Carney to showcase Canada’s capital agenda at first-ever investment summit

Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to host Canada's first-ever national investment summit in Toronto next week, aiming to address the country's persistent lack of business investment, which has been hindering economic growth. The summit will bring together hundreds of global and domestic investors with trillions of dollars in assets under management.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has identified 34 proposed projects, while Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe plans to showcase projects in energy, critical minerals, defence, and agriculture. New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt intends to advocate for several initiatives, including a port expansion, a data centre, and a power plant rehabilitation project.

The summit is co-organized by the Prime Minister's Office, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, and Public Sector Pension Investments, two of the country's largest asset managers. Prime Minister Carney has been pushing for a capital-focused agenda since taking office 18 months ago, with the goal of catalyzing $1 trillion in investments over five years.

Critics argue that Canada's investment shortfall is due to regulatory burdens, long timelines, and uncertainty in project approvals. However, experts point out that Canada's energy sector remains attractive but comes with significant risks. The CPP Investment Board's survey of asset managers highlights Canada's relative strengths in openness to capital, execution in energy transition, and policy stability, but stresses the importance of policy predictability.

Jeremy Kronick, president and CEO of the C.D. Howe Institute, acknowledges the progress made by Carney to make Canada "open for business" but suggests more work is needed to address interprovincial trade barriers. Political opinion is shifting in favor of major projects, as indicated by polling results, but officials must ensure Indigenous stakeholders are on board before promising too much.

Foreign direct investment in Canada reached $96.8 billion in 2025, the highest level since 2007, which is encouraging despite the backdrop of the Canada-U.S. trade war. The summit will present a list of projects, including ports, pipelines, and critical mineral extraction, which experts believe will attract significant external capital.