As Ottawa prepares to host its first-ever Canada Investment Summit this month, questions remain about whether the federal government can deliver on Prime Minister Mark Carney's pledge to catalyze $1 trillion in investment over five years. In a recent article for The Hub, Sebastien Betermier, Associate Professor of Finance offered his perspective on what it will take to convince major investors that Canada is truly "investible." 

Rwanda’s Ejo Heza savings program is expanding retirement coverage among informal workers, who represent more than 80 per cent of the country’s workforce.

Sebastien Betermier, associate professor of finance at McGill Desautels, says the program’s flexible contributions address the income volatility and employment uncertainty these workers face.

Members can save through mobile phones, access insurance benefits and withdraw limited funds for emergencies, while government backing strengthens credibility.

Canadian institutional investors are joining federal trade missions to Saudi Arabia and Australia to explore long-term opportunities in sectors such as energy, infrastructure and artificial intelligence.

Sebastien Betermier, associate professor of finance at McGill Desautels, says government participation can help pension funds manage the political and regulatory risks associated with investing in unfamiliar markets.

More than nine million Canadians lack access to a workplace retirement plan, underscoring the need for pension design that better reflects how people work and live today.

Sébastien Betermier, Associate Professor of Finance at McGill Desautels, says expanding access is only part of the solution. “Anything that increases access is good, but then there’s the quality of that retirement package and making sure we have cost-efficient solutions that actually close the gap,” he says.

Canada’s proposed sovereign fund is drawing scrutiny over its cost and potential returns, but Sebastien Betermier, Associate Professor of Finance at McGill Desautels, sees conditional upside. He argues the roughly $750 million annual interest burden is manageable if the fund is well structured and generates returns above borrowing costs.

Pension funds are sticking with private credit even as scrutiny intensifies around valuations, transparency and sector risk. Sebastien Betermier, Associate Professor of Finance at the at McGill Desautels, points to structural advantages that allow large institutions to withstand those pressures.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s plan to launch a $25‑billion Canada Strong Fund raises key governance and design questions, according to Sebastien Betermier, an associate professor of finance at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management.

Betermier said the proposed sovereign wealth fund will need to be carefully coordinated with existing vehicles such as the Canada Infrastructure Bank and the Canada Growth Fund to avoid overlap and inefficiency.