Bell wants to buy nearly 900 acres to expand Regina AI data centre

Bell’s Saskatchewan AI data centre is about to get way larger.

Documents filed with the Rural Municipality of Sherwood as part of a rezoning application indicate the telecom giant has already entered into conditional agreements to purchase land surrounding the parcel on which the data centre sits.

For context, the facility sits on a 160-acre (65-hectare) parcel of land just south of Regina. Currently, the facility is being built at a rapid pace, with two of the six approved data halls set to come online in the first half of 2027.

According to CBC News, the expansion covers about 895 acres (362 hectares), bringing the data centre’s total footprint to about 1,055 acres (426 hectares). For context, the Los Angeles Chargers play in a 298-acre complex in Hollywood Park, California — and we think that is insanely huge.

The intended expansion will allow for up to nine additional data centre buildings and support infrastructure. The buildings will be built in phases, with the first set being built as early as 2027, according to the documents.

The development cost is estimated at $52 billion and will be the largest private capital investment in Saskatchewan history.

Now, there is some (very expected) pushback to this near-900-acre expansion. Protesters previously disrupted the municipality’s council meetings, demanding answers amid what CBC described as a “lack of consultation.” Sherwood’s reeve, Ray Orb, confirmed to CBC News that the disruptions sparked a special virtual meeting, this time with open consultation.

Orb also told CBC that Bell must consult with First Nations about the project.

Header image credit: Shutterstock

Source: CBC News