Prime Minister Mark Carney has extended invitations to 100 of the world’s largest investors for a summit in Toronto scheduled for September. The objective of the conference is to encourage organizations with significant capital, such as private investment firms like Blackrock and major sovereign wealth funds such as Singapore’s GIC, to consider investing in Canada. The invitations were dispatched this week, with no responses received from the invitees at the time of reporting.
This summit is part of a broader strategy to attract global investment back to Canada amidst ongoing uncertainties and volatility on a global scale. Carney has been actively engaging with international leaders and private enterprises during his overseas trips to promote increased investment in Canada. The pitch emphasizes that, amid geopolitical challenges, trade disruptions, and global conflicts, Canada stands as a stable and reliable destination for investments in sectors like ports, pipelines, and infrastructure projects.
Michel Leduc, the senior managing director and chief public affairs officer at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, expressed optimism about Canada’s positioning, stating that “Canada is in a really good place” and that it is once again an appealing destination for investment. The upcoming summit, tentatively named the Canada Investment Summit, aims to showcase what Canada has to offer to global investors seeking secure and prosperous opportunities in an increasingly turbulent world.
Recent trends indicate a positive shift in foreign investment in Canada after a period of lagging behind other countries for more than a decade. Foreign direct investment in Canada has reached its highest level since 2007, while outward investment flows from Canada have decreased in 2025. This turnaround follows a period of economic challenges, including the impact of plummeting global oil prices in 2015 and concerns over regulatory complexities under the previous government.
Business leaders in Canada stress the importance of tangible actions beyond rhetoric to attract investments for major projects. Goldy Hyder, CEO of the Business Council of Canada, views the upcoming summit as an opportunity to bolster Canada’s investment landscape and support key initiatives. He underscores the need for Canada to demonstrate its ability to execute large-scale projects effectively, a factor that has been lacking in previous endeavors.
The summit, set to take place in mid-September in Toronto, aims to forge lasting relationships with prominent figures in the investment community and lay the groundwork for future opportunities. While specific projects to be presented at the summit have not been disclosed, there is consensus among industry experts on the critical sectors where Canada urgently requires capital infusion.
The event is a collaborative effort between Canada’s major pension plans, CPPIB and PSP, along with Invest in Canada, an agency dedicated to promoting foreign direct investment in the country. Despite the invitations sent out under Carney’s leadership, the actual investment commitments from the invitees remain uncertain at this stage.