A First Nation in British Columbia, Canada, is planning to build a data center on its land.
Prophet River FN, an independent Dene Tsaa Nation, has signed a deal with VC firm ABCT Pacific, which will see the pair work together to develop the data center near Fort St. John, a city in Northeast BC.
Valerie Askoty, Prophet River FN chief, described the project as a “unique and forward-looking opportunity that speaks to economic development that will benefit Prophet River First Nation, its people, and operations.”
Askoty said: “It gives us tremendous involvement in the rapidly growing information economy, and we see it as a win, win, win for Prophet River FN, Fort St. John area, and British Columbia in general.”
The size, scope, and cost of the data center have yet to be determined, with feasibility studies set to be carried out in the coming months. Prophet River FN will be the majority owner of the facility.
According to the project partners, Fort St. John’s location, adjacent to the new Site C dam, makes it an ideal location for a data center. The dam provides hydro power, and its first electricity-generating unit came online last year. It is hoped it will eventually offer 1.1GW of clean power, though the project, which involved flooding farmland to create a reservoir, has faced opposition from residents.
The cool climate in BC could also make it attractive to data center operators, Prophet River FN said.
ABCT Pacific invests in clean tech projects in Alberta and BC. Phil Kershaw, co-founder and CEO, said: "We are extremely honored and proud to be working with Prophet River FN, Chief Askoty, and the Band Council on this very vital and exciting opportunity. This is a very timely and important innovation to the British Columbia economy. It speaks to vision, reconciliation, and economic diversity going forward.”
