This is a call for public accountability before irreversible decisions are made on behalf of Saskatchewan residents. 

We, the undersigned organizations, advocates, and community members of Saskatchewan, on Treaties 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 Territories and the Homeland of the Métis, call on the Government of Saskatchewan, municipal councils, and mayors across this province to establish a temporary moratorium on the approval of and development of new large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) hyperscale data centres.

For the purposes of this petition, “AI hyperscale data centres” refers to large-scale data centres primarily designed to support artificial intelligence training and inference. These facilities generally require far more electricity, water, and computing power than conventional data centres, which provide a wide range of services such as cloud storage, email, and business computing.

Across Canada, governments and industry are moving rapidly to expand AI infrastructure. Within major Saskatchewan cities like Saskatoon, leaders have openly discussed positioning the city as a destination for hyperscale data centre development. These conversations are happening before the public has been given a meaningful opportunity to consider what these projects could demand of our water, electricity grid, land, public infrastructure, and Indigenous disclosure obligations.

For Indigenous peoples, the consequences of delaying disclosure are particularly serious. Meaningful consultation consistent with UNDRIP Articles 18 & 19 cannot occur subsequent to decisions being made. Indigenous leaders and communities cannot meaningfully assess potential impacts without transparency on projects that demand the use of their land, water, and surrounding ecosystems. 

Failing to uphold these internationally recognized rights risks repeating a long history in which Indigenous peoples are informed of decisions only after governing bodies have determined the outcome, further damaging the relationships that these bodies claim they are committed to rebuilding through reconciliation. Reconciliation cannot exist where information is withheld until Indigenous consent or opposition is no longer capable of influencing a decision.

Behind every hyperscale data centre are real people who live with its consequences. The centres are often presented as symbols of innovation, or growth, but communities are increasingly being abandoned to bear the costs while receiving few long-term benefits. These facilities can consume an enormous amount of water and electricity, place more strain on public infrastructure, and contribute to increasing greenhouse gas emissions. They can also cause constant industrial noise, impact the environment, and increase pressure on already limited resources. Before communities across Saskatchewan commit their land, water, and energy to an industry of this scale, residents deserve clear answers about who benefits, who bears the costs, and whether it's justified. 

We ask that the representatives of the Province of Saskatchewan develop a public framework addressing the following:

Projected water consumption and the source of cooling water; electricity demand and impacts on grid capacity and rates; greenhouse gas emissions and cumulative environmental impacts associated with an increased demand in electricity; noise and impacts on surrounding communities; municipal infrastructure costs and any proposed public subsidies; the number and quality of jobs created; Indigenous consultation and potential impacts on Treaty and Métis rights; public disclosure of resource-use; and all conditions the data centre would be legally required to meet. 

Municipalities across this nation are already considering this approach as the scale of AI development begins to outpace existing policy. Hamilton, Ontario, for example, advanced a moratorium in June 2026 amid similar concerns. Even right here on the Prairies, Premier Wab Kinew rejected a proposed data centre after determining its impacts outweighed the public benefit. Internationally, New York imposed a one-year moratorium on large new data centres consuming 50 megawatts or more of power. This growing list demonstrates a recognition of the need to establish rules before this infrastructure is approved, not after communities have already been committed to bearing its consequences.

Saskatchewan has an opportunity to act before decisions are made behind closed doors and presented to residents as simply inevitable.

Economic development should not happen without regard to cost. Innovation must not be used as an excuse to disregard consultation. And access to our land, our water, and our energy should never be granted without a clear demonstration of public benefit.

We call on the Government of Saskatchewan, municipal councils, and mayors across this province to establish a temporary moratorium on new large-scale data centre approvals and begin an open process for the public to determine the conditions under which these facilities should operate.