Protesters gathered outside the Canada Investment Summit to demonstrate against Prime Minister Mark Carney's pitch to foreign investors, Toronto Life reports. According to the outlet, one demonstrator's message was blunt: Carney is "selling Canada to American billionaires." The summit drew criticism on multiple fronts the same week.
Toronto Life's account focused on what people outside the event had to say about the prime minister's investment push. The demonstration reflects unease about how much of the country's economy is being opened to outside buyers.
The summit also faced questions about substance. CBC reported that New Brunswick projects pitched at the event are not close to being shovel-ready, suggesting some proposals remain far from construction. The Montreal Gazette, in an opinion piece, examined how Quebec's position in the Canadian economy could shift under Carney's economic pivot.
Separately, the prime minister's office announced a new Productivity Mega Deduction, described as a measure to strengthen Canada's standing as the most competitive G7 country for new business investment. Writing in the Financial Post, Jack Mintz argued the deduction has good intentions but amounts to the wrong policy.
Taken together, the coverage points to a debate over whether Carney's approach attracts productive investment or simply transfers Canadian assets into foreign hands. The protesters outside the summit made their view clear, per Toronto Life, while economists and regional outlets raised their own doubts about execution and design.
What to watch next: whether the New Brunswick projects move toward construction and how the Productivity Mega Deduction is received once detailed.