Attracting investment opportunities in Canada the focus at Halifax conference

The Invest Canada Convention in Halifax discussed attracting business to Canada.

Canada is looking inward and at how it can grow its own economy by investing more at home.

That was the focus today in Halifax at the Invest Canada Convention, where the federal finance minister Francois-Phillipe Champagne met with business leaders from across the country.

The government and private sector are looking to strengthen and grow the economy of the country amid strained trade relationships and uncertain global markets.

It’s something Benjamin Bergen, the new CEO of the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, has been calling on government to prioritize for years.

“There’s tools that we can use to actually help create more private dollars coming into the ecosystem and really supporting jobs, supporting wealth, supporting prosperity and increasingly, all of this is tied to sovereignty,” said Bergen.

That was a key focus at the invest Canada 20206 conference in Halifax, where federal finance minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and business leaders discussed how to drive up more public and private investment in Canadian companies.

“Really this conference was about how do we invest in domestic companies, how do we support Canada, and how do we build up Nova scotia, how do we build up Halifax,” said Bergen.

Champagne sat down with Bergen for a conversation that wrapped up the investment conference and drew more than 200 people from the business sector and beyond.

“Attracting more investment in Canada enables major projects, strengthens global supply‑chain integration, and enhances Canada’s competitiveness and economic resilience,” said Champagne.

Here in Atlantic Canada, business leaders say high taxes remains a major challenge to attracting business and investment.

“We have one of the worst tax regimes and the highest in Canada,” said Atlantic Chamber of Commerce president and CEP Rhonda Tulk-Lane. “So, will global investors look at us? If they look at Canada, we’re going to lose.”

Tulk-Lane believes its time for the four Atlantic provinces to work more closely together as one region, to help build and attract investment and grow the economy.

“The Four premiers need to get together, and we’ve got to figure this out. I know it sounds easy,” said Tulk-Lane. “But that has to be a priority.”

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