Telus (TSX:T) might call Vancouver home, but the telecom giant is investing $65 million in a small town in eastern Quebec.
On Tuesday, Telus announced plans to build its new Internet data centre in Rimouski, population 42,000.
The facility, which will be the first Telus data centre built to LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) gold standards, will be a cornerstone in the company’s shift toward supporting next-generation cloud computing and unified communications services.
“It demonstrates our commitment to providing our business clients with the most powerful, innovative IT services,” said Francois Cote, president of Telus Quebec and Telus Health Solutions.
“In fact, the data centre will meet their growing need for cloud computing solutions, which are becoming a software and infrastructure management priority.”
Telus is already Rimouski’s largest private employer with more than 1,400 workers.
The company said Rimouski is the ideal location for the data centre because of its highly skilled workforce, access to environmentally friendly hydropower and moderate climate.
But even though Telus sees opportunities in Quebec, the company hasn’t forgotten about its West Coast roots.
In March, the company unveiled plans for a 22-storey office complex in downtown Vancouver to house its headquarters.
The price tag on that project totals $750 million. (See “Telus proposes $750 million new home in downtown Vancouver” – BIV Business Today, March 10.)
Telus said construction would begin at the Rimouski data centre in the next few weeks with the opening scheduled for sometime next year.
At press time, the telecom’s shares were up $0.31 to $52.36.
Joel McKay