Bell Canada and the government of Saskatchewan have announced a new 300 megawatt (MW) data centre in the province.
Located in Sherwood, Sask., the major investment reportedly aligns with Bell’s recent focus on AI-powered solutions and aims to significantly increase Canada’s resources for AI-related projects, alongside supporting Saskatchewan’s long-term economic growth and diversification.
Bell says this is its largest investment in the province, described as “an unprecedented commitment to Saskatchewan’s technology ecosystem that places the province at the centre of Canada’s AI-driven economic growth.”
The facility will be linked to Bell’s national fibre network through a partnership, which will also see Bell offering AI-powered solutions to SaskTel customers.
Once complete, it will be the largest purpose-built AI data centre development anywhere in the country.
The facility is set to generate up to $12 billion in economic value for the province, including both short- and long-term job creation, tax revenue, and other broader economic benefits. Interestingly, the construction of the facility alone will support at least 800 jobs across trades and engineering, with a minimum of 80 full-time jobs once the facility is fully operational.
Bell notes that the project will use a closed-loop cooling system that will not draw on municipal water resources, and that waste heat will be reused on nearby university campuses and in a separate development.
Construction is expected to begin this spring. The facility is set to come online in stages, with individual data halls coming online on a “rolling basis.” The first stage will come online in 2027.
