---
title: "Canada Data Centres and GPU Capacity"
author: "Richard St-Pierre"
date: 2025-10-18
category: Analysis
tags: ["data-centers", "gpu-compute", "ai-infrastructure", "canada", "ai-readiness", "compute-capacity", "clean-compute"]
summary: "In the AI era, CPU-only colocation is not AI capacity — only GPU-accelerated compute counts. This proxy analysis of Canada's data-centre landscape estimates ~239 operating facilities and ~750 MW of installed IT load, of which only about 11% is GPU-accelerated. It maps counts, installed power, hosting mix, and CPU-versus-GPU shares province by province, with transparent assumptions for every estimate."
url: https://richardstpierre.com/articles/canada-data-centres-and-gpu-capacity
---

# Canada Data Centres and GPU Capacity

> **Key finding:** Only about 11% of Canada's installed data-centre IT load is GPU-accelerated today — roughly 89% remains CPU-only. National readiness should be assessed in GPU slots and AI-ready megawatts, not floor space or CPU colocation.

## Why This Matters

- **In the context of AI, CPUs do not matter; only GPUs can process AI.**

- We need to evaluate the capacity of generic data centres and focus solely on those that provide GPUs. **Currently, only about 11% of the installed IT load in our proxies is GPU-accelerated.** This aligns with the idea that CPU-only colocation does not represent AI capacity, and national readiness should be assessed in terms of GPU slots and AI-ready megawatts. By the same logic, data-centre floor space should not be used as a metric. ([CER](https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-markets/market-snapshots/2024/market-snapshot-energy-demand-from-data-centers-is-steadily-increasing-and-ai-development-is-a-significant-factor.html))

- **Canada's "AI-ready" growth is approaching — but mostly in the planning stage:** examples include Bell's AI Fabric (up to 500 MW) and other large-scale campus projects; Quebec has restrictions on new power today, which influences where the next AI developments may begin. ([DataCenterKnowledge](https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/data-center-construction/canadian-telecom-bce-to-build-large-network-of-ai-data-centers))

Below is a **proxy "grid"** of Canada's data-centre landscape showing **counts, current (installed) IT power**, **hosting mix**, and an estimated **% CPU vs. % GPU** of installed compute. Where public numbers don't exist, I've used transparent proxies and stated the hypotheses behind them.

## Canada Data Centres: Counts, Installed IT Load, Hosting Mix, and CPU vs. GPU (2024/25 Baseline)

| Region | Est. # of Data Centres | Est. Installed IT Capacity (MW) | Colocation (%) | Hyperscale/Dedicated (%) | Enterprise/Captive (%) | AI/HPC (%) | Est. % GPU (of IT load) | Est. % CPU (of IT load) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ontario (ON) | 105 | 360.0 | 65.0 | 25.0 | 8.0 | 2.0 | 8.1 | 91.9 |
| Quebec (QC) | 57 | 180.0 | 50.0 | 30.0 | 5.0 | 15.0 | 18.9 | 81.0 |
| British Columbia (BC) | 35 | 109.8 | 60.0 | 25.0 | 10.0 | 5.0 | 10.5 | 89.5 |
| Alberta (AB) | 22 | 69.0 | 45.0 | 40.0 | 12.0 | 3.0 | 9.8 | 90.2 |
| Rest of Canada | 20 | 31.1 | 75.0 | 8.0 | 15.0 | 2.0 | 6.7 | 93.3 |
| **Canada (Total)** | **239** | **750.0** | **59.2** | **26.9** | **8.2** | **5.7** | **11.2** | **88.8** |

> *How to read this table: "Installed IT capacity (MW)" is the currently deployed/energized IT load, not building "full-build" potential. Hosting mix expresses the share of installed IT load by use type. % GPU vs. % CPU estimates the share of installed IT load attributable to GPU-accelerated servers vs. CPU-only servers.*

## What This Says at a Glance

- Canada has ≈**239** operating data centres (all types). Ontario has the largest number (105), followed by Quebec (57), BC (35), and Alberta (22). ([CER](https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-markets/market-snapshots/2024/market-snapshot-energy-demand-from-data-centers-is-steadily-increasing-and-ai-development-is-a-significant-factor.html))

- We proxy **current installed IT load at ≈750 MW** nationally (not "full build"), with **Toronto ≈335 MW** and **Montreal ≈169 MW** anchoring Ontario and Quebec. ([CleanBridge](https://www.cleanbridge.co/insights/energy-transition/cleanbridge-global-data-center-market-report-2025/regional-market-overviews-gdc2025/canada-gdc2025/))

- Hosting today still skews **colocation (≈59%)**, with **hyperscale/dedicated (≈27%)**, **enterprise (≈8%)**, and **AI/HPC-specialized (≈6%)** of installed IT load. (Mix varies by province.) ([Mordor Intelligence](https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/canada-data-center-market))

- On this basis, **only ≈11%** of Canada's installed IT load is **GPU-accelerated** today (and ≈89% remains CPU-only) — consistent with the point that **CPU-only capacity is not AI capacity**. (See assumptions below.)

## Method and Hypotheses (Transparent Proxies)

### 1) Counts of Data Centres (by Province)

- **National count:** 239 operating data centres (all types), from the Canada Energy Regulator (CER). Their snapshot also cites **Toronto (81)** and **Montreal (48)** as the largest city clusters, based on DataCenterMap. ([CER](https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-markets/market-snapshots/2024/market-snapshot-energy-demand-from-data-centers-is-steadily-increasing-and-ai-development-is-a-significant-factor.html))

- **Provincial breakdown:** S&P Global (Oct 2, 2024) reports **Ontario 105, Quebec 57, BC 35, Alberta 22**; I set "Rest of Canada" = **239 − (105+57+35+22) = 20**. ([S&P Global](https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/news-research/latest-news/energy-transition/100224-canada-prepares-for-increased-electric-loads-as-country-attracts-data-centers))

### 2) Installed IT Power (MW), "Current Usage" Proxy

- **National baseline:** I use **750 MW of installed IT capacity in 2024** (not full build), per CleanBridge (citing ENCOR). CleanBridge also provides anchors: **Toronto ≈335 MW** (≈45% of national installed) and **Montreal ≈169 MW** (≈22.5%). ([CleanBridge](https://www.cleanbridge.co/insights/energy-transition/cleanbridge-global-data-center-market-report-2025/regional-market-overviews-gdc2025/canada-gdc2025/))

- **Provincial split:**
  - **Ontario** = **360 MW** (Toronto 335 + ≈25 for Ottawa/others) — conservative given Toronto's anchor.
  - **Quebec** = **180 MW** (Montreal 169 + ≈11 for Quebec City/others).
  - **BC** = **≈110 MW** and **Alberta** = **≈69 MW** by applying each province's share of national site count to 750 MW (35/239 and 22/239 respectively). Remaining **≈31 MW** allocated to "Rest of Canada." (This keeps the national sum at ≈750 MW and reflects smaller average site sizes outside Toronto/Montreal.) ([S&P Global](https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/news-research/latest-news/energy-transition/100224-canada-prepares-for-increased-electric-loads-as-country-attracts-data-centers))

- Note: Other sources discuss **"full-build" colocation capacity >800 MW** and large future pipelines (10–12 GW) — those are **potential** rather than **installed** and were **not** used for the "current usage" row to avoid inflating today's picture. ([Businesswire](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240726046229/en/Canada-Data-Center-Portfolio-Report-2024-Analysis-of-118-Existing-Data-Centers-and-11-Upcoming-Data-Centers---ResearchAndMarkets.com))

### 3) Hosting Mix by Province (Percent of Installed IT Load)

We assigned a **proxy mix** per province, reflecting local realities and recent market notes:

- **Ontario** 65% colocation / 25% hyperscale / 8% enterprise / 2% AI/HPC — AI leasing is rising but still a small share of installed load. ([CBRE](https://www.cbre.ca/insights/local-response/north-america-data-center-trends-h2-2024-market-profiles-toronto))

- **Quebec** 50 / 30 / 5 / 15 — higher **AI/HPC** share thanks to hydro-powered AI campuses (e.g., QScale) and hyperscale expansion (but note **2024 power-procurement constraints** throttled **new** projects). ([CER](https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-markets/market-snapshots/2024/market-snapshot-energy-demand-from-data-centers-is-steadily-increasing-and-ai-development-is-a-significant-factor.html))

- **BC** 60 / 25 / 10 / 5 — new AI builds (e.g., **Bell AI Fabric**) begin in B.C., but today's installed AI/HPC load is still modest. ([DataCenterDynamics](https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/bell-ai-fabric-bell-canada-plans-ai-data-center-supercluster-with-500mw-in-british-columbia/))

- **Alberta** 45 / 40 / 12 / 3 — presence of AWS (Canada West) and growing pipeline; some policy headwinds noted recently. ([S&P Global](https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/news-research/latest-news/energy-transition/100224-canada-prepares-for-increased-electric-loads-as-country-attracts-data-centers))

- **Rest** 75 / 8 / 15 / 2 — smaller sites dominated by colocation and enterprise.

> *These mixes are qualitative proxies cross-checked against: (i) market structure (colocation remains dominant by revenue share), (ii) recent local trends (e.g., AI-led leasing in Toronto; Quebec's power constraints), and (iii) announced AI initiatives (e.g., Bell AI Fabric). ([Mordor Intelligence](https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/canada-data-center-market))*

### 4) % GPU vs. % CPU (of Installed IT Load)

Because operators rarely publish GPU counts, we estimated **GPU share within each hosting type** and then **weighted by the provincial hosting mix**:

- **Colocation:** **5% GPU / 95% CPU** (mix largely general-purpose servers; limited accelerator density today).

- **Hyperscale/dedicated:** **12% GPU / 88% CPU** (GPU clusters exist, but still minority of installed load across Canadian regions).

- **Enterprise/captive:** **2% GPU / 98% CPU** (most enterprise racks remain CPU-centric).

- **AI/HPC:** **85% GPU / 15% CPU** (purpose-built AI/HPC designs are accelerator-heavy).

- Applying these shares to the hosting mix yields the **provincial** and **Canada-level** GPU/CPU estimates in the grid (e.g., **Canada ≈11% GPU** of installed IT load).

- Policy relevance: **GPU slots, power density and interconnect** — not building footprint or CPU-only racks — determine a country's AI capacity. ([CBRE](https://www.cbre.ca/insights/local-response/north-america-data-center-trends-h2-2024-market-profiles-montreal))

## Caveats and Update Path

- **Counts:** CER's 239 facilities reflect multiple sources (including DataCenterMap). Provincial breakouts rely on S&P's Oct-2024 snapshot. Some campuses comprise multiple buildings; counts will drift with openings/closures. ([CER](https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-markets/market-snapshots/2024/market-snapshot-energy-demand-from-data-centers-is-steadily-increasing-and-ai-development-is-a-significant-factor.html))

- **"Current energy usage":** I used **installed IT MW** (≈load available to IT gear) — not building "full build" or utility draw — with **750 MW** national baseline and city anchors (Toronto/Montreal). Where city/province detail was missing, I **allocated by share of facility count**. You can replace proxies with operator disclosures as they become public. ([CleanBridge](https://www.cleanbridge.co/insights/energy-transition/cleanbridge-global-data-center-market-report-2025/regional-market-overviews-gdc2025/canada-gdc2025/))

- **Hosting mix and GPU/CPU shares:** No comprehensive public dataset exists for Canada. The mixes reflect **qualitative evidence** (market reports, leasing notes, power policies) and a **conservative GPU assumption**. As **AI-specific builds** (e.g., AI inference farms) come online, **GPU share will rise quickly**. ([CBRE](https://www.cbre.ca/insights/local-response/north-america-data-center-trends-h2-2024-market-profiles-toronto))

> *Sources for the key baselines: 239 operating data centres, Toronto (81), Montreal (48) — Canada Energy Regulator (Oct. 2, 2024), citing DataCenterMap. Provincial counts (ON 105, QC 57, BC 35, AB 22) and market ≈750 MW installed IT — S&P Global Commodity Insights; CleanBridge (ENCOR). Colocation footprint ("full build" >800 MW; 118 existing colo sites) — ResearchAndMarkets database notices. Market conditions: AI-led leasing in Toronto; Quebec 2024 power-procurement pauses; announced Bell AI Fabric (to 500 MW).*