Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation denied consultation with Bell over AI data centre

Bell Canada has not granted Standing Buffalo Dakota First Nation (SBDN) a consultation following the First Nation’s request for more detail on the AI data centre currently being constructed near Regina.

In a press release sent to the media Friday afternoon, SBDN shared a three-page letter the First Nation received from Dan Rink, President of AI Infrastructure & Strategy at Bell AI Fabric.

In the letter, Rink points out that under Saskatchewan’s consultation policy, the Government of Saskatchewan decides whether consultation with First Nations is required for a project, and with which communities consultation is required.

“Bell has carried out the consultation the Province asked of it for this project,” said Rink in the letter.

“We are sharing this information because we believe being a good neighbour and corporate citizen in Saskatchewan means answering questions openly,” reads the letter.

In the press release, SBDN stated it has its own published process for reviewing development that may effect their rights and territory, and that their Elders and technical experts are preparing to assess the AI data centre project. Their own assessment requires relevant information that they requested of Bell.

“Many of the records you requested are technical reports, commercial agreements, and regulatory correspondence. Bell does not release these outside the regulatory processes they were prepared for or the agreements that govern them,” said Rink in the letter.

“Bell’s agreements with George Gordon Developments Ltd are commercial arrangements between our two organizations, and questions about GGDL’s own review are best directed to GGDL,” reads the letter.

In the media release, SBDN requests Bell to confirm whether they will provide project information through the Nation’s published process by September 16 2026. The First Nations stated they consider its process a means of advancing the principles of free, prior, and informed consent under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

“Standing Buffalo’s protocols express the Nation’s position on its inherent jurisdiction and its responsibility to make decisions concerning its rights and territory,” reads the SBDN release.

“Any meeting with Bell will be treated as information sharing. It will not replace the Crown’s consultation responsibilities, complete the Nation’s review, or constitute Standing Buffalo’s approval or consent.”

In the response shared by SBDN, Rink addresses several noted environmental concerns. In the statement, Rink said the facility does not draw water from or discharge water to the aquifer, and there is no ongoing consumption of water for cooling.

He said the water cooling system, with an indoor and outdoor loop, are closed systems with no discharge. He also addressed groundwater concerns.

“Bell has taken additional precautions: under the development agreement for the existing campus, groundwater is monitored against established baselines, and monitoring has been established at all neighbouring wells,” reads the statement.

In the letter, Rink invites to host SBDN at the Bell AI data site in the regional municipality of Sherwood, or to meet in Regina or their own First Nation to answer their questions directly.

SBDN is located about 75 kilometres northeast of Regina. The First Nation maintains it has unceded territory in the RM of Sherwood where the Bell AI data centre is currently being constructed.