Canada’s Infrastructure Investment Opportunity

Highlights

• The infrastructure investment landscape in Canada has changed considerably in the past year and a half. Tariffs and other policy uncertainty emanating from south of the border have caused Canadian officials to dramatically accelerate the push to build growth-enhancing infrastructure.
• Attracting private capital plays a big role in this plan. The first-ever Canada Investment Summit, to be hosted by Prime Minister Mark Carney in mid-September 2026, is intended to showcase Canadian investment opportunities to the world.
• Given the ambitious infrastructure build-out planned by the federal government and proactive moves to make it happen, it’s no wonder there is so much interest in investment opportunities in Canada. But attracting international capital to Canada will depend on the universe of investable assets. These must be of sufficient size and risk-adjusted return to meet the demands of investors, many of whom are highly sophisticated and have a fiduciary responsibility to their clients and contributors.
• What remains unclear is the return potential of proposed investments and how much risk will need to be absorbed by the Government of Canada’s balance sheet to make them profitable. Canada has a mixed record of private infrastructure investment, and the federal government has minimal influence over the existing infrastructure base, which is almost entirely owned by provinces and municipalities. That said, given the escalating trade tensions with the United States, Canada finds itself in a unique position to pivot towards a more diversified growth model. How effectively businesses and policymakers capitalize on that opportunity will determine whether the outcome will match the ambition.