Saskatchewan to host $12 billion AI data centre, creating 1,630 jobs
The Saskatchewan government and Bell Canada announced a $12 billion data centre project that will position the province as a national hub for AI infrastructure. The facility, one of the largest projects in Saskatchewan's history, is expected to create at least 1,630 jobs across construction, operations, and related economic activity.
Construction begins this spring in the Rural Municipality of Sherwood. The 90,000-square-foot data centre will be the largest facility of its kind in Canada when it becomes operational in early 2027, according to Crown Investment Corporation Minister Jeremy Harrison.
Job creation timeline and scope
More than 800 local jobs in the trades will be created during construction. Once operational, the facility will support at least 80 permanent positions, with an estimated 750 additional jobs generated through economic spin-off activity.
For HR professionals, the scale of the project signals sustained demand for both technical and support talent over multiple years. The workforce planning implications extend across power, telecommunications, and gas sectors, as each will need specialized technical and project staff to support the infrastructure buildout.
Sovereign infrastructure and data residency
Bell will operate the facility as part of its AI Fabric platform, reserving significant compute capacity for sovereign workloads. All AI data will remain in Canada and meet strict chain-of-custody and residency requirements.
Saskatchewan's Crown corporations are coordinating support. SaskPower is building transmission infrastructure, with the first phase expected complete by end of 2026. SaskTel will provide connectivity through its fibre optic network. SaskEnergy is constructing natural gas infrastructure to support on-site power generation.
Sustainability and workforce development
The facility will use a closed-loop cooling system that does not draw municipal water. Bell is partnering with post-secondary institutions on internship and apprenticeship programs, and working with George Gordon First Nation on procurement and workforce development.
Research from the IBM Institute for Business Value shows Canadian employers are heading into 2026 with strong confidence in their own performance, underpinned by accelerating investment in AI. Recent data indicates AI is creating more jobs than it is eliminating, even as it reshapes technical roles across industries.
HR leaders managing talent acquisition and workforce planning should prepare for sustained hiring demand tied to this infrastructure investment and broader AI adoption across sectors.
Learn more about AI for Human Resources or explore an AI Learning Path for HR Managers to build skills in workforce analytics and talent management as AI infrastructure investment drives hiring.
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