Prime Minister Mark Carney is hosting an inaugural national investment summit in Toronto this September. The event aims to attract massive capital to major domestic projects and reverse a long-standing trend of sluggish business investment.

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Alberta's 34 projects and New Brunswick's Mactaquac revival

Provincial leaders are arriving in Toronto with ambitious lists of capital-intensive opportunities. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith intends to pitch 34 proposed projects to the gathered investors, while Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is focusing on the energy, agriculture, and critical mineral sectors . In the Maritimes, New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt is highlighting a port expansion and the rehabilitation of the Mactaquac power plant.

A $1 trillion target to fix the "Achilles heel"

The federal government is attempting to address a decade-long drought in business investment that has stifled Canadian productivity. As reported by the source, Prime Minister Carney has set a goal to catalyze $1 trillion in investments over a five-year period. This strategy aligns with a broader shift in federal policy to prioritize critical infrastructure, a move Mahmood Nanji of the Ivey School of Business describes as Carney's "big bet" on the economy.

This push comes as Statistics Canada reports that foreign direct investment reached $96 .8 billion in 2025, the highest level recorded since 2007. the summit, co-organized by the Prime Minister's Office alongside the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Public Sector Pension Investments, represents a concentrated effort to turn this momentum into long-term industrial growth.

Why 70 per cent of asset managers demand predictability

Investor confidence hinges heavily on the stability of the Canadian regulatory environment. According to a report from the CPP Investment Board, which surveyed 65 of the world's largest asset managers, nearly 70 per cent of respondents ranked predictability as an essential factor in their decision-making. While Canada performs well in the energy transition and openness to capital—trailing only Singapore in policy stability—the survey noted that investors remain wary of policy reversals and regulatory fragmentation.

This tension is exacerbated by political friction, with the Conservative party specifically targeting the industrial carbon price as a barrier to resource extraction and manufacturing. For global capital to flow, the government must reconcile these ideological divides with the practical need for a consistent policy framework.

Can the One Canadian Economy Act bypass regulatory snarls?

Significant questions remain regarding whether new legislative tools can actually accelerate project timelines.. While the One Canadian Economy Act and the major projects office aim to streamline approvals, experts like Jeremy Kronick of the C.D.. Howe Institute suggest that interprovincial trade barriers may still pose a threat. Furthermore, the government must still prove it can secure meaningful Indigenous stakeholder engagement to prevent the litigation that often stalls major developments.

While Angus Reid polling from July suggests growing public support for projects like an Alberta-to-B.C. pipeline, the ability to translate that sentiment into completed infrastructure remains unproven. The summit may secure promises of capital, but the true test will be the government's ability to navigate the legal and regulatory hurdles that have historically choked Canadian development .