Fawcett says he’s open to small data centre in city

Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett said he wouldn’t be opposed to a small data centre being built in the city.

Fawcett made the comments at a panel event Tuesday evening hosted by Brandon University’s student politics committee and Sustainable Brandon. The event was supposed to be a debate, but mayoral candidate and former Brandon East MLA Len Isleifson did not respond to invitations, an organizer said.

“I’m not scared of data centres,” Fawcett said at BU’s Evans Theatre, with about 25 people in attendance.

He likened the sizes of data centres to forms of transportation, but said most data centres in the news are “rocket” sized.

“I’m not opposed to a little bicycle,” he said, adding that the economic impacts would have to make sense, including local jobs.

Premier Wab Kinew blocked the build of a massive data centre near Ile des Chênes earlier this year.

Fawcett said before his time on council, which started in 2010, Google and Facebook came to the province’s chamber of commerce to ask about building a centre in Brandon.

“They wanted to come here, use all our cheap energy and not have anybody working, and we were never for that then,” he said.

He said a data centre likely wouldn’t come to Brandon anyway, as it’s like the monorail in “The Simpsons,” where companies target small municipalities instead of large centres.

One panellist who doesn’t own a vehicle said she feels “extraordinarily unsafe” when it comes to transit or pedestrian and bike infrastructure. She asked what the city is doing to reduce dependence on vehicles for residents.

Fawcett suggested micro-buses, which could travel on residential streets, as one solution.

He also spoke about the city’s recent move to introduce electric vehicles for its fleet, and how more use of transit is good for the environment.

Asked if he would like to see passenger rail service come to Brandon and connect it to other cities, Fawcett said he would love that idea. But he added that it likely isn’t feasible, as CN and CPKC would not be able to undertake it, and new infrastructure would have to be built.

An investment of that size, he said, would need to be led by the federal government.

“Logistics matter,” he told the panel.

The Sun asked Isleifson on Tuesday why he was not participating at the event. He said it was “the first I am hearing about this.”

“I have not received any information about a debate tonight. Would be happy to attend if it was rescheduled,” he said in a text message.

Organizer Debby Dandy said that three emails about the debate were sent to Isleifson’s campaign email, and organizers did not have a phone number to contact him at. She said Isleifson’s response was “upsetting,” as organizers wanted both candidates present.

Both Fawcett and Isleifson have agreed to participate in the Brandon Sun, Brandon University and WCGtv mayoral debate at the Lorne Watson Recital Hall on Oct. 16.

Councillor debates are set for Oct. 14 and Oct. 21.

The election is Oct. 28.

» alambert@brandonsun.com