Moose Jaw could become a major artificial intelligence (AI) powerhouse in Canada and be the country’s first “AI wellness town,” as part of a proposed $485 million redevelopment of the former Valley View Centre site.
Carpere Canada, which purchased the site in 2020 under the name Carpere Valley Development Corporation, held a project launch ceremony at the Grant Hall Hotel on June 19.
As a promotional video put it, the site — dubbed “Carpere Valley” — could become “the fastest-growing tech hub in the world.”
Of the site’s 150 acres, the corporation plans to transform 100 acres by renovating all the buildings — they have over 29,430 square metres (327,000 square feet) in floor space — and construct other structures.
The redevelopment — valued between $332 million and $485 million — would integrate AI, regenerative health care and sustainable greenhouse agriculture, with a 150-megawatt AI data centre the site’s centrepiece. Heat from the data centre will support the greenhouse.
The project’s early phases could create 50 jobs, while more than 1,000 new jobs in technology and health care are expected once the site is completely operational. Phase 1 could begin in either late 2025 or early 2026.
Valley View Centre (VVC) opened in May 1955 and closed in September 2019, while Carpere purchased the site in 2020.
The hand of fate
Christian Yuan, the corporation’s CEO, said Moose Jaw has a rich Chinese-Canadian history, which strengthens his connection to the community.
“Of all the places we could have ended up, I believe fate brought us here, and I am grateful for that,” he said.
Yuan highlighted the projects that his other company, BitForest Investment, has supported in Canada over the years, from the energy industry to agriculture to real estate. He said he wants to use his team’s experience to turn the Grant Hall Hotel — which Carpere also owns — into a major attraction and the former VVC site into Canada’s leading AI data hub.
The corporation believes Moose Jaw has the people, the land and resolve to support this project, while the community has leaders who want to grow the population, support economic development and improve life for everyone, he continued.
“(We want to) leave a mark in Moose Jaw’s history,” Yuan added.
The most beautiful property
Deputy Mayor Coun. Heather Eby said Carpere gave city council a sneak peek of the project, which she thought would be “so huge and so amazing” if it came to fruition. Meanwhile, she said the site is “the most beautiful property in Moose Jaw.”
“And (I’m) very happy that Carpere has found a reuse for it that will not put a bunch of things in the landfill, but will continue to respect the valley and all that it means to the people of South Hill and our community,” she remarked.
The initiative is “very lofty,” but Carpere has the people to pursue it, while Moose Jaw’s business community can also help push it forward, added Eby. She thanked the company for “imagining and building a future” that could provide jobs for future generations.
An ambitious plan
Adrian Lai, project manager, said this is an “ambitious plan” that will require major financial investment; Carpere plans to self-finance the entire initiative. It has already submitted a rezoning application to city hall and expects to have a public hearing in September.
Renovations and construction will take five to eight years to complete, while Carpere will reuse the existing buildings so as not to disturb the surrounding green fields or area neighbourhoods, he continued.
Meanwhile, the company is working closely with SaskPower since the AI data centre will require a significant amount of energy — that is the project’s biggest hurdle to overcome — since such centres are “fairly power hungry,” he remarked.
Carpere is pursuing this project now because of AI’s recent rise, as many people use generative AI for recreation and work, said Lai. AI is the future, while significant amounts of data and computer power are required to support such services.
Moose Jaw’s colder climate is perfect for an AI data centre — and supports the project’s viability — because 35 per cent of such buildings’ costs typically go to cooling that heat-intensive technology, he pointed out.
“We’re really excited about this project,” Lai said, adding that Carpere has enhanced security to prevent further vandalism and believes safety will improve once people start working there.
A realistic plan
Alan Wallace, with consulting firm Wallace Insights, said “market realities” will force Carpere to be patient in developing the project and be committed to long-term growth and development. Moreover, the project is expensive and challenging because the infrastructure is 70 years old and was built to last.
“This is an ambitious plan, but it’s also … a realistic plan for the reuse of this site,” he said.
Carpere’s focus during the next two to three years will be on renewing the buildings and restoring water and sewer services so people can work — and potentially live — there, Wallace added.
AI and critical minerals
Greg McIntyre, outgoing president of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, commended Carpere for having a vision to enhance Moose Jaw’s business community and supplement bigger organizations like the airbase and the railyards.
Continuing, he said he visited several mines in northern Saskatchewan recently and learned that the province has 27 of the 34 rare earth minerals that Canada requires for AI-intensive industries.
“AI is strongly interwoven in everything we’re seeing, and it is not going away,” McIntyre added.
A generational opportunity
Rob Clark, CEO of the Moose Jaw Chamber of Commerce, said this was an “extraordinary and momentous” project, while the transformation of the site would be one of the “most ambitious developments” in Moose Jaw. Moreover, it would transform that area of Wakamow Valley.
The project’s proposed cost and job-creation potential were “staggering,” while it would strengthen the community and demonstrate that Moose Jaw can anchor new developments, he continued. The initiative would also add “real value” and contribute to sustainable growth.
“This project has been called a generational opportunity and we (the chamber) agree … ,” Clark said. “This is our moment to shape the future of Moose Jaw — and we’re ready for it.”
Comments