No deal is official yet, but Thompson Rivers University is expected to be the site of two artificial intelligence hubs over the next two years.

Bell Canada says it is rolling out a network of new AI data centres across Canada with iTel, starting with a supercluster of six in B.C., including a soon-to-be facility off Mission Flats Road and two 26-megawatt centres at TRU.

One of the planned 26-megawatt data centres at TRU is expected to come online next spring, with a second the following year.

Dan Rink, CEO of iTel Networks and Bell’s president of AI infrastructure, told Castanet Kamloops that not only are two data centres being built on campus, but Bell is partnering with TRU to develop training programs for AI research, computer science and trades.

“We’re going to be hiring people for a long time building out the largest cluster in Canada right here in B.C.,” Rink said.

Matt Milovick, TRU's vice-president of administration and finance, said the university is currently in discussions with iTel about building the first of those AI data centre at 1452 McGill Rd., across the street from the existing Telus and Equinix data centres on Bunker Road.

He said TRU bought the McGill Road property in 2018.

“There’s still some hoops we have to jump through, but the potential for AI innovation for our faculty and students is really amazing,” he told Castanet Kamloops.

Milovick said the facility will be a new building constructed through the university’s property trust. He also said that while TRU hopes to have a deal signed for the building, nothing has been inked yet.

“AI is here to stay. Our students need to be learning about it, researching it, understanding it,” he said.

Milovick said the two data centres will have different functions. The second one, eyed for 2027, would be located more centrally on campus. It would also be a larger building than the one on McGill Road.

Bell's plans call for the data centres at TRU to be designed to host AI training and inference, providing students and faculty with access to cutting-edge computing capabilities, both at TRU and nationally through integration with the BCNET network.

Milovick said the data centres will provide TRU’s computer science, software engineering and cybersecurity students with “an invaluable opportunity for experiential learning,” as well as student and faculty research.

“This collaboration will create unprecedented opportunities for students, researchers and our community,” he said.

Rink said the waste heat generated by the TRU data centres would help fuel the university’s Low-Carbon District Energy System, an ambitious ambitious green energy project that's been under construction on campus since last year.

“TRU’s buildings and facilities will be heated by waste heat, which is more economical for them and good for the environment,” he said.

Milovick said the university is excited about the potential opportunity to use the waste heat.