Saskatchewan is ‘choosing Canada’ for new AI data centres, minister says

The Saskatchewan government has outlined a new framework aimed at prioritizing Canadian companies in the construction of data centres within the province. The primary objective is to ensure data sovereignty and maintain reliable utilities, according to Jeremy Harrison, the Minister of Crown Investments Corporation.

Harrison emphasized that AI and data sovereignty will become as crucial as energy security in the future. He further explained that if data centre construction doesn't occur in Saskatchewan, it will likely take place in the United States or other countries around the world. "We're choosing Canada," he added, highlighting that companies based in Canada are subject to Canadian regulations.

All new data centres must generate their own power and cannot utilize SaskPower utilities. A centralized provincial intake process has been established for interested companies, and only experienced operators are allowed to apply. The provincial guidelines, derived from feedback from stakeholders in business, labor, industry, and Indigenous partners, provide clear principles for future data centres that can be referenced by municipalities and residents.

At a Bell Canada AI data centre construction site near Regina, Harrison visited a site approved by the RM of Sherwood Council in April. Despite protests from residents, it was deemed a "Saskatchewan project." Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) group president John Watson stated that the company's data centre in Sherwood is "a Saskatchewan project," with Canadian firms and 14 trade unions collaborating on the site.

When fully operational, BCE expects to employ 1,500 people, using Canadian steel and employing a closed water system that will not regularly replace the trucked-in water.