Prime Minister Mark Carney gathered about 100 money managers from roughly 25 countries in Toronto for the first Canada Investment Summit, promoting Canada as a stable destination for global capital. The event coincided with the Toronto International Film Festival, drawing financial leaders who oversee trillions in assets. Carney, a former global banker, leveraged his international profile to pitch Canada’s financial and political stability amid U.S.-Canada trade tensions.

Deborah K. Orida, president and CEO of PSP Investments, noted that Carney’s stature was a key draw. She emphasized the summit as a starting point, hoping it would catalyze future investments. The gathering followed the collapse of trade talks with the U.S., the imposition of 50 percent tariffs on $20 billion in Canadian exports, and retaliatory measures, including U.S. President Trump’s renewed calls to annex Canada and his renaming of Lake Ontario as “Lake America.”

Carney and his officials contrasted Canada’s stability with its southern neighbor without naming the U.S. or Trump directly. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly highlighted market trust in Canada, citing a Global Infrastructure Association survey ranking Canada first in the world’s most attractive market, surpassing the U.S. and Germany. Carney set a target of $1 trillion in foreign investment over five years, focusing on infrastructure projects like liquid natural gas in Western Canada and upgrading the Churchill port in Manitoba.

The 167 potential projects outlined in a 66-page catalog aim to reduce Canada’s economic reliance on the U.S. Notably, no public asset sell-offs, such as airports, were proposed despite strong interest from investors.