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In Saskatchewan (70%) and Alberta (64%), majorities say data centre development should be limited
October 7, 2026 – As governments look to capitalize on the AI boom, new data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds Canadians are considerably more cautious about bringing the infrastructure required to support it into their own provinces.
Nearly two-thirds (64%) say their own respective provincial governments should limit the development of large data centres, while fewer than one-in-five (18%) would encourage more. Opposition reaches seven-in-10 in Saskatchewan (70%), Manitoba (72%) and Atlantic Canada (72%).
The scale of the projects under consideration has increasingly put questions about electricity, water and other infrastructure requirements alongside the potential economic benefits. In Saskatchewan, Bell is proposing an expansion that could add 900 megawatts of capacity, creating a 1.2-gigawatt AI infrastructure hub and representing as much as $52.5 billion in investment. In Alberta, Meta has begun work on a $13-billion, one-gigawatt data-centre campus north of Edmonton, paired with a dedicated natural-gas power plant. Earlier this month, the federal government responded to the broader debate by introducing national principles stating that new data centres should not shift electricity costs onto households and businesses and should minimize freshwater use and other environmental impacts.
Those principles closely mirror what Canadians themselves identify as reasons to restrain development. Among those who would limit data centres, half (51%) cite high water use, 38 per cent worry about higher electricity costs for households and businesses and one-third (34%) say the benefits would flow mainly to large technology companies rather than local communities. Those who would encourage development see a different side of the equation. Nearly half (47%) cite new investment and economic growth, while one-third (33%) point to strengthening Canada’s competitiveness in AI and other emerging technologies and 30 per cent cite job creation.
Link to the poll here: www.angusreid.org/
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