REGINA, Sask. — After nearly seven and a half hours of debate, Regina city council voted 5-4 on Wednesday to seek more information about the potential effects of Bell’s AI Fabric data-centre campus, a project supporters describe as a major economic opportunity and critics say raises unanswered questions about the region’s water, power supply and long-term environmental risks.
The lengthy meeting on Wednesday brought residents, industry representatives and Bell executives before council to discuss a proposed expansion that would increase the campus from 300 megawatts to 1.2 gigawatts. The debate centred on what Regina can do about a development located outside city limits, and whether the public has enough information to understand its potential consequences.
“We’re not filling in the gaps with misinformation. We’re just trying to get some basic questions answered,” said Taya Triffo, an organizer with No Data Centers on Treaty Land and a lifelong Regina resident.
Triffo said residents are concerned about the scale of the project and the lack of publicly available information about its infrastructure and environmental effects.
“The power demands are enormous and bigger than anything we’ve ever seen,” she told council. “The question of where is it coming from? That still hasn’t been answered yet, at least to the public.”
Triffo said people need clearer information about power generation, water use, air quality, noise and the potential effects on agricultural land and wildlife before further expansion proceeds.
“As someone who’s trained in economics, I’m always skeptical of someone who’s telling me all about the benefits and not acknowledging the costs,” she said.
“We don’t have all the answers right now. We don’t want any irreversible impacts to happen.”
Triffo urged council to seek answers before the project advances further.
“So let’s pause and get those answers before we just give green lights and approve and approve and approve,” she said.
She acknowledged the city does not have full control over the development, but argued Regina still has a role in understanding and addressing its potential effects. Triffo also referenced a petition with 18,000 signatures opposing the project and 500 letters requesting an environmental assessment. Those figures were presented by Triffo during the meeting.
Residents raise concerns about water and the future
Julia Janicki, a Ward 1 resident, registered nurse and conservationist studying water security, told councillors she was worried about the consequences of large-scale data-centre development for her children’s future.
“But I pray they can still grow up in a world with clean drinking water, bountiful native flowers, and clear prairie skies,” Janicki said.
She stressed that her concerns were not opposition to artificial intelligence itself.
“I want to make it clear that I’m not anti-AI. I believe it can and will do great things to help humanity,” she said.
Janicki argued that comparisons between data-centre water use and golf courses did not answer her questions about the project’s demands on local resources.
“I worry not only about this one data centre, but what it represents.”
James Elliott, another Regina resident who spoke to council, focused on the relationship between data centres and the power infrastructure needed to operate them.
“Data centres cannot act or be active without a power plant,” Elliott said.
He argued that the associated power generation and infrastructure needed to be part of the public discussion, alongside questions about agricultural land, contaminated water and waste.
“The more we get in front of some of these issues, the better,” Elliott said.
Not all speakers opposed the development. Industry representatives argued the project could bring significant investment, skilled jobs and opportunities for Saskatchewan companies, while helping the province compete for future technology projects.
Bell outlines plans for power, water and jobs
Bell representatives Dan Rink, president of AI Fabric Infrastructure and Strategy, and Jay Reichel, chief operating officer of Bell AI Fabric, defended the project and outlined plans for its proposed expansion.
Rink said the company understands that residents want answers and that Bell needs what he described as a “social licence” to operate.
Bell’s proposed expansion would add approximately nine data-centre buildings on about 895 acres adjacent to the existing campus. Construction could begin as early as 2027, depending on approvals and customer demand.
Rink said the existing 300-megawatt campus is supplied by SaskPower’s existing generating assets, with high-efficiency natural-gas generation on site serving two buildings. Bell says the proposed expansion would instead use power generated by a natural-gas operator farther from Regina, rather than drawing electricity from the SaskPower grid.
The expansion’s power-generation plans would still require provincial environmental assessment and permitting. Bell said it is also evaluating other technologies, including renewable energy, battery storage and fuel cells, but has not finalized the expansion’s generation plans or location.
On water, Bell said the data-centre cooling systems use a sealed, closed-loop system that is filled when commissioned and does not rely on ongoing evaporative cooling. The company said municipal water would be used for staff facilities, kitchens and fire protection, rather than ongoing cooling.
Rink could not provide a specific figure for projected municipal water consumption during the meeting, but said he would provide further engineering information to council. He also said Bell would share its air-dispersion and noise studies with city staff and councillors.
Bell said it has monitored nearby wells and intends to continue monitoring them, despite its position that the project does not draw from the aquifer. The company also described plans to manage stormwater on site and limit off-site discharge to pre-development rates.
Rink said the company is working to address concerns about noise through equipment enclosures, landscaping berms, acoustic fencing and setbacks.
Bell presented the project as a significant economic opportunity for the region. Rink projected as many as 1,200 construction jobs, up to 500 jobs at the campus once fully built, another 100 positions at a Regina-based AI Fabric head office and about 3,000 community-based jobs directly affiliated with the project and its supply chain.
Those figures are Bell’s projections. The company also said more than 600 people are already working on site and more than 30 Saskatchewan companies are involved in the project.
Rink said Bell wants to work with local businesses, post-secondary institutions and First Nations to create longer-term opportunities. He also told councillors the company is willing to provide additional technical and engineering documents when requested.
Supporters say the province cannot afford to miss out
Erwin Heuck, a professional engineer with about 36 years of experience in the energy sector, supported data centre development and argued Saskatchewan has advantages that could attract major investment, including natural gas, renewable energy resources, available land and a cold climate.
Heuck told council data centres could help support other industries, including potash and uranium mining, manufacturing and agriculture, while creating economic activity and tax revenue. He also warned that delays could lead investors to take their money elsewhere.
Gord Hipperson, a construction company owner involved in the project, described how the development is already supporting local workers and suppliers. He said the project has generated about 140,000 work-hours to date, with thousands more added each week, and has created opportunities for Saskatchewan contractors and skilled tradespeople.
Hipperson identified local suppliers involved in providing steel, piles, concrete and engineering services. He said the economic effects also reach businesses such as restaurants, hotels, rental companies and vehicle dealerships.
Supporters said projects of this scale can help construction firms hire and train workers at a time when the industry needs skilled tradespeople. They also argued the project could create opportunities for Saskatchewan graduates and technology researchers.
The Regina and District Chamber of Commerce and the Saskatchewan Industrial and Mining Suppliers Association also supported the project in written submissions, while backing the request for more information about its implications for the city.
Council seeks answers but has limited authority
The motion brought forward by Councillor Sarah Turnbull directs city administration to prepare a report outlining Regina’s role and the status of approvals, applications and agreements related to the campus.
It also asks for information about municipal infrastructure, water supply and distribution, wastewater, stormwater management, long-term maintenance and potential cost recovery for infrastructure impacts outside the city. The motion calls for the province to provide environmental assessment information that can be publicly disclosed.
The vote does not decide whether the expansion should proceed, order a new environmental assessment or give Regina direct authority over a project located in the Rural Municipality of Sherwood.
Acting City Manager Jim Mickle cautioned that the city’s role is limited and that a report could create misunderstandings about how much influence Regina has over the development. He also warned that preparing the report would require staff time during the upcoming budget period.
Turnbull argued that clarifying the city’s role is precisely why the report is needed, as residents continue to seek answers about a project that could affect infrastructure and services beyond the RM of Sherwood.
Mayor Chad Bachynski recused himself after receiving independent legal advice. Councillor Mark Burton also recused himself, citing his work in data centre design and architecture in the telecommunications sector. Deputy Mayor David Froh chaired the meeting.
Bell said it will open a staffed community information centre at 2505 11th Avenue in Regina on Thursday, Oct. 15. The centre is expected to provide information packages, footage of the site, staff to answer questions and a dropbox for public feedback.
The city’s report is expected to help clarify what Regina can assess, what information it can obtain and where responsibility rests with the province, the RM of Sherwood and Bell.
After almost seven and a half hours of debate, council’s 5-4 vote did not settle the larger dispute over the project. It set in motion a process intended to give councillors and residents a clearer account of the city’s role as Bell pursues a major expansion outside Regina’s boundaries.
