Partnership with the Government of Saskatchewan provides access to cutting-edge AI compute, strengthening the provincial and national AI economies
BCE updates 2026 financial guidance targets and 2025-2028 financial outlook
This news release contains forward-looking statements. For a description of the related risk factors and assumptions, please see the section entitled “Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements” later in this news release.
REGINA, SK, March 16, 2026 /CNW/ – Bell Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan have announced a significant new initiative aimed at bolstering Canada’s artificial intelligence capabilities. The partnership will see the construction of a $1.7 billion, 300 MW data centre in the Rural Municipality of Sherwood, just outside Regina. This facility is expected to become the largest purpose-built AI data centre in Canada.
The investment is part of Bell’s strategy to lead in enterprise AI solutions, aimed at enhancing the country’s domestic compute capacity while also supporting Saskatchewan’s economic growth and diversification. Once operational, the data centre is projected to generate up to $12 billion in economic value for Saskatchewan, including job creation, tax revenues, and broader economic benefits.
This project marks Bell’s largest investment to date in Saskatchewan, positioning the province as a pivotal hub for AI-driven economic activity. The construction phase is anticipated to provide at least 800 jobs in trades and engineering, and a minimum of 80 full-time roles will be available once the facility is fully operational. Additionally, the project could indirectly create up to 750 community jobs due to the large-scale deployment of data centre operations.
Construction is slated to commence this spring, with the first data halls expected to come online in the first half of 2027. A substantial portion of the facility’s power supply will be dedicated to sovereign AI compute, ensuring that Canadian government agencies, researchers, and enterprises can access high-performance AI resources while keeping their data within national borders.
The facility will be integrated with Bell’s national fibre backbone through a partnership with SaskTel, which will serve as a go-to-market partner for AI-powered products and solutions aimed at its customers. This collaborative effort is anticipated to expand Canada’s AI ecosystem while generating significant local economic benefits.
As part of this initiative, Bell has secured partnerships with Cerebras and CoreWeave, both of which will occupy the new facility. Cerebras will offer its innovative wafer-scale technology to provide AI Fabric customers with high-performance AI inference and training capabilities. In parallel, CoreWeave is set to deliver scalable AI compute services hosted on NVIDIA GPUs.
In addition to its technological focus, the partnership aims to foster educational and community engagement. Bell will support strategic AI initiatives for Saskatchewan’s postsecondary institutions, municipalities, and the public sector, and is committed to exploring collaborative opportunities with students and faculty from Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the University of Regina. Furthermore, Bell has reached an agreement with the George Gordon First Nation to promote Indigenous procurement and workforce development in connection with the data centre.
The project also emphasizes sustainability, incorporating a closed-loop cooling system that minimizes the use of municipal water resources. Advanced discussions are ongoing regarding a district energy system that would facilitate the reuse of waste heat on nearby university campuses and in development projects led by George Gordon Developments Ltd., situated north of the site.
Mirko Bibic, President and CEO of BCE and Bell Canada, commented, “Bell is drawing on its historic roots as a Canadian technology leader through ambitious projects like Bell AI Fabric, building a digital backbone to power the future of the Canadian economy. Today’s announcement illustrates our commitment to lead in enterprise with AI-powered solutions and deliver significant economic benefits to Saskatchewan.”
The Honourable Scott Moe, Premier of Saskatchewan, lauded the announcement as a boon for the province’s economy, stating that Bell’s investment will create jobs, bolster local research capabilities, and foster new business ventures.
Andrew Feldman, CEO and Co-founder of Cerebras, emphasized the vital role of AI infrastructure, stating, “Countries seek AI systems that are fast, energy-efficient, and sovereign by design, and partnering with Bell allows us to provide industry-leading AI compute to Canada.” Sachin Jain, COO of CoreWeave, added, “Expanding access to advanced compute will unlock new opportunities for innovation, economic growth, and scientific discovery.”
The project is expected to have a significant impact on BCE’s financial outlook, with updated 2026 guidance targets reflecting the projected positive financial implications of the new data centre. BCE plans to increase its goal for AI-powered solutions revenue from approximately $1.5 billion to around $2.0 billion by 2028. The announcement will be discussed during a financial analysts’ conference call scheduled for today at 8:00 a.m. eastern time.
This landmark investment underlines the increasing importance of AI technologies as foundational infrastructure for future economic growth in Canada, positioning Saskatchewan at the forefront of the AI revolution.
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