Stock Markets May 11, 2026 01:05 PM

Telus to expand AI-focused data center footprint in British Columbia

Three facilities in Vancouver and Kamloops to support AI workloads, requiring over 150 MW of power by 2032

By Nina Shah T

Telus plans to develop two facilities in Vancouver and expand an existing data center in Kamloops to accommodate artificial intelligence workloads. The three sites are expected to draw more than 150 megawatts of electricity by 2032, with staged openings beginning later this year and a downtown Vancouver facility scheduled to start operations in 2029.

Telus to expand AI-focused data center footprint in British Columbia
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Key Points

  • Telus will operate three data center facilities in British Columbia focused on artificial intelligence workloads - sectors impacted: technology, data center operations, and commercial real estate.
  • Combined electrical demand for the three locations is expected to exceed 150 megawatts by 2032 - sector impacted: utilities and energy supply.
  • Project rollout is staged: Kamloops expansion and a repurposed Mount Pleasant facility are expected online later this year; a new downtown Vancouver site near BC Place is scheduled for 2029 - sector impacted: infrastructure and technology services.

Telus intends to build out a trio of data center facilities in British Columbia aimed at handling artificial intelligence workloads, the company plans indicate. The program includes an expansion of an existing Kamloops site and two projects in Vancouver, and the combined estate is projected to require in excess of 150 megawatts of electrical capacity by 2032.

Under the plan, the Kamloops facility is slated to enter service later this year. At the same time, a separate Mount Pleasant site in Vancouver will be repurposed and brought online before being scaled up in subsequent phases. A third location - a new development positioned near BC Place in downtown Vancouver - is scheduled to become operational in 2029.

The rollout is being staged: an initial activation of the Kamloops expansion and the repurposed Mount Pleasant facility will precede further capacity growth, while the downtown Vancouver project has a later target date. Across all three locations, cumulative electricity requirements are expected to exceed 150 megawatts by 2032, reflecting the increased power draw associated with AI-optimized compute infrastructure.

While the plan outlines the facilities and the timing for initial operations and expansion, details beyond the operational targets and the aggregate power estimate were not provided. The description focuses on the location-specific sequencing and the expected electrical demand profile through 2032.

For stakeholders tracking infrastructure and energy exposure, the development underscores a multi-year buildout with clearly staged milestones: near-term site activations later this year, an intermediate downtown opening in 2029, and a longer-term capacity footprint reaching into 2032. The projects bear relevance for providers of commercial real estate and data center services, utilities supplying incremental electricity, and technology users seeking AI compute capacity.


Summary

Telus plans to develop two data centers in Vancouver and expand an existing Kamloops data center to support AI workloads. All three sites are expected to require more than 150 megawatts of power by 2032. The Kamloops expansion and a repurposed Mount Pleasant facility are due to come online later this year, while a new downtown Vancouver site near BC Place is planned to start operations in 2029.

Risks

  • Timing and execution risk around the stated operational milestones - delays would affect technology customers and real estate planners (impacted sectors: technology, real estate).
  • The projects will increase local electricity demand to more than 150 megawatts by 2032, creating exposure to energy supply and grid capacity constraints (impacted sectors: utilities, energy).
  • Scaling operations at repurposed and new facilities introduces operational complexity that could affect service delivery and project economics (impacted sectors: data center operations, technology services).

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