Why Write Letters?

The Ministry of the Environment is claiming that the Bell Canada AI Data Centre does not count as a development and so does not require an environmental impact assessment. We’re writing letters to the minister to show that it absolutely is a development and does require an assessment.

A project is a 'development' under section 2(d) of the Environmental Assessment Act if it is likely to meet one or more of the following criteria:

Have an effect on any unique, rare or endangered feature of the environment;
Substantially use any provincial resource and in so doing pre-empt the use, or potential use, of that resource for any other purpose;
Cause the emission of any pollutants or create by-products, residual or waste products which require handling and disposal in a manner that is not regulated by any other Act or regulation;
Cause widespread public concern because of potential environmental changes;
Involve a new technology that is concerned with resource use and that may induce significant environmental change; or
Have a significant impact on the environment or necessitate a further development which is likely to have a significant impact on the development.

Physical letters have a much bigger impact than emails in a minister’s office since they’re, well, physical. The more letters there are, the more that we show that AI Data Centres are a widespread public concern that they MUST address.

Helpful Tips

Make sure that you include:

your address or postal code so the Minister knows you’re a resident of Saskatchewan.
the date at the top for reference and accountability.
the correct form of address. In this case, Dear Minister Rowden.

Helpful tips for writing a powerful message:

Write in your own words, when possible. An original, personal message from a passionate citizen is always more powerful than a batch of identical emails. Use the template as a starting guide or inspiration.
Handwrite the letter, if possible. Handwritten and physical letters make a physical impact in a minister’s office, unlike emails.
Show how you will be personally impacted. Stories make more of an impact than statistics.
Take a minute to proofread your message before mailing. Spelling errors and typos can weaken your message (especially if it’s the minister’s name).

Long Letter Template

[Date written]

Darlene Rowden, Sask Environment Minister

Room 322, 2405 Legislative Drive

Regina, SK

S4S 0B3

Dear Minister Rowden,

I [ask/urge/demand] you to call for a full environmental impact assessment on the [Bell AI data centre]. The planned AI data centre is a development as defined by the Environmental Assessment Act.

[Share in 3 to 5 sentences how the planned AI data centre will affect you personally.]

The Environmental Assessment Act states that a project is considered a ‘development’, which requires a full environmental impact assessment, if the project meets even one of the following:

Involves a new technology that is concerned with resource use and that may induce significant environmental change. Purpose-built AI data centres are new technology, with few companies reporting on vital environmental impact metrics like water usage and lifecycle emissions. This AI data centre is being touted as the largest in the world, meaning its negative environmental impacts will vastly outstrip anything we’ve seen so far.
Causes the emission of any pollutants. The planned natural gas power plant will emit pollutants and affect the City of Regina and the RM of Sherwood. The Saskatchewan government announced it was extending the life of its coal-fired power plants (the worst source of pollution that spreads across the province) because of increased power demand over the next two decades.
Causes widespread public concern because of potential environmental changes. Communities across North America are protesting AI data centres because of concerns of carbon dioxide emissions, water usage, noise pollution, light pollution, and a lack of environmental impact assessments. People are also concerned that Generative AI adoption is leading to mass layoffs and unemployment, particularly for young people.
Substantially uses any provincial resource and in so doing pre-empt the use, or potential use, of that resource for any other purpose. The centre requires 7.7% of Saskatchewan’s entire electricity production, meaning it won’t be able to be used for any other purpose, including providing life-saving cooling during heat waves.

I urge you to:

Require a full environmental impact assessment on the Bell AI data centre.
Pause the development of the Bell AI data centre until that assessment is completed.
Require all AI data centres being planned for Saskatchewan undergo full environmental impact assessments.

Saskatchewan residents deserve to know the full environmental and health impacts of AI data centres in their communities. Will you now call for a full environmental impact assessment for the planned AI data centre? What specific actions will you take? Please respond with answers to these key questions.

Sincerely,

[Your Full Name]

[Your Address - to show that you’re a resident of Saskatchewan.]

Short Template

[Date written]

Darlene Rowden, Sask Environment Minister

Room 322, 2405 Legislative Drive

Regina, SK

S4S 0B3

Dear Minister Rowden,

I [ask/urge/demand] you to call for a full environmental impact assessment on the Bell AI data centre because it is a development as defined by the Environmental Assessment Act. It involves new technology that impacts the environment, causes pollution, causes widespread public concern because of potential environmental changes, and has a significant impact on the environment.

[Include 1 - 3 sentences on how it will affect you personally.]

Will you take action? Please respond with the actions you will take.

Sincerely,

[Your Full Name]

[Your Address - to show that you’re a resident of Saskatchewan.]

Drawing Version

Please call for an environmental impact assessment for all AI Data Centres in Saskatchewan.

[What are you worried about? A few examples include:

I want Regina to be a great place to grow up.
I am worried about the environment.
I am worried about my future here.
I want it to be quiet when I play outside.
I want to protect all the animals and birds around Regina.
I want Regina to be a healthy place for my own kids to grow up.]

Printable Versions

(Next pages)

Date: __________________________

Darlene Rowden, Sask Environment Minister

Room 322, 2405 Legislative Drive

Regina, SK

S4S 0B3

Dear Minister Rowden,

I [ask/urge/demand] you to call for a full environmental impact assessment on the Regina Bell AI data centre. The planned AI data centre is a development as defined by the Environmental Assessment Act.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Environmental Assessment Act states that a project is considered a ‘development’, which requires a full environmental impact assessment, if the project meets even one of the following:

Involves a new technology that is concerned with resource use and that may induce significant environmental change. Purpose-built AI data centres are new technology, with few companies reporting on vital environmental impact metrics like water usage and lifecycle emissions. This AI data centre is being touted as the largest in the world, meaning its negative environmental impacts will vastly outstrip anything we’ve seen so far.
Causes the emission of any pollutants. The planned natural gas power plant will emit pollutants and affect the City of Regina and the RM of Sherwood. The Saskatchewan government announced it was extending the life of its coal-fired power plants (the worst source of pollution that spreads across the province) because of increased power demand over the next two decades.
Causes widespread public concern because of potential environmental changes. Communities across North America are protesting AI data centres because of concerns of carbon dioxide emissions, water usage, noise pollution, light pollution, and a lack of environmental impact assessments. People are also concerned that Generative AI adoption is leading to mass layoffs and unemployment, particularly for young people.
Substantially uses any provincial resource and in so doing pre-empt the use, or potential use, of that resource for any other purpose. The centre requires 7.7% of Saskatchewan’s entire electricity production, meaning it won’t be able to be used for any other purpose, including providing life-saving cooling during heat waves.

I urge you to:

Require a full environmental impact assessment on the Bell AI data centre.
Pause the development of the Bell AI data centre until that assessment is completed.
Require all AI data centres being planned for Saskatchewan undergo full environmental impact assessments.

Sincerely,

__________________________________________

Address:

_________________________________

Date:

Darlene Rowden, Sask Environment Minister

Room 322, 2405 Legislative Drive

Regina, SK

S4S 0B3

Dear Minister Rowden,

I urge you to call for a full environmental impact assessment on the Bell AI data centre because it is a development as defined by the Environmental Assessment Act. It involves new technology that impacts the environment, causes pollution, causes widespread public concern because of potential environmental changes, and has a significant impact on the environment.

Will you take action? Please respond with the actions you will take.

Sincerely,

__________________________________________

Address:

_________________________________

Please call for an environmental impact assessment for all AI Data Centres in Saskatchewan.

I am… ________________________________________________________________________