Key facts
- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is hosting a summit in Toronto for over 100 global investors.
- The investors collectively manage over C$100 trillion in assets.
- The summit aims to attract C$1 trillion in investments over the next five years.
- Projects pitched include data centers, Xanadu's quantum computer, and the Crawford Nickel Project.
- Infrastructure projects include financing for a high-speed transportation pod between Calgary and Edmonton.
- Canada's foreign direct investment has been rising, with a quarterly average of C$23 billion in 2024 and 2025.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is hosting a two-day investment summit in Toronto, aiming to attract global capital amid strained trade relations with the United States. The event brings together over 100 of the world's largest asset managers, overseeing more than C$100 trillion in assets, in a bid to diversify Canada's economic relationships and bolster its economy.
Carney, leveraging his background as a former Goldman Sachs executive and central bank chief, is pitching Canada as a stable and predictable market for long-term growth. The summit aims to match investors with approximately 160 projects across various sectors, including mining, energy, technology, and infrastructure. Opportunities include investments in data centers, Xanadu's photonic quantum computer, the Crawford Nickel Project, and financing for a high-speed transportation pod between Calgary and Edmonton.
Attracting investment is crucial for Canada to navigate tariffs imposed by the U.S., its top trade partner, which accounts for 20% of Canada's GDP through trade exports. Carney has also sought to strengthen ties with partners in the Middle East and Asia. While Canada's foreign direct investment has been steadily rising, greenfield investments—spending on new factories and warehouses—have not seen a significant increase since Carney took office.
Several Canadian financial institutions have pledged significant investments. Royal Bank of Canada will invest C$1.4 billion in technology companies, Bank of Montreal committed up to C$70 billion for critical economic sectors, CIBC pledged C$2 billion for defense businesses, and Sun Life will invest C$5 billion for infrastructure projects.