Construction on the first phase of the Bell AI Data Centre near Regina is well underway, as plans move forward for an expansion that would quadruple the project’s size. The proposed expansion would extend south of the current construction site and requires additional land to be re-zoned from agricultural to light industrial use. The RM of Sherwood is set to meet Wednesday. According to the meeting agenda, if re-zoning and conceptual planning is successful, the applicant would be required to complete a fully approved detailed design, with an associated development agreement prior to any development approval. However, nearby First Nations land holders are calling for a temporary moratorium. Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation, says “we have an aquifer under our reserve to protect. We don’t know where the water is coming from and we don’t understand the impacts.” The RM meeting agenda says the project will use a closed loop cooling system, which will address water needs. The NDP Opposition is also calling for a moratorium. “The government has a responsibility to consult, and when it affects anybody, including the First Nations community, consultation should be done,’ said NDP MLA Leroy Laliberte. The reeve of the RM of Sherwood says the upcoming meeting is to consider first reading of a bylaw to rezone land for the Bell AI data centre expansion. The reeve says there’s a misconception the project will be approved at the meeting, but he says that is not the case. CTV News, CP24 and BNN Bloomberg are divisions of Bell Media, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of BCE Inc.
