A company based in Vancouver is encouraging Canadians to consider keeping some of their investment funds within the country to make a positive impact. Despite the growing momentum of the “Buy Canadian” movement in 2025 due to trade tensions and political rhetoric, many Canadian investors continued to place a significant portion of their assets overseas, particularly in the U.S.
Financial adviser Daisy Mak from Vancouver Financial Planning Consultants Inc. mentioned that although there was initial interest in investing in Canadian assets following Trump’s re-election, completely divesting from the U.S. is impractical. While Canada’s banking and insurance sectors remain attractive for investment, the country lags in areas like technology and pharmaceuticals.
Statistics Canada data for the first three quarters of 2025 revealed that the majority of foreign securities acquired by Canadians, amounting to $111 billion, were from the U.S. This trend led to a net outflow of $61.9 billion in securities transactions from Canada during the same period.
Despite the prevailing trends, Blake Bunting, co-founder of GoParity Canada in Vancouver, noted an increased interest in local investments. GoParity, a crowd-lending platform, allows users to contribute funds to community projects, such as clean energy initiatives on Vancouver Island or Indigenous-run daycares. Bunting emphasized the impact individuals can have by supporting these projects with a portion of their investment portfolio.
An industry report highlighted the importance of responsible investing, with a focus on environmental, social, and corporate governance factors. Despite challenges and negative media coverage, the report emphasized the continued commitment to sustainable investment practices among Canadian wealth managers.
Bunting’s platform not only enables investors to support environmentally-friendly projects but also provides funding opportunities for small businesses that may not meet traditional banking criteria. This alternative financing avenue aims to address the funding gaps in the market and complement traditional banking services in Canada.