• Experts highlight the 'double-edged nature' of Starlink in the North

  Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
  Date: 2026-10-29 20:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Technology, Infrastructure, Indigenous]

  The federal government is pursuing made-in-Canada satellite alternatives to Starlink amid network sovereignty concerns and geopolitical risks highlighted by Prime Minister Mark Carney. Ottawa-based satellite communications company Telesat plans to deploy 225 low Earth orbit satellites to compete with Starlink, utilizing a $1-billion launch contract with SpaceX. Meanwhile, academic studies of Northern communities—where Starlink provides download speeds averaging over 100 megabits per second—warn of a 'double-edged' social impact, including accelerated online harms like cyberbullying, gambling, and scams.

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• Canada to invest up to $1.6B in Toronto-based AI company Cohere

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-29 17:12:24.0
  Tags: [National, Economy, Technology, Industry, Infrastructure]

  The federal government of Canada announced an equity investment of up to $1.6 billion in Toronto-based artificial intelligence company Cohere as part of a broader $7 billion funding round led by Germany's Schwarz Group. The funding will support model development, products for regulated industries, and computing infrastructure, with Cohere committing to invest at least $1.7 billion in new computing infrastructure in Canada by 2030. Additional participants in the funding round include Nvidia and BCE subsidiary Bell Canada, ensuring Cohere's incorporation and headquarters remain in Canada.

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• Ottawa ‘not responsible’ for regulating AI data centre electricity use: minister

  Source: Global News Politics
  Date: 2026-10-22 17:21:43.0
  Tags: [National, Nova Scotia, Technology, Energy, Infrastructure]

  Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon stated before the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology that the federal government is not responsible for regulating electricity usage by AI data centres, noting that power regulation falls under provincial jurisdiction. Solomon revealed that the federal government has received over 160 proposals for data centre developments and signed memorandums of understanding with approximately four companies. The discussion highlighted a specific $10-billion AI data centre project in Point Tupper, Nova Scotia, being developed by EverWind Fuels with a 20-year lease signed by U.S. AI firm Anthropic, which is slated to draw 95 megawatts in its first phase and expand to 420 megawatts by mid-2028.

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• Carney appoints astronaut Jeremy Hansen to advise government on new space strategy

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-21 22:01:14.0
  Tags: [National, Technology, Infrastructure, Defence, Trade, Governance]

  Prime Minister Mark Carney appointed Artemis II astronaut Jeremy Hansen as a special adviser on space strategy to counsel the Prime Minister and Industry Minister Mélanie Joly on national sovereignty, security, and global contributions. The appointment coincides with Canada shifting its space partnerships toward the European Space Agency and away from American private firm SpaceX, drawing commentary from U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra. Additionally, Defence Minister David McGuinty announced a $20-million agreement for a space launch complex in southern Newfoundland to ensure independent and reliable orbital access during geopolitical tensions.

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• Data centres face security risks amid growing strategic value: CSIS

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-10-11 19:30:20.0
  Tags: [Alberta, National, Technology, Energy, Public Safety, Infrastructure]

  A May 27 Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) assessment warns that Canada's growing network of approximately 300 data centres faces rising security risks, including cyberattacks, physical threats, foreign ownership vulnerabilities, and supply chain bottlenecks for electrical components. Alberta Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish highlighted the province's push for sovereign computing infrastructure amid multi-megawatt developments, including a proposed Meta AI facility north of Edmonton, an AI centre near Olds, and the Wonder Valley project near Grande Prairie. The data centre market across Canada is projected to more than double over five years to reach US$25 million, prompting scrutiny over foreign ownership, data sovereignty, and robust domestic safeguards.

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• Canada, France pledge to work together on space infrastructure, economy

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-20 14:40:36.0
  Tags: [National, Newfoundland and Labrador, Trade, Infrastructure, Technology, Defence, Economy]

  Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron met in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon to pledge bilateral cooperation on shared space infrastructure, business growth, and economic development, directing their respective space agencies and defence ministries to develop common launch systems and ground reception facilities. The leaders also tasked the regional joint cooperation commission between Atlantic Canada and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon to expand work in economic growth, energy transition, and climate resilience. Furthermore, the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce are finalizing an agreement to build shared value chains and deepen business ties amid broader Canadian efforts to forge a closer economic and political alliance with the European Union.

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• Carney rallies Liberal MPs as 'crucial session' of Parliament set to resume

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-18 21:18:23.0
  Tags: [National, Infrastructure, Economy, Technology, Governance, Social Services]

  Prime Minister Mark Carney rallied the Liberal caucus ahead of the fall session of the House of Commons, announcing forthcoming legislation including the Building Canada Strong Act to streamline major project reviews to a "one project, one review, one year" standard. The federal government also plans to introduce social media and AI regulation legislation targeting online harms, cyberbullying, and child exploitation by tech companies. Additionally, an upcoming fall federal budget will outline fiscal plans to manage spending, optimize the balance sheet, and expand social programs such as child care.

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• Bell plans expansion of Sask. AI data centre, making it largest private investment in province's history

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-14 22:16:45.0
  Tags: [Saskatchewan, National, Technology, Infrastructure, Energy, Economy]

  At an investment summit in Toronto hosted by Prime Minister Mark Carney, Bell Canada CEO Mirko Bibic announced plans to quadruple the size of its artificial intelligence data centre near Regina, Saskatchewan, increasing its total investment in the Bell AI Fabric to $52 billion. The facility will expand from its original 300-megawatt capacity to 1.2 gigawatts of power, making it the largest private capital investment in the history of the province. The project, which requires Bell Canada to supply its own power, is projected to create up to 500 permanent jobs—including roughly 100 management roles—and an additional 3,000 positions in areas such as security and maintenance. The expansion follows the RM of Sherwood council's prior approval of the data centre in April 2026, though provincial officials did not immediately confirm whether the expanded footprint requires additional municipal review.

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• From pipelines, to railways and AI: Ottawa pitches 167 projects ahead of Carney's investment summit

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-10 21:20:00.0
  Tags: [National, Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Infrastructure, Energy, Transportation, Economy, Technology]

  The federal government has released a 66-page prospectus outlining 167 investment projects across eight sectors ahead of the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto, co-hosted by Prime Minister Mark Carney alongside the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Public Sector Pension Investment Board to attract $1 trillion in international capital. Notable infrastructure and energy proposals featured in the document include a $57 billion US expansion of the Port of Churchill, a $44 billion Nova Scotia Wind West offshore wind project, a $35 billion West Coast Oil Pipeline connecting Alberta crude to British Columbia, a $28.5 billion Ksi Lisims LNG terminal project on the B.C. coast, a $10.9 billion Calgary-to-Edmonton high-speed passenger rail line, a $2.1 billion US South Bow Prairie Connector pipeline expansion, and a $14.5 billion data centre near Medicine Hat, Alberta. The pitch aims to diversify Canada's trade and energy export markets amid escalating U.S.-Canada trade tensions while highlighting assets ranging from fully permitted, shovel-ready initiatives to preliminary-stage critical mineral developments.

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• Ottawa lays out plan for AI data centres as community backlash grows

  Source: Global News Politics
  Date: 2026-09-03 19:59:23.0
  Tags: [National, Ontario, Technology, Infrastructure, Energy, Environment]

  AI Minister Evan Solomon unveiled a federal five-point national framework in Markham, Ontario, introducing voluntary principles for the construction of large-scale artificial intelligence data centres to address community concerns regarding electricity, water use, and noise. The framework is endorsed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and signatories including Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Bell Canada, and TELUS, though the federal government acknowledged it lacks the jurisdiction to enforce the standards, leaving enforcement to provinces and municipalities. A study by York University researchers Lyndsey Rolheiser and Alexander Carlo noted that while only four active AI-specific data centres operate in Canada, 49 additional facilities are announced or under construction.

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• Want to build a data centre in Canada? These are the federal government's new expectations

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-03 15:30:00.0
  Tags: [National, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Technology, Energy, Infrastructure]

  The federal government announced a new framework outlining five core expectations for responsible AI data centre development, responding to public pushback over electricity and water consumption. Signatories to the framework include major corporations such as Amazon Web Services, Anthropic, Bell Canada, Cohere, eStruxture, Hypertec, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Telus. The policy follows major regional developments, including Meta's planned $13-billion AI data centre and $4.6-billion natural gas-fired power plant in Alberta, a contested Telus project in Vancouver, and provincial initiatives like Ontario's Data Centre Playbook and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew's cancellation of a facility south of Winnipeg.

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