Carney opens landmark Toronto summit to lure C$1T in investment

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday opened a first-of-its-kind investment summit in Toronto, courting dozens of the world's most powerful financiers as he seeks to attract C$1 trillion in new investment over the next five years while navigating an escalating trade war with the United States.kfgo+1

The two-day Canada Investment Summit, held at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Toronto, brings together more than 100 global investors with Canadian CEOs, premiers, and government officials to discuss more than 160 projects spanning mining, energy, technology, defense, and infrastructure. The event kicked off Monday evening with a gala dinner at the Art Gallery of Ontario, with the main working sessions scheduled for Tuesday.canada+1

A Who's Who of Global Finance

Confirmed attendees include BlackRock ↘ 1.30% CEO Larry Fink, Blackstone ↘ 0.17% President Jon Gray, Singapore's Temasek CEO Dilhan Pillay, and Dutch pension fund APG Groep's CEO Annette Mosman, according to Reuters. Former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper is set to deliver closing remarks, according to CTV News.ctvnews+1

"The world's largest investors, managing over C$120 trillion dollars of assets, will come to 'peer into our shop window' because the world is looking at Canada differently," Carney said at a welcome reception on Sunday.kfgo

The summit's prospectus, seen by Reuters, pitches Canada as a stable market poised for long-term growth. Among the opportunities listed are 96 data centers in development, an equity investment in Xanadu's photonic quantum computer targeted for commercialization by 2029-2030, and C$900 million in financing for a proposed high-speed transportation pod between Calgary and Edmonton.kfgo

Financial Sector Pledges Pour In

Canada's financial institutions moved to demonstrate their own commitments. Scotiabank Bank of Nova Scotia ↘ 0.02% announced the launch of its Scotia Growth Institute alongside a pledge of more than C$100 billion in financing, underwriting, and investment over five years to support Canadian companies in key growth sectors. Former Canadian Ambassador Kirsten Hillman was appointed lead strategic advisor for the institute.investingnews+1

Royal Bank of Canada ↘ 0.36% committed C$1.4 billion for technology companies, Bank of Montreal ↘ 0.34% pledged up to C$70 billion for critical economic sectors, CIBC Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce ↘ 0.41% earmarked C$2 billion for defense businesses, and Sun Life ↗ 0.70% committed C$5 billion for infrastructure.kfgo

Trade War Backdrop

The summit comes as Canada seeks to diversify its economic partnerships amid mounting U.S. tariffs. Carney has pursued new trade relationships in the Middle East and Asia while strengthening ties with Europe. Canada's foreign direct investment flows have averaged around C$23 billion per quarter in 2024 and 2025, though greenfield investments have yet to see a major increase under Carney's government.kfgo

"This investment summit is falling at a very critical time in which Canada represents a window of stability," Erik Peterson, managing director of Kearney's Global Business Policy Council, told Reuters. Whether the summit translates rhetoric into actual capital flows remains an open question — deals could take 12 to 18 months to materialize, a government source said.reuters+1