Key Takeaways
- Nearly 200 people protested at the Saskatchewan Legislature in Regina against Bell Canada’s planned 300 MW AI data centre in the RM of Sherwood, citing a lack of community consultation.
- Regina Ward 8 Councillor Shanon Zachidniak urged the RM to slow the approval process, arguing that a democratically elected council should decide after the November municipal elections.
- Protest organizers, including Jay‑Jay Bigsky, said the public is being excluded from decision‑making and want the project halted until more information is provided.
- Bell Canada promises up to $12 billion in economic benefits and claims the centre will create 800 temporary construction jobs and 80 permanent positions, though critics question the extent of local hiring.
- Premier Scott Moe defended the project, saying answers to concerns are straightforward and emphasizing data sovereignty and job creation, while urging residents to engage with the information provided.
- The RM of Sherwood released a conceptual site plan online, but many residents say they were never given a chance to review or comment on it before the council meeting.
- Members of the George Gordon First Nation expressed frustration that their chief did not consult the community before signing a memorandum of understanding with Bell Canada, warning of serious Treaty Four implications.
- Some First Nation residents reported only a single AGM with George Gordon Developments before the partnership was announced and said they were denied the chance to speak as delegates at the upcoming council meeting.
- Critics argue the accelerated timeline—culminating in a council vote on April 20, 2026—undermines democratic process and environmental scrutiny, and they demand a pause for thorough public feedback.
- The outcome of the RM of Sherwood council meeting will determine whether the data centre proceeds, with opponents hoping the project is stopped or substantially revised pending proper consultation and electoral legitimacy.
Protest Draws Nearly 200 Citizens to the Legislature
On Saturday, roughly two hundred demonstrators gathered in front of the Saskatchewan Legislative Building in Regina to voice opposition to Bell Canada’s proposed 300 megawatt artificial intelligence data centre slated for the rural municipality of Sherwood, just outside the city. The rally highlighted widespread unease about the speed at which the project is moving forward and the perceived absence of meaningful community input. Participants carried signs, chanted slogans, and spoke to media outlets about their fears that the development could outweigh any promised benefits. The turnout underscored the depth of local concern, prompting organizers to describe the event as a clear signal that residents demand a slower, more transparent approval process.
City Councillor Shanon Zachidniak Calls for a Deliberate Approach
Regina Ward 8 Councillor Shanon Zachidniak was among the speakers, explaining that she attended the protest to share her worries about the facility’s potential impacts. She argued that if the project truly offered a “wonderful opportunity” for the region, there would be nothing to lose by delaying the decision to allow thorough scrutiny. Zachidniak emphasized that she would like to see the application tabled so that citizens could provide feedback before any vote is taken. Her remarks reflected a broader sentiment that the current timeline leaves little room for public deliberation or expert analysis.
Barriers to Public Participation at the Council Meeting
Zachidniak noted that she, like many other attendees, was unable to register to speak at the RM of Sherwood council meeting scheduled for April 20, 2026. She said the lack of an open presenter list prevented her from formally presenting the community’s concerns directly to the council members. This obstacle reinforced her request to postpone the decision until after the municipality’s forthcoming elections in November, when a democratically elected council could weigh the issue. The inability to speak at the meeting became a rallying point for protesters who felt the process was deliberately limiting public voice.
Organizer Jay‑Jay Bigsky Highlights Information Gaps
Jay‑Jay Bigsky, one of the rally’s organizers and a veteran of letter‑writing campaigns against the data centre, told reporters that the public is being left out of critical conversations about the project. He said there is a substantial amount of information—particularly regarding the technology’s environmental footprint, data security, and the specifics of the partnership with U.S. AI firms—that residents have not seen. Bigsky expressed hope that the RM of Sherwood council would reject the proposal, stating that, regardless of any potential benefits, the project would likely result in a net negative for the community if undertaken without proper scrutiny.
Economic Promises Versus Job Reality
Bell Canada has advertised the data centre as a catalyst for up to $12 billion in economic investment for Saskatchewan and has highlighted the prospect of “more than 1,600 jobs” associated with the site’s development. However, the company’s own disclosures clarify that the construction phase will generate about 800 temporary positions, while the operational phase will sustain roughly 80 full‑time roles. Protesters, including Bigsky, questioned how many of those jobs would actually go to local residents versus workers brought in from elsewhere, casting doubt on the magnitude of the promised economic uplift for the Sherwood area and Regina.
Provincial Government Defends the Project
Premier Scott Moe addressed the concerns ahead of the rally, asserting that answers to residents’ questions are “pretty straightforward” and urging everyone to engage with the information provided. He stressed the importance of considering both job creation and data sovereignty—a concept the federal government defines as Canada’s right to control access to and disclosure of its digital information under Canadian law. Moe maintained that while questioning the project is legitimate, he hopes the public will also be receptive to the government’s explanations and the broader strategic benefits he believes the data centre will bring to the province.
Conceptual Site Plan Released by the RM of Sherwood
In an effort to increase transparency, the RM of Sherwood posted a conceptual site plan for the proposed AI data centre on its official website. The diagram outlines the proposed layout of the facility, including buildings, infrastructure, and buffer zones. Despite this release, many protesters said they had not been consulted during the plan’s creation and felt the posting came too late to allow meaningful feedback before the upcoming council vote. The plan’s publication did little to quell fears that the decision‑making process remains top‑down and insufficiently inclusive.
First Nation Leaders Decry Lack of Consultation
Members of the nearby George Gordon First Nation voiced strong apprehension that their community was excluded from the decision‑making process. Elder Brenda Joyce stated that the nation’s chief had not consulted any band members before moving ahead with plans alongside Bell Canada, describing the action as a unilateral move. Janna Pratt, a Regina resident and First Nation member, noted that only a single annual general meeting (AGM) with George Gordon Developments—the nation’s business arm—had taken place before the partnership was announced, and she warned that the project carries significant Treaty Four implications, given that the First Nation is an original signatory to that treaty covering Regina and the surrounding area.
Calls for Democratic Legitimacy and Electoral Timing
Both Zachidniak and Bigsky emphasized that the approval of such a massive infrastructure project should rest with a democratically elected council rather than the current interim body, which was appointed by the province after the previous reeve and three councillors resigned in March, leaving the RM without a quorum. They argued that postponing the decision until after the November municipal elections would restore legitimacy to the process and allow residents to elect representatives who have had the opportunity to examine the proposal thoroughly. This demand for electoral accountability formed a central theme of the protest rhetoric.
Looking Ahead: Environmental, Treaty, and Procedural Stakes
The protest underscored a convergence of concerns: potential environmental impacts from a large‑scale data centre, questions about data sovereignty and foreign technology partnerships, alleged violations of treaty consultation obligations, and a perceived erosion of democratic process at the municipal level. Opponents warned that without a pause for comprehensive public review, independent environmental assessment, and genuine First Nation engagement, the project could impose lasting costs that outweigh any promised economic gain. The upcoming council meeting on April 20, 2026, will be a critical test of whether the RM of Sherwood will heed these calls for delay, consultation, and greater transparency, or proceed with the AI data centre amid mounting public dissent.