Canada's AI Power Stations: What Real Estate Investors Need to Know in 2025

Canada’s AI infrastructure boom is transforming real estate markets from coast to coast. As the demand for high-performance data centres grows, provinces like British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec are becoming hotspots for large-scale AI power stations—also known as compute campuses. These projects, powered by clean energy and advanced grid systems, are creating new tech corridors and unlocking major opportunities in industrial, commercial, and residential real estate.

For real estate investors, this isn’t just about tech—it’s about timing. From land use changes to employment spikes, the intersection of AI infrastructure and real estate in Canada is reshaping where capital flows and communities grow. This blog explores the top developments underway in 2025, including project timelines, expert insights, job creation forecasts, and how you can position your portfolio in the path of progress.

Understanding AI Power Stations and Their Real Estate Impact

Canada’s AI power stations refer to large-scale data centres and compute campuses designed to power artificial intelligence applications. These facilities require enormous electricity loads—often in the hundreds of megawatts—and occupy substantial land footprints. While a single urban data centre may require only a few acres, mega-campuses can span up to 6,000 acres.

Their impact on real estate markets includes:

• Commercial and Industrial Real Estate: Drives demand for land zoned for logistics, warehousing, office support, and high-speed connectivity near energy infrastructure.

• Residential Real Estate: Thousands of construction and long-term operations jobs create demand for housing—especially rentals—in suburban and rural communities.

• Investment Opportunity: Areas near emerging tech corridors are likely to experience rezoning, appreciation in land values, and expansion of essential services.

1. Bell AI Fabric (British Columbia)

Status: Under Construction and Expanding

Certainty Level: Very High

Bell Canada’s AI Fabric includes six AI-optimized data centers powered by hydroelectricity, making it one of the most advanced green AI infrastructure programs in the country.

Locations:

• Kamloops (7 MW): Launching June 2025

• Merritt (7 MW): Completion by late 2025

• TRU and Kamloops Expansion (2 x 26 MW): 2026–2027

• Two mega-sites (400+ MW): In planning

Employment Impact:

• Estimated 800–1,200 construction jobs over 3 years (Kamloops/Merritt phases)

• Ongoing 150–250 full-time operations staff across 6 sites

• Roles: data center technicians, engineers, cybersecurity analysts, HVAC and electrical technicians, IT support, on-site facilities staff

Real Estate Impact:

• Boost to industrial leasing in Kamloops and Merritt

• Housing demand from long-term tech and facilities workers

• Upside for student housing near Thompson Rivers University

Expert Quote: “The Kamloops and Merritt sites were selected due to proximity to high-capacity hydroelectric grids and transport infrastructure. From a real estate standpoint, this has already begun to stimulate interest in adjacent industrial and residential land.” – Senior Development Consultant, Bell AI Fabric Project

2. Beacon AI Centers (Alberta)

Status: Land Acquired, Planning Active

Certainty Level: Medium to High

Beacon AI Centers is building six data campuses across Alberta, targeting a combined 4.5 GW capacity—the largest such initiative in the province’s history.

Locations:

• Multiple sites near Calgary and Edmonton (Airdrie, Balzac, Leduc)

Employment Impact:

• 2,000+ construction jobs anticipated between 2026 and 2030

• Long-term: 400–600 operations jobs across facilities

• Roles: AI hardware engineers, data infrastructure planners, maintenance workers, electrical grid engineers, building managers, tech consultants

Real Estate Impact:

• Rising demand for suburban land and zoning shifts

• Workforce housing demand in surrounding municipalities

• Secondary growth in commercial leasing (logistics, IT firms, co-working)

Expert Quote: “Industrial land near key transportation corridors in Alberta is already being repositioned for data infrastructure. The demand for supportive housing and services will follow closely behind.” — Director of Industrial Development, Calgary Regional Partnership

3. Wonder Valley (Greenview, Alberta)

Status: Vision Phase, Not Yet Approved

Certainty Level: Low to Moderate

Promoted by O’Leary Ventures, the Wonder Valley project proposes a 6,000–7,000 acre off-grid AI campus located near Valleyview, Alberta, within the Greenview Industrial Gateway. Backed by a signed Letter of Intent with the MD of Greenview, the site aims to generate up to 7.5 GW of renewable power to support AI compute infrastructure. While the land has been conditionally secured, the project still awaits multiple regulatory approvals.

Employment Impact:

• Estimated 1,500–2,000 construction jobs if approved

• Long-term jobs in power management, data infrastructure, security, logistics, and skilled trades

• Additional indirect employment through housing, services, and local supply chains

Real Estate Impact:

• Potential to unlock major industrial development near Valleyview if permitting succeeds

• Speculative interest in nearby residential and logistics land parcels

• Risk: No regulatory approvals or off-grid power licenses granted yet

Expert Quote: “Without formal regulatory approvals or infrastructure agreements, Wonder Valley remains speculative—but if advanced, it could reshape land use patterns across northwestern Alberta.” — Western Canada Infrastructure Analyst

4. Cohere + CoreWeave Supercomputing Centre (Ontario & Quebec)

Status: Funded and Under Construction

Certainty Level: Very High

A cornerstone of Canada’s $2.4B Sovereign AI Strategy, this AI compute centre will house leading AI company Cohere and is being developed in partnership with CoreWeave.

Employment Impact:

• Estimated 500 construction jobs

• Ongoing 200+ operations and research positions

• Roles: AI researchers, compute specialists, DevOps teams, government researchers, IT security, data maintenance staff

Real Estate Impact:

• Major demand for tech-friendly industrial space in Ottawa, Montreal outskirts, and Ontario's eastern corridor

• Office leasing for spin-off AI startups and federal partnerships

• Increased housing needs for high-wage tech employees

Expert quote: “This federally backed facility will anchor Canada’s AI research sector and is expected to generate strong leasing demand in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario’s industrial parks.” — Director of Public-Private AI Infrastructure Strategy, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Federal AI Infrastructure Incentives (Nationwide)

Status: Active Programs Underway

Ottawa’s national AI strategy includes:

• $15 billion in incentives for green-powered AI campuses

• $1 billion for supercomputing capacity

• $300 million for SME AI infrastructure support

Employment Potential:

• Support for thousands of indirect jobs in energy, tech services, and government sectors

• Emphasis on training programs, particularly in Indigenous and rural communities

• Growing need for data science educators, energy technicians, and municipal planners

Real Estate Impact:

• Stimulates development near clean energy zones (hydro, solar, wind)

• Brings new tech activity to secondary cities and rural municipalities

Investor Checklist: What to Watch

Investment Factor	Real Estate Impact
Zoning & Land Use	Unlocks value near data campus footprints
Transmission Infrastructure	Drives commercial and residential growth
Employment Density	Boosts demand for rental and housing stock
Power Agreements	Determines project viability, especially off-grid
Sustainability & ESG Ratings	Influences financing and land values

Canada’s AI Infrastructure Is Reshaping Real Estate and Job Markets

AI power stations—whether green hydro builds in BC, grid-tied campuses in Alberta, or public compute hubs in Ontario—are reshaping property demand and employment across the country. The combination of public incentives, skilled labour, and power access makes Canada a top-tier AI infrastructure destination.

Key Takeaways for Real Estate Investors:

• Target confirmed builds (Bell, Cohere/CoreWeave) for reliable returns

• Factor in labour-driven rental demand and tech salary zones

• Monitor off-grid concepts (Wonder Valley) with cautious optimism

• Focus on communities with infrastructure grants and local workforce development

• Invest in regions with power grid access, zoning flexibility, and economic development programs

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Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or real estate advice. Project timelines, regulatory outcomes, and market impacts are subject to change. Readers should conduct their own due diligence and we recommend consulting with licensed professionals before making investment decisions. Startritehomes.com assumes no liability for actions taken based on this content.