Cape Breton data centre plan draws protests and fee dispute
Oct 25, 2026 · Summarized by Fundy Tech from 8 sources
A proposed $10-billion data centre in Point Tupper, Nova Scotia, is facing a petition and environmental concerns. EverWind Fuels is also fighting Newfoundland and Labrador over Crown land fees from an older wind-hydrogen project.
Key points
- EverWind plans a $10-billion data centre in Point Tupper, Cape Breton.
- Anthropic has signed a 20-year lease for the facility.
- A petition against the project is being led by Michael McCluskey of Dartmouth.
- Newfoundland and Labrador says it is still trying to collect land fees from EverWind.
The full story
There is growing pushback against a planned data centre in Cape Breton. VOCM says a petition is circulating against the project, and Yahoo News Canada says opposition politicians want an emergency sitting of the Legislature as debate grows over environmental impact and a new petition gathers thousands of signatures.
CBC says EverWind, the company behind the plan, wants to build a $10-billion data centre in Point Tupper, just south of Port Hawkesbury, for artificial intelligence company Anthropic. EverWind officials said Anthropic has signed a 20-year lease for the facility. The company had previously proposed wind-powered hydrogen projects in Point Tupper and on Newfoundland’s Burin Peninsula.
The same reporting says EverWind is in a separate dispute with Newfoundland and Labrador over Crown land fees tied to the failed Burin Peninsula wind-hydrogen project. The province says it is still trying to collect fees. EverWind says it never signed a Crown land reservation agreement, never accepted the province’s proposed fees and owes nothing. In 2023, the former Newfoundland and Labrador government set aside nearly 2,700 square kilometres of Crown land and charged more than $11.4 million a year. The province later reduced the reserve to roughly 1,800 square kilometres in April 2025, and in February it took the land back from EverWind and two other proponents after saying they were behind on fees and stalled.
The sources also note that in central Newfoundland, a previous data centre idea in Grand Falls-Windsor went nowhere because of electricity concerns. No final decision on the Cape Breton project is given in the sources.
Why it matters
This could affect local power use, land use and public debate in Cape Breton. Small businesses may see both opportunity and uncertainty if the project moves ahead. Households will be watching environmental concerns, provincial policy and whether the company’s other land dispute affects timelines.
Who’s affected: Cape Breton residents, Nova Scotia officials and EverWind Fuels
What’s next
Opposition politicians in Nova Scotia are calling for an emergency sitting of the Legislature. The petition is still growing, and the project’s environmental and economic case remains under debate.
What to do
- Follow local Nova Scotia legislative updates on the project.
- Review how a large data centre could affect electricity and land use.
- Watch for updates from EverWind and provincial officials.
Original reporting
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