European cloud provider OVHcloud has launched a new data center environment in Toronto, Canada.

Announced this week, the new region is located in Cambridge, Ontario, to the south of Toronto.

The new region is located in Ascent's TOR1 data center; OVH's deployment spans 1,000 sqm (10,765 sq ft), a capacity of 10,000 servers, and 2MW of power.

The company said its Ontario site will be supported by a C$145 million (US$107m) investment over the next eight years.

"This new data center marks a major turning point in the history of OVHcloud in Canada, enabling our customers and businesses in the Toronto area to strengthen their infrastructure while retaining full control of their cloud journey, free from any form of technological or pricing lock-in,” said Estelle Azemard, VP Americas at OVHcloud. “We're also looking forward to making a difference by continuing to innovate for a sustainable digital environment.”

OVHcloud currently operates eight Canadian data centers near Montreal in Beauharnois, Quebec – the first opened in 2012.

US-managed services and hosting provider Ascent acquired the Toronto data center in March 2017 alongside a facility in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Atlanta data center was quickly leased back to Blackberry, and later acquired by Lincoln Rackhouse. DCD reported in 2014 that TeraGo purchased a 4.8MW facility in Toronto formerly occupied by BlackBerry, which could be the same data center later acquired by Ascent.

Robert Painter, president of Ascent, said he was "thrilled" by the partnership, and said the project was "at the forefront of data center innovation."

Painter said: “Our shared commitment is a testament to delivering unparalleled efficiency and effective solutions for highly secure data centers, that ultimately navigate the complexities of high-density demands."

The 310,000 sq ft (28,800 sqm) building sits on 26 acres and can offer up to 60MW, Ascent said.