Microsoft began construction for the first phase of development of the L’Ancienne-Lorette datacentre in June, 2024. The datacentre construction site is located in the City of L’Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec, Canada.

Why datacentres are needed

Datacentres provide the physical infrastructure for the technology we depend on at work and in our personal lives. Whenever you open an app on your phone, join a virtual classroom or meeting, snap and save photos, or play a game with your friends online, you are using a datacentre. Local businesses, government, hospitals, and schools rely on datacentres every day to deliver goods and services to you.

April 2026

Work on the datacentre project in L’Ancienne-Lorette is progressing well. The main generator tests were completed in early 2026. Small tests remain to be carried out, but they will be of short duration according to standard practices.

The transformers for the electrical substation were delivered in March 2026. The control building is expected around mid-May, following the thaw.

Over the next few months, groundwork will continue until autumn 2026, with exterior landscaping being finished over the summer and substation commissioning work taking place in autumn. The scale of the work will be less than in the last two summers.

We will continue to share updates to keep the community informed of the site’s progress.

Construction timeline

Construction of the datacentre began on June 17, 2024.

Throughout 2025, the building structure advanced significantly and work progressed according to the planned schedule. Teams continued with foundation work, additional excavation activities, and erected the datacentre structure.

Work is expected to continue throughout 2026. Construction is currently anticipated to be completed by early 2027. Please note that completion of the buildings does not necessarily mean the datacentre will be operational.

August 2025

The structure of the building is progressing and the teams are now building the project’s electrical substation. As part of this phase GE, the subcontractor responsible for the work, will carry out pile driving activities that will begin in September. These operations will follow all applicable regulations, including local noise ordinances and permitted working hours, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The teams will strive to limit the daily duration of pile driving work. We will keep neighbours informed of schedule changes, as appropriate.

Construction timeline

Datacentre construction began on June 17, 2024.  The work going on now is the first phase of development, which includes preparing the site for construction; tree cutting, demolition, fencing, and site grading. The next phase is foundation work and other excavation activities. We anticipate that construction will be completed by early 2026. Construction completion of the datacentre buildings does not indicate operability.

For more information, please contact Construction Dinamo inc. at citoyen@dinamo.ca .

Staying connected

For more information about Microsoft’s work in L’Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec, visit the Microsoft in your community page .

For community-related questions, contact us at quebeccdd@microsoft.com or leave a voicemail at 1-418-476-1012.