City councillors in Sault Ste. Marie have rejected a proposal to pause new data center projects following a 90-minute debate on Monday evening. The contentious issue arose after a local petition opposed a cybersecurity monitoring and training center, including a data center, approved in December 2025 for the city’s west end by city council. The initiative, a collaboration between cybersecurity firm Protexxa and Missanabie Cree First Nation, aims to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to address cyber challenges for various organizations and governments.
During the council meeting, Ward 3 Coun. Angela Caputo suggested an interim control bylaw to halt new data center proposals until additional policies and protocols were put in place. However, Mayor Matthew Shoemaker and some councillors expressed reservations about certain aspects of the proposed moratorium, leading Caputo to retract the motion.
Instead, it is anticipated that a new motion will be presented at the upcoming meeting on Aug. 31, tasking city staff with developing a dedicated framework for data centers in Sault Ste. Marie, alongside opportunities for public input. This upcoming decision is unlikely to impact the approved Protexxa data center project on Yates Avenue in the city’s industrial park, pending the completion of the property sale.
Mayor Shoemaker emphasized the distinction between various data center types during the debate, cautioning against treating them uniformly. The city’s existing infrastructure can support the proposed five-megawatt consumption for the Protexxa project, which is significantly less than the power needed for larger “hyperscale” facilities. City officials reaffirmed that any proposed data centers, irrespective of size, would undergo council scrutiny for rezoning to ensure suitability.
In light of the existing processes to assess and approve data center applications, Mayor Shoemaker argued against a moratorium, emphasizing the thorough review and consideration undertaken for the Protexxa project. He suggested focusing on enhancing existing processes rather than undermining prior decisions.