Houston, we have a problem: there’s an urgent need to build Canadian-owned and controlled AI data centres and cloud systems

Canadians are vulnerable to U.S. laws, even if their data is stored in Canada on a U.S. tech-giant system. Stored in Canada doesn’t mean safe in Canada if it's in a U.S.-owned facility.

AI Minister Evan Solomon, pictured on the Hill. Digital sovereignty means an AI system that operates under Canadian rules, institutions, data ownership, intellectual property, and oversight, which has a strong foundation of Canadian-owned and controlled infrastructure, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY DAVID CRANE

June 15, 2026

TORONTO—The goal of the just-announced federal artificial intelligence strategy—Canada’s National Artificial Strategy: AI For All—is to capture the advanta...

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