‘Massive growth potential’: Bell to open 6 data centres in British Columbia

What’s going on at Bell?

Bell Canada announced plans to open six data centres in British Columbia — equipped to power artificial intelligence (AI) models and applications.

“You’ve got AI as a clear winner in terms of massive growth potential now and for the long-term, and we’re extremely well-positioned to lean in,” Mirko Bibic, CEO of the telecom giant’s parent company BCE Inc., told The Globe and Mail in an interview.

Currently, Bell’s plan is to:

• Open the first data centre in Kamloops in June 2025
• Open the second data centre in Merritt by the end of the year
• Open two more data centres in 2026 — with one to be located at Thompson Rivers University
• The remaining two data centres are in the advanced planning stages

As the company increases its footprint in the province, it’s expected to create new employment opportunities for British Columbians.

If you’re thinking about working for Bell, here are a few things that non-unionized employees in B.C. need to know.

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Carefully review your new employment contract

Before starting a new job in Ontario, it’s very likely that you will be asked to sign an employment contract.

In many cases, these agreements take away key protections that would otherwise be available to non-unionized workers in the province.

Your employer might attempt to limit your severance package to a few weeks’ pay, or add a clause that gives them the ability to make significant changes to your job.

WATCH: Employment lawyer Lior Samfiru explains the five things workers need to know about employment contracts on an episode of the Employment Law Show.

Once you receive an employment contract, take the time to carefully review it. Your boss can’t legally force you to accept it immediately or a few days after receiving it.

If you’re unsure about anything in the agreement, contact an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.

We can review the contract and ensure that your workplace rights are properly protected.

LEARN MORE
• Starting a new job? Here’s how an employment contract could limit your rights
• ’60 days or more’: Is it an enforceable termination clause?
• Employment Law Show: Things to never do before seeking legal counsel

You might have to complete a probationary period

In B.C., employment contracts often contain a “probation clause” that requires non-unionized employees to complete a probationary period when they start working for a new company.

Severance pay considerations

Before changing jobs, you need to consider future severance possibilities.

While a severance package in B.C. can be as much as 24 months’ pay, compensation for non-unionized employees, including those at Bell, is calculated using several factors, including:

If you quit your current job, you may NOT be owed severance

In most cases, non-unionized workers in Ontario don’t get a severance package if they resign from their position voluntarily to take up employment elsewhere.

Severance is designed to provide employees with financial support while they look for new work after being fired without cause or let go.

However, if you’re forced to leave because of unwanted changes to your job, it’s very likely that you could treat it as a constructive dismissal.

In this situation, the law allows you to resign and pursue full severance pay.

If you believe that you’ve been constructively dismissed, don’t quit your job until you speak with an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• Should I negotiate my own severance package in British Columbia?
• Employment Law Show: Things to never do before seeking legal counsel

Your length of service affects your severance entitlements

If you’re fired without cause or let go, a key factor in determining how much severance pay you’re owed is your length of service.

• Example: If you worked for a company in Richmond for 12 years and decide to take a new job in Kamloops that you sought out on your own, you forfeit the severance entitlements you built up with your current employer. As a result, if you’re fired without cause or let go shortly after joining the new business, you could receive very little compensation.

However, there are situations where short-service employees are owed significantly more severance pay than they realize.

If your employer fires you without cause, and you’ve only been with the company for three years or less, don’t accept your severance offer before contacting our firm.

As long as you didn’t sign the offer and send it back to your boss, you have two years from the date of your dismissal to pursue full severance pay.

We can review the offer and help you secure the compensation you’re legally entitled to.

SEE ALSO 
• I already accepted a severance package, what should I do?
• Do I have to look for a new job after getting fired?
• Employment Law Show: Facts about the termination process

Recruited by another company?

In some cases, non-unionized workers in B.C. leave their current job after being actively recruited by another company.

If your new employer took documented steps to entice you to take up employment with them, this is known as inducement.

In the event that the company decides to terminate you shortly after pulling you away from your previous employer, the inducement should be taken into consideration when determining your severance entitlements.

• Example: Bell entices you to leave your current job to come work at one of its data centres in B.C. If you’re terminated shortly after making the switch, the company may be on the hook for enhanced severance pay because of the pressure it placed on you to leave your previous employer.

If this situation applies to you, don’t sign your severance offer until it’s been reviewed by a member of our team.

We can confirm that the inducement has been properly factored into your severance package and help you secure the compensation you deserve if it isn’t.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• Recruited by another company in Alberta: Employee rights
• Inducement in Ontario: What employees need to know

Got a job offer? Contact us

Before signing a new employment contract, have Samfiru Tumarkin LLP’s experienced B.C. employment lawyers review the agreement to make sure your workplace rights are protected.

Our team has successfully represented tens of thousands of non-unionized individuals across the province.

We can help you better understand the terms of the contract and advise you on how best to navigate the situation.

Disclaimer: The materials above are provided as general information about the rights of non-unionized employees in Canada. It is not specific to any one company and SHOULD NOT be read as suggesting any improper conduct on the part of any specific employer, or a relationship between Samfiru Tumarkin LLP and a specific employer.