<![CDATA[While a sovereign data center is attractive, does it make sense to put a highly sensitive data centre &amp; bomb-&amp;-spy-magnet in a highly populated city?]]>While a sovereign data center is attractive, does it make sense to put a highly sensitive data centre & bomb-&-spy-magnet in a highly populated city? It makes sense for our data & personnel with expertise to shepherd it to be Canadian, no question. But if we're going to be working on Gripens as well as F-35s, & knowing that data centres require serious cooling measures but would also become military targets, wouldn't it make more sense to be more remote, further from US & Russian borders, someplace where the data scientists & soldiers depending on that data are in proximity, but also generally cooler? Someplace like Gimli (nice Nordics connection, there, with an old military airport that could be upgraded) or Cold Lake (already has an air base) -- both of which are beautiful places to live, two hours access to cities with research universities & international airports, & have consistently cooler seasonal temperatures with deep water lakes for the data centre cooling.

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Saab dangles sovereign data centre in Montreal to undercut F-35 fighter contract | CBC News

Saab is pitching a Montreal-based, sovereign data hub to secure Canada's fighter jet contract, arguing it would keep mission-critical data out of U.S. hands. The move challenges Lockheed Martin's F-35 model and amplifies Ottawa's growing unease over data control, AI and strategic dependence.

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CBC (www.cbc.ca)

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/topic/2ad07958-870e-403c-893d-eadff80a2f7d/while-a-sovereign-data-center-is-attractive-does-it-make-sense-to-put-a-highly-sensitive-data-centre-amp-bomb-amp-spy-magnet-in-a-highly-populated-cityRSS for NodeFri, 15 May 2026 03:39:46 GMTMon, 13 Apr 2026 15:05:53 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to While a sovereign data center is attractive, does it make sense to put a highly sensitive data centre &amp; bomb-&amp;-spy-magnet in a highly populated city? on Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:37:47 GMT]]>@mike despite the Monocle's restrained enthusiasm, I'd still like to try it at least once.

But with the *very* deep pocketed interest in iconic and exotic railway travel that's happening right now in Europe/Central Asia, thanks to the rich Belmond group -- there's a potential (if *slim*) opportunity. Maybe?

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.ca/users/HyL/statuses/116483782550570080https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.ca/users/HyL/statuses/116483782550570080Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:37:47 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to While a sovereign data center is attractive, does it make sense to put a highly sensitive data centre &amp; bomb-&amp;-spy-magnet in a highly populated city? on Sun, 26 Apr 2026 19:47:48 GMT]]>@HyL I grew up there. I know the area and the train ride very well.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://thecanadian.social/users/mike/statuses/116472733266276960https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://thecanadian.social/users/mike/statuses/116472733266276960Sun, 26 Apr 2026 19:47:48 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to While a sovereign data center is attractive, does it make sense to put a highly sensitive data centre &amp; bomb-&amp;-spy-magnet in a highly populated city? on Sun, 26 Apr 2026 15:57:54 GMT]]>@mike Churchill and the train to get there from Winnipeg, featured in a Monocle magazine travelogue this month!

It gives some insight for people not familiar, with the political, environmental, economic and logistical challenges that the province of Manitoba and northern communities face in trying to activate Canada 's largest northern deep water port, and its community.

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Only reachable by plane or train, Churchill, Canada hopes to grow. Just don't go near the polar bears - Monocle

Residents of Churchill have carved out a living amid the icy wilderness. But how will the region’s growth as a...

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Monocle (monocle.com)



]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.ca/users/HyL/statuses/116471829250323157https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.ca/users/HyL/statuses/116471829250323157Sun, 26 Apr 2026 15:57:54 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to While a sovereign data center is attractive, does it make sense to put a highly sensitive data centre &amp; bomb-&amp;-spy-magnet in a highly populated city? on Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:51:02 GMT]]>@mike
The feds & province agreed in 2024 to that (https://www.canada.ca/en/prairies-economic-development/news/2024/02/premier-kinew-and-minister-vandal-announce-support-for-the-arctic-gateway-group-in-northern-manitoba0.html)
Kinew is meeting with Carney, under the rebuilding Canada theme, so it may still happen:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/wab-kinew-mark-carney-port-of-churchill-9.7160058

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.ca/users/HyL/statuses/116412583912572855https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.ca/users/HyL/statuses/116412583912572855Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:51:02 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to While a sovereign data center is attractive, does it make sense to put a highly sensitive data centre &amp; bomb-&amp;-spy-magnet in a highly populated city? on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:41:30 GMT]]>@HyL Theoretically you could make Churchill an international airport and fix the rail line, but yes agreed it's remote.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://thecanadian.social/users/mike/statuses/116399806218050178https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://thecanadian.social/users/mike/statuses/116399806218050178Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:41:30 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to While a sovereign data center is attractive, does it make sense to put a highly sensitive data centre &amp; bomb-&amp;-spy-magnet in a highly populated city? on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:31:11 GMT]]>@mike I thought of Churchill, the problem is lack of ground-based connection & distance to key resource connections... the train just isn't working as regular transport, and recruiting & retaining the kinds of scientists / specialists who will need to work in that data center requires closer access to big city amenities like international airports & universities.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.ca/users/HyL/statuses/116399765700995357https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.ca/users/HyL/statuses/116399765700995357Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:31:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to While a sovereign data center is attractive, does it make sense to put a highly sensitive data centre &amp; bomb-&amp;-spy-magnet in a highly populated city? on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:06:54 GMT]]>@HyL I like Churchill, MB for data centers. A massive hydroelectric dam in fairly close proximity,a military grade runway, deep water port and rail terminus. All in the dead center of Canada.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://thecanadian.social/users/mike/statuses/116398254628096185https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://thecanadian.social/users/mike/statuses/116398254628096185Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:06:54 GMT