REGINA — The Government of Saskatchewan is being called on to provide more transparency on the AI Data Centre project in the RM of Sherwood.
Announced in March 30,000-megawatt data centre will cover 90,000 square feet and is expected to generate more than $12 billion in economic spin-off.
Despite information on size and benefits to the province, the NDP said residents still have many questions left unanswered.
“[They have] questions about how this project was approved, how it will operate, and what the long-term impacts will be,” said NDP shadow minister for Technology, Innovation and Artificial Intelligence Brittney Senger at a news conference Friday.
In April, the RM of Sherwood released an executive summary detailing how they plan to address environmental concerns, infrastructure, and next steps. RM councillors will discuss the plan at a council meeting on Monday.
Additionally, the municipality held a closed-door meeting with residents on Tuesday to address their concerns.
On the provincial side, the NDP want the Saskatchewan Government to step up and lay out actions taken to ensure no harm comes from the project.
“There's a 240-bed care home that's being built south of the city for people with dementia, acquired brain injuries, and people with disabilities. Has this been considered? Have studies been done to [address] noise, emissions?” said Aleana Young, the NDP’s SaskPower critic.
During their news conference, the NDP confirmed they’ve spoken with Bell Canada and were assured of several items.
“Bell confirmed that they'd be responsible for the construction of those roads. They confirmed they were using this closed-loop system for water, which I know is a large public concern,” said Young.
The NDP also stated they aren’t opposed to the data centre, but want to ensure rules are followed in the development and the Saskatchewan people benefit from the project, including jobs for residents and materials used from the province.
In a statement sent to SaskToday, the province said any company proposing a project is responsible for doing a self-assessment check outlined by the Ministry of Environment to determine if an environmental assessment is required.
The province also said they've been in contact with Bell for months and will continue having discussions with the company as the project moves forward.
As for transparency, the province said any questions should be directed to Bell.
Bell intends to complete the first stage of the data centre by mid-2027.
