The Saskatoon Chamber says the city has what it takes to capitalize on the next wave of Canadian data centre development.

While the headlines are focused on big tech companies racing to build massive data centres, the future isn’t just “big tech.” Open-source AI is growing fast, giving small and mid-size businesses, start-ups and communities the ability to build their own tools with more privacy and control over their data on Canadian soil.

Saskatchewan's abundant, allocatable and reliable power generation as a key selling point for potential partners and end-users, including Crown corporations, hospitals, universities and municipalities; local scientists and research institutes involved in health sciences, robotics, edge computing and quantum computing; First Nations and Métis governments and enterprises; and local businesses across agriculture, energy, manufacturing and mining looking to build their own AI tools.

Rather than simply courting hyperscale facilities, the Chamber is pointing to a more deliberate approach so the benefits don't stop at the construction gate.

What a Saskatoon strategy could look like

1. Identify sites with good energy access that could be retrofitted as data centres.

2. Pool resources through public-private-Indigenous partnerships to purchase GPU computing power at scale.

3. Use tax credits and other incentives to springboard development of next-gen centres that operate on close-loop water cooling systems and limit noise and light pollution.

4. Build training and apprenticeship programs at USask, SaskPolytech, GDI and SIIT so local workers and students benefit during construction and ongoing operations.

5. Create pathways for researchers and institutes to access the infrastructure.

While the construction phase creates employment, the real benefit of a data centre is everything it makes possible downstream. It’s similar to the construction of a new highway to get ore from mine to market, where the construction phase creates jobs, but the long-term gains come to the communities, businesses and institutions that the infrastructure ultimately supports.

Working alongside groups like Artificial Intelligence Saskatchewan, the Chamber has been convening industry stakeholders to explore the differences between traditional centre versus hyperscale facilities, shaping recommendations for policymakers, and ensuring that community benefits are woven into the terms of partnership agreements. The province and cities like Saskatoon have a chance to become strategic anchors for Canada’s data centre network — but only if the groundwork gets laid now.