Page 52 - InvestAlberta-EDA-2025

ALBERTA’S
ADVANTAGE
Leading the world’s data centre market
BY CORY SCHACHTEL
THE DEEPER WE DIVE INTO the digital world,
the more expansive that world becomes — with
seemingly no end in sight. But all that data needs
a physical home, and CEO of Invest Alberta Rick
Christiaanse wants that home to be Alberta.
“We started working on AI data centres as a
project about a year and a half ago, because with all
the demands for AI around the world, some of our
clients flagged that there was going to be a huge need
for AI data centres,” Christiaanse says. “And in many
ways, Alberta has an advantage.”
Christiaanse says the digital Alberta advantage
comes from four main things that clients want. The first
is power, primarily natural gas. They need fibre-optic
cables, too — exactly the kind that connects rural and
urban communities in the province’s existing SuperNet.
Quick zoning approval, or “speed to market” can help
meet demand. And our cool climate actually lowers
the costs of operating machines that run hot. “And
we don’t have earthquakes, so that tends to play as
well,” Christiaanse adds. Many data centres are also
increasingly turning to renewable energy sources
to power their operations. This shift not only helps
reduce carbon emissions but also supports the broader
transition to sustainable energy.
The largest Canadian data centre colocation provider
is eStruxture, with 15 centres spread across Montreal,
Toronto and Vancouver, and two in Calgary. And with a
brand-new centre, CAL-3, slated for operation in Rocky
View County (just north of Calgary) in fall 2026, it’s clear
the company likes what it sees in Alberta.
“eStruxture has been present in Alberta since 2019
and we’ve continued to expand our presence ever since,”
says Founder, President and CEO, Todd Coleman. “We see
Alberta as a powerhouse of potential,” adding “a growing
tech-savvy talent pool” to the list of Alberta advantages.
What really stands out, though, is the province’s spirit
of innovation and its deep commitment to fostering a
vibrant digital economy.
Other regions may offer the infrastructure,
Coleman says, but Alberta offers a partnership. “Here,
we found a place that not only meets our operational
needs but aligns with our vision for growth and
technology leadership.”
Alberta’s been in the data storage game for
decades, but with the emergence of artificial
intelligence, the last few years have seen the industry
ramp up significantly. “What is unique is the Amazon
Web Services centre is really the first large data centre
that Alberta landed about two and a half years ago,”
Christiaanse says of the company that invested about
$3.5 billion in the province because of its national
and international infrastructure connectivity and
availability of renewable energy. “The previous wave
of data centres was a smaller one. These companies are
now building these centres a lot larger than anything
we’ve seen before. So the scale and scope has changed
dramatically in the last year.”
Photos: eStruxture Data Centers
“WE STARTED WORKING ON AI DATA CENTRES AS A
PROJECT ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, BECAUSE
WITH ALL THE DEMANDS FOR AI AROUND THE WORLD,
SOME OF OUR CLIENTS FLAGGED THAT THERE WAS
GOING TO BE A HUGE NEED FOR AI DATA CENTRES.”
— RICK CHRISTIAANSE, CEO, INVEST ALBERTA
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