Rally on Nova Scotia Highway 104 Draws Support Against Proposed AI Data Centre
At least 20 Mi’kmaw protectors, Grassroots Grandmothers, and supporters rallied on Highway 104 in Aulds Cove to raise awareness about the environmental impacts of EverWind’s proposed AI data centre in Port Tupper. Organizers distributed approximately 300 flyers to passing drivers, who largely responded with support. Further protests are scheduled for Nov. 7 across multiple Nova Scotia communities.
At least 20 Mi’kmaw protectors, Grassroots Grandmothers, and their supporters gathered on Friday for a rally on Highway 104 in Aulds Cove, Nova Scotia. The event aimed to raise awareness about the environmental impacts of EverWind’s proposed AI data centre in Port Tupper. 
The rally was scheduled to run from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., but organizers ran out of materials early. They handed out approximately 300 paper flyers to passing drivers, exhausting the supply within the first 1.5 hours of the event.
Kuku’wes Wow’kis (Madonna Bernard), from We’koqma’q First Nation, stated that hundreds of drivers accepted the flyers and showed their support by honking and waving. According to Wow’kis, only one driver discarded a flyer. She argued that the government is pushing the AI data centre through too quickly via legislation without sufficient public understanding or consultation. Wow’kis also questioned why Halifax Examiner reporters Joan Baxter and Jennifer Henderson were removed from EverWind’s AI data centre announcement on Oct. 16.
Sean MacGillivray, a website developer who moved to Sydney, assisted with the rally. He expressed opposition to AI due to job losses, intellectual property theft, and environmental damage. MacGillivray criticized the province for waiving environmental impact assessments for EverWind’s project and failing to consult with Mi’kmaw nations. 
Nova Scotia RCMP were present at the site during the rally.
Additional protests against EverWind’s proposed AI data centre have been scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7. Those demonstrations are set to take place in Port Hawkesbury, Sydney, Halifax, Truro, Bridgewater, Kentville, and Westville.