Locals ‘denied a say’ in Saskatchewan AI data centres; NDP calls for moratorium

Saskatchewan’s Opposition NDP is demanding the halt of construction efforts at artificial intelligence data centres until the provincial government establishes a framework and addresses public concerns.

A day after Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Scott Moe announced Bell Canada will quadruple the size of its data centre in the RM of Sherwood, Sask., provincial NDP leader Carla Beck called for a moratorium on the development of large-scale data centres.

At a news conference Tuesday, Beck said if the SaskParty meets the NDP’s requests, it will ensure transparency and that future administrations are held to this standard.

The government must respond to resident concerns and establish a new framework for applicants that ensures relevant information on community impacts are shared before construction starts, she said.

“There’s more regulations to set up a lemonade stand in this province right now than (there) seems to be to build an AI data centre,” Beck remarked.

The following day, the NDP’s innovation, technology and AI critic Brittney Senger spoke at a news conference in the RM of Corman Park, Sask., in front of a site being pitched as a potential hyperscale AI data centre.

“That would be a massive project that would have significant impacts for Saskatoon and surrounding communities, but the people who live here have been left with far more questions than answers,” she told reporters.

Senger said residents told her about their lingering concerns in recent engagement sessions, including a town hall held in Saskatoon earlier in September.

They said questions remain unanswered over the impact the data centre could have on local water supplies, as well as the effects it could have on the power grid, and in turn, their power bills.

Economic benefits and environmental impacts also remain unknown to the public and Opposition, Senger added.

“Why are the people who live in these communities, where data centres are being built, denied a say in their future?” the provincial AI critic questioned, noting locals are open to data centres in their communities if they can be proven to be beneficial.

“The public deserves to know what those conversations are, and they deserve a say in what’s going on in their communities.”

The Bell Canada data centre in Sherwood will not use excessive groundwater, according to the company’s website . It said the site is expected to use a closed system with water that is trucked in, added during commissioning and not regularly replaced.

At an August news conference, Minister of Crown Investments Corporation Jeremy Harrison said the Sherwood site will be the last data centre allowed to utilize SaskPower resources, but the Crown corporation will not be responsible for powering the entire site.