Saskatchewan could become home to one of Canada’s largest AI infrastructure projects under an expanded partnership between Bell Canada and the provincial government.
Bell AI Fabric, Bell’s national AI infrastructure ecosystem, is being built to provide secure Canadian computing capacity for governments, businesses, researchers and other organizations using artificial intelligence. Premier Scott Moe and Bell Canada CEO Mirko Bibic announced a non-binding agreement that creates a path toward a 1.2-gigawatt AI hub, with total capital investment potentially exceeding $50 billion.
Bell AI Fabric would also establish the headquarters of its national ecosystem in Saskatchewan.
Here are the highlights of the annnouncement:
- A much larger AI hub is planned: The project keeps the initial 300 MW development and could add up to 900 MW of capacity in phases. The additional power would come from partner-developed natural gas generation under Saskatchewan’s Bring Your Own Power approach.
- Thousands of jobs could follow: You could see 800 to 1,200 construction, engineering and technical jobs, plus up to 600 permanent operations and management roles at full buildout. Another 3,000 offsite and community jobs could emerge in areas such as logistics, maintenance, security and hospitality.
- Role of SaskTel: Bell could reserve up to 10 MW of wholesale capacity for SaskTel, while the two companies would work on opportunities involving Saskatchewan businesses, post-secondary institutions, municipalities and public services.
- Cooling would not rely on municipal water: Bell plans a closed-loop system in which technical fluid stays within the cooling network. Beyond everyday needs such as drinking water and washrooms, water use is expected to resemble an office building with about 130 employees.
- Canadian data sovereignty is a key focus: Moe said keeping data in Canada means “Canadians set the rules and remain in control.”
The expansion would still require applicable permits, approvals and environmental reviews before full development proceeds.