ThinkOn’s sovereign cloud platform is powering Canada’s national AI infrastructure.
Built and operated by ThinkOn under contract with Shared Services Canada and already serving thousands of federal employees across 23 departments, ThinkOn has delivered the infrastructure foundation for Canada’s Sovereign AI Platform. This foundation for sovereign AI can be further extended across departments and agencies as the Government of Canada’s AI demand grows. CANCHAT, the Government of Canada’s secure AI assistant, is the first application to run on the platform.
ThinkOn provides the secure managed cloud infrastructure at the core of the platform, delivering the security, compliance, and data control that Canadian federal operations require in alignment with federal government security guardrail standards. The deployment runs entirely on Canadian soil, under Canadian operational and legislative control.
The announcement comes at a pivotal moment for Canadian data sovereignty, as new analysis reveals that three U.S. companies control 85 per cent of Canada’s public cloud market. This concentration is even more difficult to notice as foreign hyperscalers build local data centres, hire local spokespeople, and present as local infrastructure — while operational control, legal accountability, and the data itself remain outside Canadian jurisdiction. For a country increasingly aware that data residency and data sovereignty are not the same thing, the gap between where Canadian data lives and who actually controls it has never been more visible.
Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation praised ThinkOn’s support:
“Secure, Canadian-controlled infrastructure is essential to Canada’s digital sovereignty. ThinkOn is a strong Canadian company helping build that capacity here at home — trusted, proven, and ready to support secure AI adoption across government. Through AI for All, we are strengthening Canada’s sovereign control over the infrastructure and tools that will shape this technology, while backing Canadian companies that can build, scale and compete globally.”
“Sovereign AI is not a future state — it is operational today, running on secure Canadian infrastructure,” said Craig McLellan, CEO of ThinkOn. “Data residency and data sovereignty are not the same thing. Too many Canadian organizations confuse the two, assuming that because their data is housed in a Canadian facility, it is under Canadian control. That is not the case unless the infrastructure itself is Canadian-owned, Canadian-operated, and accountable under Canadian law. ThinkOn was built on exactly that conviction, and this platform is what it looks like when applied on a larger scale.””
Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Services and Procurement, and Québec Lieutenant, highlighted the broader significance of the announcement:
“Today’s announcement demonstrates that Canada has the talent, expertise, and technology companies needed to build and operate the digital infrastructure of the future right here at home. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly important to how governments deliver services and support Canadians, it is essential that the infrastructure behind these tools remains secure, reliable, and under Canadian control. By supporting Canadian innovators like ThinkOn and advancing sovereign AI capabilities, we are strengthening Canada’s digital sovereignty, creating opportunities for Canadian businesses, and ensuring that Canadians can have confidence in how their data is managed and protected.”
Quick Facts
- ThinkOn has been sovereign-certified and government-cleared for 8+ years
- ThinkOn has more data under management in Canada than any other sovereign provider
- ThinkOn was founded in Toronto in 2013 and operates across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Caribbean
About ThinkOn
Think On, Inc. is a global, channel-first cloud service provider (CSP) headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Since 2013, we have empowered organizations to process, protect, and preserve their data. With over 200 global partners and thousands of subscribers, ThinkOn provides infrastructure that organizations can depend on, built to support growth while keeping costs predictable and under control. Our solutions are designed to improve how data is preserved and used, making it easier to access, work with, and rely on as a long-term asset.
Contact us at sales@thinkon.com to explore further.