Diode Ventures Proposes 575-Acre Data Center Campus Near Calgary, Canada

A massive data center campus spanning 575 acres could be developed near Calgary, Canada, as data center park developer Diode Ventures moves forward with its Goldfinch Technology Park project. The proposed campus, located in the Goldfinch Industrial Area of Wheatland County, represents a significant expansion of digital infrastructure in western Canada, though it still requires multiple approvals before construction can begin.

Diode Ventures, a subsidiary of engineering and consulting firm Black & Veatch, submitted documents to Wheatland County outlining a three-phase development plan. While the documents did not specify the campus’s total power capacity or square footage, the sheer scale of the land—575 acres—signals a project of considerable size, potentially designed to meet the growing demand for cloud and AI computing workloads.

The project moved closer to realization on July 7, when the Wheatland County council voted in favor of advancing several planning bylaws essential to the development. These include incorporating a data center planning framework into the Goldfinch Industrial Area’s official planning document and rezoning certain land parcels from Agricultural General District to Industrial General District. The council approved both first and second readings of these bylaws, but under Wheatland County regulations, a third reading is required for official passage. Additionally, the project itself has yet to receive final planning approval.

Diode has indicated that it will provide detailed plans—including specific capacity figures—once land use applications are approved by the county council. This cautious approach reflects the company’s strategy of securing zoning and regulatory clarity before committing to technical specifications.

Local reaction to the proposed campus has been largely negative. Residents and community groups have raised concerns about noise, energy and water consumption, construction impacts, and potential effects on local wildlife. These issues are likely to be central to public hearings and further council deliberations as the project progresses through the approval process.

Diode Ventures has a track record of developing and selling data center parks around Kansas City and is currently pursuing projects in Texas and Idaho. The Goldfinch Technology Park would mark its first major Canadian venture, positioning Calgary—located in the province of Alberta—as a growing hub for data center investment in western Canada.