The site of Saskatchewan’s first licensed cannabis growing operation is being considered as a suitable location for an artificial intelligence data centre. Its robust power infrastructure from previous activities has made it a appealing prospect.
On Oct. 8, the former Aurora Cannabis Inc (TSE: ACB) (NASDAQ: ACB) (FRA: 21P) cultivation facility was the venue for a presentation titled ‘Harnessing Prairie Power: Data Centres in SK.’
The site is equipped with 36 climate-controlled rooms that could potentially serve as adequate housing for AI computing systems. It also has thick concrete walls, floors and ceilings that are beneficial for security.
Aurora ran the complex from 2018 to 2020 before selling it the following year due to economic complications associated with the pandemic.
The site’s facilities collectively span more than 130,000 square feet and the property they sit on stretches over 101 acres.
As the majority of AI data centres are situated in the United States, establishing facilities of scale in Canada has become a national security priority. There are hundreds of American AI data centres and only a small number in major Canadian cities like Toronto and Montreal. Estimates range between 20 to 40 AI-specialized complexes nationwide.
“With businesses becoming more reliant on data to power their workflows in institutions like health care, and utilities starting to use it to power the operations, we need to manage the risk of having all of the data secured in another country,” said Shapeshift Developments founder, Christian Boyle, in an interview with CTV.
Shapeshift is a Canadian consultancy specializing in economic development projects throughout western Canada.
“I think Saskatchewan has a lot of strengths in terms of becoming a hub for data centres in Canada,” added AI Saskatchewan founder, Alex Fallon. He explained to CTV that the province’s cold weather would be beneficial for keeping units cooled.
The facility’s open house last week was intended to attract potential financiers. Should the project receive the green light and adequate capital, it would not be the first time that Saskatchewan has received major AI investments.
In August, Prairies Economic Development Canada invested over C$1.3 million into three Saskatchewan-based businesses pursuing artificial intelligence endeavours. Ground Truth Agriculture is working on an AI-powered grain grading system, Greenwave Innovations has been using AI to reduce waste in industrial settings and Offstreet Technology is utilizing it for streamlining urban parking systems.
The power demands of artificial intelligence are vast, particularly during the training process of multi-purpose models.
Read more: Major banks warn of AI bubble bursting, inflated tech stock valuations
Read more: Canadian medical cannabis exports to Australia skyrocket in 2024
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