council Surprised by Secret Data Centre

A surprise discovery in Thorold has left city council members scratching their heads. It appears that a data centre has been operating in the city for five years, hosting 20,000 dedicated Bitcoin mining computers.

The facility, spanning 100,000 square feet, was started by Red Jar in 2021 and is transmission-connected to the Ontario grid with on-site transformers. According to the company's website, it was granted permission to reuse existing electricity infrastructure in what was once the Ontario Paper Mill.

Councillor Jim Handley brought a motion to council calling for a review of policies and regulations surrounding data centres. The motion comes at a time when data centres are under fire for environmental concerns, noise, and power consumption.

The city is now looking to review zoning regulations, planning approval processes, and infrastructure implications of future data centres. They will also consult with Hydro One, the Independent Electricity System Operator, and other relevant agencies to identify potential electricity system and infrastructure implications.