{"id":78459,"date":"2026-09-15T15:06:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T15:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/2026\/09\/15\/another-day-another-data-centre-announcement-what-do-they-mean-for-canada-and-its-digital-sovereignty\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T15:06:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T15:06:14","slug":"another-day-another-data-centre-announcement-what-do-they-mean-for-canada-and-its-digital-sovereignty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/2026\/09\/15\/another-day-another-data-centre-announcement-what-do-they-mean-for-canada-and-its-digital-sovereignty\/","title":{"rendered":"Another day, another data centre announcement. What do they mean for Canada and its digital sovereignty?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> \n<br \/><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Data centre rush in Alberta and Saskatchewan: Boom or burden?\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ka2fVGLcbKM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p> Bell Canada\u2019s newly-announced expansion of its AI data centre in Sherwood, Sask. (just outside of Regina), is being called not only the largest digital infrastructure play in the country but possibly the largest domestic infrastructure build, period. The project\u2019s scope has been quadrupled \u2014 to 1.2 gigiwatts from 300 megawatts, at a cost of $52 billion versus $1.7 billion \u2014 and makes Regina the national headquarters for Bell\u2019s AI initiatives. <\/p>\n<p> <span class=\"TextRun SCXW172148394 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW172148394 BCX0\">The announcement is just the latest in a steady stream of data <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW172148394 BCX0\">centre<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW172148394 BCX0\"> proposals proliferating across Canada<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW172148394 BCX0\">, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW172148394 BCX0\">driven<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW172148394 BCX0\"> by the rise of AI and the insatiable <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW172148394 BCX0\">demand for the <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW172148394 BCX0\">compute<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW172148394 BCX0\"> needed<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW172148394 BCX0\"> to run it. But each one brings more questions from the public about energy and water use, economic benefits and the overall impact on local communities.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW172148394 BCX0\"> <\/span> <\/p>\n<p> Here\u2019s a look at the current data centre ecosystem in Canada \u2014 where some of the biggest projects are in the works and why policy experts say data sovereignty should be a top priority. <\/p>\n<h3>How many data centres have been built in Canada so far, and how many more are in the works?<\/h3>\n<p> While there isn\u2019t an official list or database (and private sector projects can be harder to track), a few independent analyses peg the number around 200 to 300 active projects across Canada. <\/p>\n<p> \u201cThere is a real challenge in understanding not only how many data centres there are, but what types <strong> <\/strong> as well,\u201d said Graham Dobbs, senior research associate in innovation and technology at Signal49 Research. <\/p>\n<p> At York University\u2019s Schulich School of Business, assistant professor Lyndsey Rolheiser and postdoctoral researcher Alexander Carlo mapped out Canada\u2019s data centre landscape and identified 194 active facilities, 14 under construction and 199 announced projects as of June. <\/p>\n<p> The lion\u2019s share of active data centres are located in Canada\u2019s three largest provinces: Ontario (41 per cent), Quebec (30 per cent) and British Columbia (15 per cent). Alberta is home to just 10 per cent, but the province accounts for more than 92 per cent of planned capacity, according to Rolheiser and Carlo\u2019s report. <\/p>\n<p> Certain high-profile projects have made headlines. In July, Meta Platforms Inc. announced plans to build its first data centre in Canada, a $13-billion complex in Sturgeon County, Alta. Telus Corp. is expanding an existing facility in Kamloops, B.C., and is developing two new ones in Vancouver. <\/p>\n<h3>How many data centres are Canadian vs. American?<\/h3>\n<p> It depends on how you define a \u201cCanadian.\u201d Some facilities may be wholly domestically owned, but others may have multiple owners, financial backers, and companies that lease out the space to run their equipment. For example, Dobbs said a data centre could be run by a Canadian company that rents the space from a foreign multinational. Data centres can also be acquired and repurposed. <\/p>\n<p> The York University study found that the providers who develop, own and operate smaller facilities are predominantly headquartered outside Canada. <\/p>\n<p> The report notes that information about ownership and participation in data centre projects is sometimes incomplete. Where providers could be identified, the report found that U.S.-headquartered firms account for 50 per cent of small active facilities. Canadian-headquartered providers account for 30 per cent and European firms represent nearly 15 per cent. <\/p>\n<p> For announced projects coming down the pipeline, the report found that identified U.S.-headquartered firms account for nearly 32 per cent of smaller facilities and 85 per cent for larger facilities. <\/p>\n<p> While Rolheiser and Carlo\u2019s study doesn\u2019t directly measure who controls the data stored or processed within Canadian data centres, they said the location of providers suggests \u201ca substantial share of the infrastructure supporting Canada\u2019s digital economy , particularly among large future projects, is operated by firms headquartered outside the country.\u201d <\/p>\n<p> \u201cOwnership of facilities is predominantly foreign and grows more so with facility size, with direct implications for data sovereignty ,\u201d the report said. <\/p>\n<h3>What does that mean for data sovereignty?<\/h3>\n<p> Experts say the bigger issue beyond infrastructure ownership is data sovereignty. Just because a data centre operates on Canadian soil, it doesn\u2019t mean the data processed or stored there is controlled by Canadians. <\/p>\n<p> For example, the U.S. Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act (CLOUD) allows American authorities to request electronic data from U.S.-based technology and cloud services firms including Google, Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc., regardless of where the data is stored. <\/p>\n<p> \u201cHaving the physical foundation in your backyard does nothing for us in terms of being able to govern the digital economy in a way that is responsible or reliable,\u201d said Vass Bednar, managing director at the Canadian Shield Institute. <\/p>\n<p> In May, the think tank published a policy paper on digital sovereignty that calls for \u201cmeaningful governance\u201d of Canada\u2019s digital systems and said efforts should focus on upstream factors such as data, intellectual property and governance frameworks. <\/p>\n<p> The timing of conversations around data sovereignty is crucial as trade negotiations continue between Canada and the U.S., said Jake Hirsch-Allen, director of partnerships at the Dais, a public policy think tank at Toronto Metropolitan University. <\/p>\n<p> Last June, Canada stopped collecting the Digital Services Tax \u2014 a three per cent levy on certain revenue earned in Canada by foreign tech giants \u2014 in an effort to advance trade talks with the U.S. <\/p>\n<p> \u201cIf we go further down this path in ceding more data and tech sovereignty and AI sovereignty in these trade negotiations, I think we\u2019re going to leave ourselves extremely vulnerable to the United States,\u201d Hirsch-Allen said. <\/p>\n<h3>A couple of jurisdictions have said no to data centres. Is the backlash growing in Canada?<\/h3>\n<p> Proposed data centre developments have sparked protests in some communities, where residents have raised concerns about energy costs, water consumption, noise, air pollution and whether promised economic benefits and permanent jobs will materialize. <\/p>\n<p> In Ontario, Oakville\u2019s city council voted unanimously in August to to impose a one-year moratorium on data centre development, while Mississauga will vote Sept. 16 on a bylaw that could pause new builds for up to two years. Meanwhile, Manitoba recently rejected a proposal to build a massive data centre in a rural community south of Winnipeg. \u201cThere\u2019s a big threat to the environment and not much benefit to the economy,\u201d Premier Wab Kinew told reporters. <\/p>\n<p> Even in Alberta, which aims to draw $100 billion in data centre investment to the province by 2030, an application to build a natural gas power plant to supply a $10-billion data centre complex in the small town of Olds was rejected by the province\u2019s utilities commission. <\/p>\n<p> Bednar said many people have questions and concerns about how data centre infrastructure is built in Canada that the government hasn\u2019t answered. <\/p>\n<p> \u201cWhen I look at the resistance to data centres and the anger associated with it, I do think it comes from the fact that we\u2019re still not satisfying Canadians in terms of answering, who are these for? What are they for? Why are they necessary? How are they going to make us stronger?\u201d <\/p>\n<p> Data centre development decisions primarily rest in the hands of provinces and municipalities, with each taking its own approach to regulations and zoning. <\/p>\n<p> \u201cWe have a really diverse federation in Canada,\u201d said Hirsch-Allen. \u201cAs such, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to be possible for the feds to slow down the very significant data centre growth in places like Alberta.\u201d <\/p>\n<h3><strong>If backlash grows, would that put Canada behind the curve in terms of compute and data storage?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p> Not necessarily. While experts agree that Canada needs to build up its compute infrastructure to power industries, researchers and entrepreneurs, data centres don\u2019t need to be in every community to make that happen. <\/p>\n<p> On Sept. 3, the federal government released Canada\u2019s Responsible Data Centre Development Principles, a set of five guidelines that emphasize transparency, creating lasting local benefits and strategic value to Canada, minimizing environmental impacts and not shifting electricity costs to Canadians. <\/p>\n<p> However, a news release notes that data centre development decisions are \u201cfundamentally local,\u201d and the national principles are meant to complement existing provincial, territorial, municipal and Indigenous regulatory processes. <\/p>\n<p> \u201cMaybe that\u2019s why we\u2019re only seeing principles from them and not something that\u2019s complemented with regulatory teeth or consequences for people that don\u2019t follow these principles,\u201d Bednar said. <\/p>\n<p> Bednar said the principles are a start to address data centre concerns and critiques head-on. <\/p>\n<ul class=\"related_links\">\n<li>Canada Investment Summit live: Ottawa to raise billions by privatizing airport operations, Carney says<\/li>\n<li>The AI-adjacent portfolio: Six Canadian stocks that could benefit from the AI buildout<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> \u201cIf the government is going to be partially a builder and partially a facilitator, I would prefer that we\u2019re supporting a Canadian buildout, private capital-C company with Canadian firms, and then hoping we can support those firms to grow and scale here instead of just get gobbled up by Google, Amazon or Microsoft,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<p> When looking foreign investment in the data centre buildout, Dobbs said lawmakers need to consider the economic spillover effects to make sure electricity prices remain stable for Canadians, people and enterprises can use AI in a way that\u2019s cost effective, and new jobs and industries are being created that drive Canada\u2019s economy forward. <\/p>\n<p> \u201cWe have to be very clear, and the devil is really in the data centre details,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p> <em>\u2022 Email: jswitzer@postmedia.com<\/em> <\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Alberta\u2019s AI data centre gamble: Big investment or local burden?\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rLCFG_QZ43w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<br \/>Another day, another data centre announcement. What do they mean for Canada and its digital sovereignty?<\/a><br \/>\n<br \/>2026-09-15 15:06:14<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bell Canada\u2019s newly-announced expansion of its AI data centre in Sherwood, Sask. (just outside of Regina), is being called not only the largest digital infrastructure play in the country but&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":78460,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78459"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78459\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/78460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pantheregroup.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}