REGINA, Sask. — Things continue to move along for the ever-expanding Bell AI Data Centre project south of Regina.
The current 300-megawatt project, which recently announced plans to expand to 1,200 megawatts, is well underway with the first phase of construction, according to government officials.
They pointed to the shell structures of the first four buildings currently up and under construction at the work site in the RM of Sherwood, as well as more than 500 people working on site.
“We have just an amazing thing going on here behind us,” said Minister for Crown Investment Corporation Jeremy Harrison.
“The largest private-sector capital investment in the history of the country at full build-out, which will mean of the three largest investments in Canadian history, two of them will be in Saskatchewan,” said Harrison, pointing to the Bell AI data centre as well as the BHP mine at Jansen.
He pointed to locally sourced products, with “literally millions of pounds of steel, I think made up at Evraz here not too far down the road, that are going up behind us and will be going up behind us for years into the future, not just over the next number of months, but for years.”
He pointed to 30 Saskatchewan contractors, suppliers and Indigenous partners, as well as Prairie Steel from Clavet making the steel components.
Harrison also pointed to the provincial jobs impact.
“This is going to comprise, like I said, 800 to 1,200 jobs in construction at any given point for years into the future for four or five years as we go through the construction part of this. 500 permanent operations jobs. In addition to that, the relocation of the Bell AI Fabric headquarters to Regina really is something that I think is going to be of enormous importance as we move forward in building an AI and data ecosystem in this province.
“And we will be the hub for the entire country. Three thousand jobs beyond just this site that will be jobs related directly to the work being done here at this facility. And I really believe that we have all of the components of creating the national AI and data hub for the entire country right here in Saskatchewan. And I think a big part of that right here in Regina. So the financial impact is immense. This is basically, from a fiscal perspective, the equivalent of a new energy sector, not just a massive new energy project, the equivalent of a new energy sector for Saskatchewan.”
While Harrison had a lot to say about the significance of the project, the construction update at the Bell AI Data Centre site seemed less of an update on construction and more of a show of broad support for the project.
Among those on hand lending support were Regina Mayor Chad Bachynski and RM of Sherwood Reeve Ray Orb. Orb said the project is a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have a facility like this in Saskatchewan.”
The benefits to the RM, Orb said, will include taxation revenues.
“We're always looking for more tax money. Of course, we just dream about assessment, right?” said Orb.
“We know that when this facility is completed, there will be a lot of taxes that come into the RM, and there will be equally as much education tax. We need to build more schools in this province, and some of that money will be used for that as well.”
Bachynski pointed to the indirect benefits for Regina with the creation of up to 500 permanent jobs in power generation and operations, and another estimated 3,000 jobs to support careers in technology, engineering, operations, cybersecurity and elsewhere.
“These people will eat in our restaurants, shop at our local retailers, and take in all of Regina's attractions… Today's announcement is more than a building or a piece of infrastructure. It's about positioning our province, our city, and the greater Regina area at the forefront of one of the most transformative technologies of our time. It's about creating opportunity, building confidence in our future, and ensuring that the next generation of innovation has a home right here in our backyard.”
As for Harrison, he pointed to the announcement in Toronto last month of the project’s expansion as showing bipartisan support for the data centre.
“I've been in politics for a long time, 22 years in elected office. I can't think of a scenario, if you asked me five years ago, where you would get Prime Minister (Mark) Carney, Prime Minister (Stephen) Harper, Prime Minister (Jean) Chrétien and Premier (Scott) Moe on the same stage in support of the same initiative. I couldn't have foreseen that being possible. But it happened. We were able to stand on stage together with Mirko Bibic, the CEO of Bell Canada, in Toronto at the Investment Summit and announce a quadrupling of the project commitment. That was a remarkable day.
“And I think the fact that you had bipartisan support from two former prime ministers, the current Prime Minister and the Premier of Saskatchewan, speaks to the immense consensus across the country on a bipartisan basis in support of this particular project and investment.”
When asked to what extent he was concerned about the backlash to data centres in the province, Harrison pointed to those at the event that day.
“Look at who's up here right now. You have the Reeve RM, the mayor of the city, representatives from labour, from business, from post-secondary. There is broad support for the initiative and the direction that we're going in. And beyond that, I would say at the national level, a genuine recognition of the significance of this project and this investment.”
When pressed further about some of the opposition being expressed, Harrison took his shot at the Opposition NDP.
“There are going to be people opposed to it. I mean, I think what you're referencing, I mean, the Official Opposition, they're an anti-development party. I'm not going to get into partisanship. We'll have an opportunity to do that in Question Period when the House returns. But look, I mean, there are people that are going to be opposed to development, which is what the NDP are. What we're focused on here, though, is building something that is going to have generational significance for people in the province and genuine national importance for the country as far as AI and data sovereignty.”
When asked about potential resistance from municipalities to a data centre development, Harrison responded that “we're prepared to engage in conversations with municipal governments. We do it every single day, and I'm sure that'll be a continuing conversation.”
Bell tries to allay fears about AI
It also was a chance for Bell Canada to make its own announcement in support of the Saskatchewan community.
Bell Group president John Watson announced it would be contributing $1 million toward support for mental health activities in Saskatchewan.
Watson also seemed mindful of some of the concerns expressed by those who have concerns about AI development in the community. He compared it to the introduction of another new technology years earlier, the automobile.
“If we go back to 1906, automobiles were first introduced to Saskatchewan. People were terrified of them. They thought about a total ban on automobiles. Some provinces did that. They banned automobiles outright and stuck with horses.”
But he added that in Saskatchewan, “instead of putting a ban in place, the province decided that they'd come up with a framework of ten rules.”
“The first one was the maximum speed was 16 kilometres an hour. So take you a while to get to northern Saskatchewan. And if you came upon a horse, you had to exit your car, turn it off, and make sure the horse was unfazed and not nervous. In the end, Saskatchewan became the fastest adopter of gas-powered automobiles, trucks, and farm equipment.”
Watson also addressed concerns about transparency and communication, indicating its door was open.
“Any new technology brings about change and questions and uncertainty. Let's keep an open dialogue… Our commitment is straightforward. We'll continue to engage, listen, provide support and information, and answer questions openly.
“We're doing something amazing here, something to be proud of. Absolutely Saskatchewan and Canadian world class. And just like in 1906, Saskatchewan is going to lead the way for others to follow.”
