Canadian telecommunications firm Bell Canada has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with the Government of Saskatchewan to expand Bell AI Fabric in the province through a phased development of up to 900 MW of additional capacity.
The development will form part of efforts to establish a 1.2 GW AI infrastructure hub in the Canadian province, representing the largest capital investment in Saskatchewan’s history when complete. According to a press release, total capital investment associated with this project including, data center infrastructure, tenant compute, and related power generation, could exceed US$ 50 billion.
“Canada’s next generation of economic growth will be built on Canadian infrastructure. By creating a path to 1.2 GW of AI capacity in Saskatchewan, Bell AI Fabric will give governments, businesses, researchers and innovators the secure, sovereign foundation they need to deploy AI at scale and compete globally. AI infrastructure is critical infrastructure, and we are proud to be building the additional compute capacity required to power Canada’s future economy,” said Mirko Bibic, Bell Canada President and Chief Executive Officer.
“This historic investment will create thousands of good jobs and new opportunities for Saskatchewan people. It will also strengthen Canadian data sovereignty by keeping Canadian data here at home, stored by a Canadian company and protected under Canadian rules. When it comes to data storage, keeping that home ice advantage means Canadians set the rules and remain in control,” said Scott Moe, Premier of Saskatchewan.
The expansion will lean on partner-developed power generation from natural gas. The facility, like other Bell AI Fabric projects, will use a closed-loop cooling system that will not use municipal water. Development of the facility will proceed in phases as customer commitments are secured. Bell AI Fabric will also establish a head office in the Canadian province.
As many as 1,200 construction, engineering, and technical jobs will be created during the expansion with up to 600 permanent operations and management roles becoming available at completion.
Mordor Intelligence estimates that Canada’s data center market is worth US$ 13.06 billion in 2026, growing to US$ 25.09 billion by 2031. This growth is being driven by a surge in cloud service adoption and hyperscale expansion into the country as well as rising data consumption as 5G rolls out across the Great White North.