How cloud computing and artificial intelligence are fuelling innovation across Canada

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world's most broadly adopted cloud, with the most comprehensive AI capabilities and global infrastructure footprint. Tens of thousands of Canadian organizations and hundreds of Canadian partners trust AWS to innovate faster with cloud and AI. With data centre Regions in Quebec and Alberta, along with infrastructure and teams across the country, we provide highly secure, scalable, and local cloud infrastructure for Canadian organizations.

Today, AWS offers more IT services from its Canadian data centre Regions than any other cloud provider. Our local infrastructure represents more than just technology. It's a long-term commitment to Canada — supporting jobs, investing in communities, and helping organizations across the country build and grow.

By 2037 AWS will invest up to CA$24.8 B in our Canadian infrastructure.

Highlights

• By building, running and operating our Canadian data centres
• Contributing approx. CA$43 B to Canada’s GDP
• Two data centre Regions and 30+ IT infrastructure points of presence across Canada

Protecting Canadian digital sovereignty

In 2022, we announced the AWS Digital Sovereignty Pledge, our commitment to the most advanced sovereignty controls in the cloud, including:

Keeping Data on Canadian Soil

Our customers have control over the location of their data and who can access it. Canadian organizations can securely store and run workloads, with greater availability and resilience, in our two Canadian data centre Regions.

Zero Operator Access

The AWS Nitro System uses specialized hardware and software to restrict access to customer data — ensuring nobody, including AWS, can access customer workloads without their consent.

Encryption

AWS gives customers features and controls to encrypt data, whether in transit, at rest, or in memory. All AWS services already support encryption, with most also supporting encryption with customer managed keys that you can make inaccessible to AWS.

Supporting Canada’s digital future

In 2016, AWS opened its first data centre region in Canada, the AWS Canada (Central) Region in the greater Montreal area. In 2023, AWS opened the AWS Canada West (Calgary) Region, becoming the first major cloud provider to open a data centre hub in Western Canada.

Across both regions, 100% of electricity consumed is matched with renewable energy sources. AWS uses no water to cool its Montreal data centres 95% of the year and 99% of the year in Calgary, relying on free-air cooling instead.

Investing in Canada’s AI-ready economy

300K+

Canadians trained in cloud, AI and technical skills since 2017 through courses like AWS re/Start and AWS Fiber Optic Fusion Splicing.

900+

Free AWS Skill Builder courses including 135 AI and Machine Learning courses helping Canadians master in-demand skills at every level.

80%+

Global AI unicorns reported by Pitchbook run on AWS. AWS Activate helps Canadian startups access cloud credits and mentorship to scale fast and compete globally.

UBC Cloud Innovation Centre

This generative AI hub, powered by AWS, connects students, University of British Columbia faculty, and community organizations to solve real-world challenges using cloud and generative AI.

AWS Think Big Space

Located in the Centre Lasallien, in Montreal, this space welcomes all learners to explore science, technology, engineering, arts and math, empowering them to pursue careers in these fields.

AWS operations across Canada include tech hubs and corporate offices, data centre regions, edge locations, and points of presence.

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Source: aboutamazon.com · “20 Years of AWS: Building the Future” by Eric Gales, GM AWS Canada · March 12, 2026

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