AI data centre near Regina will be largest data centre in Canada and largest investment in Canadian history
Gov’t says $12 billion investment will create 1,600 jobs
March 23, 2026, 11:07 am
Nicole Taylor Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A $12 billion investment in an AI data centre near Regina will bring 1,600 jobs to Saskatchewan and is the third largest investment in Canadian history.
The AI data centre would be the largest in Canada.
On Monday, Premier Moe and Mirko Bibic, President and CEO of BCE Inc and Bell Canada, announced the data centre, saying it will be one of the largest projects in Saskatchewan’s history that will generate up to $12 billion in economic value.
“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.”
Through the construction period, more than 800 jobs are expected to be created locally across trades. At minimum, 80 jobs will be associated with ongoing operation of the facility along with an estimated 750 additional economic spin-off jobs for a minimum of 1,630 jobs overall.
Construction on the 90,000-square-foot data centre is expected to begin this spring in the RM of Sherwood. The centre’s primary power needs will be serviced through SaskPower and would also use generation in part generated through a natural gas contract with SaskEnergy.
“When the megawatts are powered to the site early in the new year, it will be largest facility of its kind in Canada,” Crown Investment Corporation Minister Jeremy 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.”
In fall 2025, the Government of Saskatchewan released the Saskatchewan First Energy Security Strategy & Supply Plan which confirmed the province’s plans for its net-zero future through nuclear power; the attraction of data centres and related knowledge economy businesses is a component of this plan.
The province says this project, and associated partnerships with Bell, will position Saskatchewan as a national leader in sovereign AI infrastructure. AI workloads will use Bell’s and their tenant’s AI computing platforms and stored within Bell’s sovereign AI cloud. Bell will reserve a significant portion of the compute power for sovereign workloads, ensuring data remains within Canada, meeting strict chain-of-custody and residency requirements.
“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.”
The government says Saskatchewan’s Crown corporations are collaborating to support the project.
SaskPower is working with partner Crowns to support the project. Work has already begun on the first phase of the transmission interconnection, which is expected to be complete by the end of 2026. This will allow SaskPower to provide power for the facility.
SaskTel’s fibre optic transport network will provide connectivity, linking the facility to Bell’s national fibre backbone. In addition, SaskTel and Bell will explore collaboration options regarding the development and delivery of AI powered products and services.
SaskEnergy would develop natural gas infrastructure for Bell’s on-site gas-fired power generation to support the data centre’s peak operational demand as well as backup power generation. This would include construction of a new high‑pressure pipeline and a high‑volume meter station.
The project uses a closed loop cooling system that does not draw from municipal water resources. Bell is also partnering with participating post-secondary institutions to explore new internship and apprenticeship opportunities and is working with George Gordon First Nation on procurement and workforce development opportunities along with the potential for reuse of heat generated from the site.
In 2024, the Government of Saskatchewan unveiled its new Securing the Next Decade of Growth - Saskatchewan’s Investment Attraction Strategy. Private capital investment in Saskatchewan continues to rank the best in the country.
