Carney, locked in US trade war, pitches Canada to global investment titans

TORONTO, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomes dozens of global investors to Toronto this week, hoping to lure investments for more than 160 projects that he says are key to steering Canada's economy through a trade war with the United States.

Confirmed attendees, many from ‌the former Goldman Sachs executive and central bank chief's personal rolodex, include BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Blackstone President Jon Gray from the United States, as well ‌as Singapore fund Temasek's CEO Dilhan Pillay and Dutch pension fund APG Groep's CEO Annette Mosman, according to a source with knowledge of the event.

The two-day summit, which begins on Monday, will kick off discussions for future investments, although ​major deals could take 12 to 18 months to materialize, a government source said. Carney has pledged to attract investments of C$1 trillion ($721 billion) in the next five years by cutting red tape and developing mining, energy, technology and infrastructure projects.

"The world's largest investors, managing over C$120 trillion dollars of assets, will come to 'peer into our shop window' because the world is looking at Canada differently," Carney said at a welcome reception on Sunday.

Attracting investment is crucial for Canada's economy to weather mounting tariffs imposed by the United States, Canada's top trade partner. Carney has sought to do business ‌with new partners in the Middle East and Asia and to ⁠strengthen Canada's alliance with Europe.

The summit aims to match some 100 global investors with Canadian CEOs, companies and local officials to facilitate investments or partnerships. The projects are in various stages, from concept stage to shovel-ready, according to a copy of a prospectus seen by Reuters. It pitches ⁠Canada as a stable and predictable market poised for long-term economic growth.

The dealbook also speaks to Canada's technology aspirations, with 96 data centers in development. Opportunities include an equity investment for Xanadu's photonic quantum computer targeted for commercialization by 2029-2030, equity investment in a data center campus in Alberta, and project financing for a hyperscale and AI-focused campus in New Brunswick.

The Crawford Nickel Project, which ​will ​produce low-carbon nickel for batteries and green steel, is also on the list.

The prospectus also lists infrastructure projects, ​generally favored by pension funds and other long-term investors, including C$900 million ‌in financing sought for a proposed high-speed transportation pod between Calgary and Edmonton.