The race to build AI infrastructure has reached eastern Canada. Anthropic, the maker of Claude, signed a lease with EverWind for data center capacity at Point Tupper, Nova Scotia, on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, its first data center agreement in Canada. The same day, EverWind announced plans to invest more than C$10 billion in a data center campus and wind power, which it called the largest privately funded investment in the province's history. The deal is another sign that leading AI companies are racing to secure computing capacity for future growth.
Anthropic Leases the First Phase Under a 20-Year Term
The agreement covers capacity in the first phase of a data center campus EverWind will build at its existing industrial site in Point Tupper, northeast of Halifax. The lease runs for at least 20 years. Phase one is an 18,600-square-meter facility drawing 95 megawatts, expected to open in late 2027, followed by a 325 MW expansion in 2028 for a total of 420 MW, meaning Anthropic's initial slice is less than a quarter of the planned buildout. EverWind initially described the tenant only as an unnamed "leading frontier AI developer," before Jacob Glick, Anthropic's head of public policy in Canada, confirmed it was Anthropic, saying Canadians use Claude at some of the highest rates in the world and that the deal brings infrastructure closer to its users.
Who Is EverWind: From Hydrogen Fuels to AI Data Centers
EverWind Fuels is a Halifax-based energy developer founded and led by Trent Vichie. It had been focused on green hydrogen and ammonia at Point Tupper for export, after acquiring the local fuel terminal from NuStar Energy in 2022, with backing from Nuveen. It is also developing wind projects across Nova Scotia, with an Indigenous consortium led by Membertou First Nation holding a majority stake in its first-phase wind portfolio. The new plan allocates more than C$8 billion to building and owning the data center campus and C$2 billion to onshore wind, and is expected to create 2,000 construction jobs and 215 permanent positions.
Power and Water: Local Concerns
Data centers have long been criticized for heavy electricity and water use and the strain they place on local infrastructure. Anthropic and EverWind have both pledged to protect local ratepayers from higher bills and safeguard water resources, with EverWind saying it will cover project-related electricity costs. However, the wind farms will not be ready when the data center opens, so it will initially rely on the existing grid, though the province's independent grid operator has produced a study saying current infrastructure can support it. Provincial NDP Leader Claudia Chender questioned how the government would enforce these assurances and criticized it for backing the project without public consultation.
Anthropic Accelerates Its Infrastructure Spending
The Canadian deal comes as Anthropic ramps up spending on computing capacity. Last year, the company spent $7.33 billion on computing and infrastructure, roughly three times its 2024 spending. Spreading data centers across countries also helps meet demand from enterprise and government customers who want data processed locally, a strategy several major AI companies are pursuing.
What It Means for Investors: A Long-Term Commitment Ahead of an IPO
For investors, the deal matters on several levels. First, a 20-year lease signals Anthropic's confidence in long-term demand for Claude and its willingness to lock in infrastructure costs for decades, so investors must weigh growth potential against rising fixed costs. Second, it comes as Reuters reports Anthropic is preparing a US initial public offering that could value it at more than $2 trillion, even as New York City Comptroller Mark Levine has urged a delay over safety and governance concerns. Third, data center developers and power producers are direct beneficiaries as AI companies sign long-term contracts. Key things to watch are construction progress toward the late-2027 opening, power supply before the wind farms are complete, and clarity on Anthropic's IPO plans.
