The Saskatchewan NDP is doubling down on its call to pause plans for all AI data centres in the province. The official opposition called for a moratorium on hyperscale AI data centres on Tuesday in Regina, citing the up to 900-megawatt centre currently under construction in Sherwood Park. The following day, NDP MLA Brittney Senger stood in front of a space the NDP says is in talks to become another AI data centre and echoed these sentiments. “We want to see them suspend the construction of data centres until there are proper policies, regulations and guardrails in place. We want to see robust public consultation so that the government can hear the concerns that people have before they proceed with developing more AI, hyperscale data centres,” Senger said. Senger added that the NDP held public consultations in Saskatoon last week, and she told media that those who responded had a number of questions. “They had vital and important questions. They want to know how much electricity these facilities will use. What could that mean for their power bills? What happens to our water? What are the environmental impacts on land use and our environment? Who will be able to access their data? Who pays for the infrastructure these projects require? Who benefits? Will there actually be long-term benefits?” Senger said. The MLA added that this call is not to completely end the construction of AI data centres in the province, but rather to pause all projects until more information is available. “The people we heard from weren’t opposed to investment. They weren’t opposed to new technology. They want Saskatchewan to grow. They want good jobs. They want investment in their communities, but they also expect the government to do its homework,” Senger said. There are currently no official plans for the space just outside of Saskatoon in Corman Park to become one of these centres. In a statement to CTV News, the RM of Corman Park said no applications have been submitted for an AI data centre at this time. “The RM is aware that a potential applicant is exploring an indoor, office-based operation focused on data analysis. The proposed services would potentially support the agriculture, ag-tech, forestry, and natural resource sectors. Should a formal application be submitted, it would be reviewed through the RM’s established planning and development process, including any required public notice, technical review, and if required.” Meanwhile, the government told CTV News that careful consideration is going into the projects that the province will take on in the future. “Interest in building data centres in Saskatchewan has increased. To further enable project assessment and ensure continued affordability and reliability of our Crown utility services, the Government of Saskatchewan is reviewing the numerous development requests it has received through multiple intake points.” The province said in a statement to CTV News. The provincial government has previously emphasized the economic impacts of these data centres. The one currently under construction in Sherwood Park is expected to create up to 500 permanent jobs and 3,000 additional jobs through security, logistics and maintenance. CTV News is a division of Bell Media, which is a subsidiary of BCE.
