Bell Plans $50 Billion AI Expansion in Saskatchewan

Bell Canada is planning a major expansion of its AI infrastructure in Saskatchewan that could eventually involve more than $50 billion in total investment.

Bell and the Government of Saskatchewan announced a non-binding memorandum of understanding on Monday that would add up to 900 megawatts of capacity to Bell AI Fabric in the province.

If fully built, the project would bring Bell’s Saskatchewan AI infrastructure to 1.2 gigawatts, which the company says would be the largest capital investment in the province’s history. The plan builds on Bell’s earlier 300 MW Saskatchewan AI data centre work and the later Sherwood municipal green light.

Bell also plans to put the head office for its national Bell AI Fabric ecosystem in Saskatchewan. Extra capacity would use partner-developed natural gas generation rather than the provincial grid, with closed-loop cooling that does not require municipal water, matching sites such as its B.C. Interior cluster.

Buildout would happen in phases and depends on Bell securing customers, completing commercial agreements and receiving permits, approvals and environmental assessments. At full scale, Bell says it could support 800 to 1,200 construction and technical jobs, up to 600 permanent operations roles, and about 3,000 offsite and community jobs.

“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,” Bell CEO Mirko Bibic told iPhone in Canada.

Premier Scott Moe said the proposed investment would create thousands of jobs and help keep Canadian data stored at home by a Canadian company under Canadian rules. Bell plans to work with Saskatchewan suppliers, Indigenous partners and post-secondary institutions as the project develops.

The expansion remains a proposal for now. Bell notes there is no guarantee the full 1.2 GW buildout will proceed, with final scale depending partly on customer demand and regulatory approvals.