Stantec selected for multiyear AI data centre initiative in Alberta

Key Takeaways:

• Stantec will lead architecture, engineering, and project management for a multiyear AI data center initiative by Beacon AI Centers, spanning six sites across five Alberta municipalities
• The project is set to create thousands of construction jobs and approximately 1,200 permanent positions, supporting Alberta’s strategy to become a leading AI and data center hub.
• Alberta’s government is aiming to draw up to $100 billion in private investment through its “Powering the Future of Artificial Intelligence” strategy, focusing on scalable power, sustainable cooling, and economic growth.

The Whole Story:

Stantec has been selected to provide architecture, building engineering, sustainability, transportation, civil, environmental, geomatics, and project management for an AI data center development program from Beacon AI Centers, a data center development company backed by Nadia Partners. The multiyear program will span Alberta with six sites across five municipalities.

“With our 70-year history in the province, we are proud to play a critical role in helping position Alberta as a leading global hub for data-driven AI innovation,” said Leonard Castro, Stantec’s executive vice president for Buildings. “Our team will combine global expertise with regional knowledge to help Beacon realize their initial program and meet the growing capacity demand.”

Each campus will span hundreds of acres and is projected to include multiple AI data center buildings. The new facilities are expected to generate thousands of construction jobs and approximately 1,200 permanent jobs in Alberta. Design and permitting began in 2024 and construction will commence in 2025.

“Beacon AI is redefining the data center development industry to meet the growing demands of the AI era,” said Josh Schertzer, CEO of Beacon AI Centers. “By working with exceptional partners like Stantec, we can deliver ambitious projects quickly, at the scope and scale hyperscaler demand requires.”

Beacon’s campuses will join the portfolio of mission critical facilities designed by Stantec, including a nationwide program of hyperscale data center campuses for a global technology client; many multi-tenant data center campuses for regional and global operators; greenfield data center campuses for leading cloud providers; and the redevelopment and retrofit of legacy facilities.

The province has set its sights on the data centre market as a new economic driver. Last year the Alberta government has launched an ambitious strategy to establish the province as North America’s premier destination for AI-driven data centres, aiming to attract up to $100 billion in private investment over the next five years. Central to this effort is the “Powering the Future of Artificial Intelligence” strategy, built on three pillars: scalable power capacity, sustainable cooling, and economic growth.