‘We are building a digital backbone to power the future of AI in Canada’
The government of Saskatchewan and Bell Canada are partnering on a $12‑billion data centre development expected to create at least 1,630 jobs and position Saskatchewan as a national hub for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.
This is one of the largest projects in the province’s history, according to the provincial government.
Premier Scott Moe announced the project alongside Mirko Bibic, president and CEO of BCE Inc. and Bell Canada. “The announcement of this facility is great news for Saskatchewan’s economy,” Moe said. “This investment by Bell Canada will create jobs, strengthen provincial research capacity and facilitate the creation of new businesses built on advanced capabilities.”
For HR professionals, the scale and scope of the investment indicate sustained demand for both technical and support talent over a multi‑year horizon.
Recently, Ontario announced it is updating its access to information, privacy and cyber security framework for the first time in nearly 40 years.
Jobs, construction and location
Through the duration of construction, more than 800 local jobs across trades are expected to be created, according to the Saskatchewan government. At least 80 jobs will be tied to ongoing operations of the facility, with an estimated 750 additional economic spin‑off jobs, for a minimum of 1,630 positions overall.
The 90,000‑square‑foot data centre will be built in the Rural Municipality of Sherwood, with construction expected to begin this spring, the province said. SaskPower will provide the facility’s primary power needs, supplemented by generation through a natural gas contract with SaskEnergy.
Crown Investment Corporation Minister Jeremy Harrison said the development will set a new benchmark for the sector. “When the megawatts are powered to the site early in the new year, it will be largest facility of its kind in Canada,” Harrison said. “We are thankful that Bell Canada saw the value of investing in Saskatchewan for this truly historic project that will deliver significant benefits to our economy.”
AI is creating more jobs than it is eliminating, even as it reshapes technical roles across industries, according to previous report.
Sovereign AI infrastructure and data residency
The Saskatchewan government said the project and associated partnerships with Bell will “position Saskatchewan as a national leader in sovereign AI infrastructure.” AI workloads will run on Bell’s and its tenants’ AI computing platforms and be stored within Bell’s sovereign AI cloud. Bell will reserve a significant portion of compute power for sovereign workloads, ensuring data remains in Canada and meets strict chain‑of‑custody and residency requirements, the province noted.
“Through Bell AI Fabric, we are building a digital backbone to power the future of AI in Canada,” Bibic said. “Bell’s largest‑ever investment in Saskatchewan will deliver the high‑performance compute necessary to innovate at speed, creating a competitive advantage for the province and the country. We are excited to partner with the Government of Saskatchewan to deliver much‑needed AI infrastructure for our customers and for Canada.”
Saskatchewan’s Crown corporations are coordinating to support the development. SaskPower has begun work on the first phase of the transmission interconnection, expected to be complete by the end of 2026, to provide reliable power. SaskTel’s fibre optic transport network will deliver “resilient, diverse, and reliable connectivity,” linking the facility to Bell’s national fibre backbone, and the two companies will explore collaboration on AI‑powered products and services. SaskEnergy will build natural gas infrastructure for on‑site gas‑fired power generation, including a new high‑pressure pipeline and high‑volume meter station.
These activities will require specialised technical and project talent across power, telecom and gas, affecting workforce planning in multiple sectors.
Sustainability, education and Indigenous partnerships
The project will use a closed‑loop cooling system that does not draw from municipal water resources, the Saskatchewan government said. Bell is also partnering with post‑secondary institutions to explore new internship and apprenticeship opportunities, and is working with George Gordon First Nation on procurement and workforce development, as well as the potential reuse of heat generated from the site.
The province noted the announcement follows its 2024 investment roadmap, Securing the Next Decade of Growth – Saskatchewan’s Investment Attraction Strategy, under which private capital investment in Saskatchewan “continues to rank the best in the country.”
Canadian employers are headed into 2026 with strong confidence in their own performance despite concerns about the global economy, underpinned by accelerating investment in AI, according to research from the IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV).
