Regina Mayor Excited for New AI Data Centre Near City
Regina Considers New AI Data Centre Proposal
Mayor Chad Bachynski welcomed the news that Bell Canada is looking to build a new data centre to study artificial intelligence (AI) just outside Regina. “I see it as an exciting thing,” Bachynski said. “I think there’s a positive opportunity here, whether it’s jobs or a service agreement or something to collaborate on with the municipality.”
Speaking on behalf of the city, Bachynski expressed no opposition about the proposal. It officially landed with the Rural Municipality of Sherwood on Jan. 9 to seek zoning approval in order to proceed with construction plans later this year.
The Regina Leader-Post reached out to the R.M. of Sherwood, but did not receive a response by publication deadline.
Documents filed with the municipality seek to rezone a 160-acre parcel of land to the south of Regina along Park Street and Old Highway 16, switching from agricultural use to light industrial use.
According to the files, the applicant is looking to develop an AI “data and research centre” that includes offices, surface parking and an on-site power substation from SaskPower.
Though the developer is only identified as a numbered corporation in Sherwood’s reports, attached letters of support from Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the University of Regina confirm the proposed centre is part of Bell Canada’s AI Fabric Project, announced in 2025.
A letter of intent also describes the centre as a campus that will “serve as critical digital infrastructure for research (and) provincial AI enablement” to support “made-in-Canada computing capacity” and cybersecurity.
Because the land is within the boundaries of a joint planning area shared by Regina and Sherwood, the city was contacted about the proposal. City planners agreed to waive a requirement that Bell Canada file a concept plan prior to development.
This step would typically examine things like servicing, tax revenue sharing and transportation planning.
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A letter signed by deputy city manager of city planning Deb Bryden says the move is in line with changes the city is considering to its official community plan. It would allow parties to skip the extra step for one-off projects “that provide broader economic benefits.”
“I don’t think there’s any concerns from our end,” Bachynski said of the proposal.
Sherwood’s report says water and waste for the data centre will be serviced privately, and any necessary upgrades to adjacent roadways for access reasons will be at the developer’s cost.
The Ministry of Highways expressed no concerns about traffic impacts while Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency also flagged no issues with the proposal at this time, adds the report.
Feedback from adjacent landowners included in the application does ask the R.M. to consider a noise limit for the property and to ensure proper drainage is in place as well as confirmation on where the data centre will get its water.
“We notice the developer’s letter is completely silent on water,” reads a response from the unnamed landowners. “Before changing the zoning, council should have clear answers about how this development will source its water and what protections exist for existing landowners who depend on the same resource.”
Bell’s application says the campus will be built in phases, with construction on the initial buildings expected in 2026.
Future development may involve a research partnership with the U of R to develop greenhouses that reclaim heat generated by data centres, along with opportunities still being negotiated with Sask Polytech’s Digital Integration Centre of Excellence.
