Canada Investment Summit to Accelerate Major Projects

(Yellowknife, NT – September 17, 2026) The Northwest Territories Chamber of Commerce welcomes the momentum generated by the two-day Canada Investment Summit and the federal measures announced to attract capital, improve tax competitiveness and accelerate major projects across the country.

The Summit brought together global investors, Canadian business leaders and public-sector representatives on September 14 and 15. The federal government reported nearly $500 billion in new investment commitments and reaffirmed its goal of catalyzing $1 trillion in total investment in Canada over five years. For the Northwest Territories, that national ambition creates an important opening to advance critical minerals, transportation and trade corridors, reliable energy, broadband and other infrastructure needed to unlock private investment and strengthen northern communities.

“The Summit sent a clear message that Canada intends to compete for investment and move projects forward. The Northwest Territories has resources the world needs, experienced businesses and strong opportunities for Indigenous and community partnerships. The next step is to ensure that northern projects can access the capital, infrastructure and timely decisions required to succeed,” said Newton Grey, President of the Northwest Territories Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber particularly welcomes the proposed Productivity Mega Deduction. The measure would permanently allow immediate expensing for a broad range of new depreciable property, covering about two-thirds of capital investment. Eligible investments include machinery and equipment, mining property, pipelines, railway track, roads and bridges, software and computer equipment. Federal estimates indicate the measure would reduce Canada’s marginal effective tax rate on new business investment from 13.0 per cent to 6.4 per cent.

This change could materially improve the economics of capital-intensive northern projects, where high construction, transportation, energy and operating costs remain significant barriers. The Chamber encourages the federal government to ensure the measure is practical and accessible for businesses investing in the North, including Indigenous-owned enterprises and small and medium-sized companies participating in major-project supply chains.

The Chamber also welcomes other positive Summit outcomes, including priority processing of advance income tax ruling requests for Canadian investments of at least $1 billion; proposed legislation aimed at broader and faster project approvals; new pools of institutional capital for Canadian infrastructure and strategic industries; and significant financing commitments directed to energy, electricity infrastructure, mining and critical minerals, transportation, artificial intelligence and defence. Together, these measures can provide greater certainty, shorten the path from proposal to construction and mobilize long-term capital.

The Summit prospectus highlighted Canada’s strengths in minerals and metals, clean and conventional energy, power and utilities, digital technology, advanced manufacturing, and transportation. Those priorities closely align with northern potential. Realizing that potential will require coordinated investment in all-season transportation links, affordable and dependable energy, modern communications, workforce development, housing and regulatory capacity, with Indigenous governments and businesses involved as partners from the outset.

The Chamber was especially pleased to see five Northwest Territories projects highlighted in the Canada Investment Summit prospectus: Fortune Minerals’ NICO Cobalt-Gold-Bismuth-Copper Critical Minerals Project; Honey Badger Silver’s PC Silver Mine; Li-FT Power’s Yellowknife Lithium Project and associated lithium carbonate conversion facility; Avalon Advanced Materials’ Nechalacho Basal Rare Earth Project; and Pine Point Mining’s Pine Point Mine Development Project. Their inclusion demonstrates the scale, diversity and strategic importance of the investment opportunities available in the territory.

“A national investment strategy will be strongest when it recognizes the realities and opportunities of the North. We are ready to work with governments, Indigenous partners, investors and industry to turn this momentum into projects, jobs and durable economic growth in the Northwest Territories,” added Grey.

The NWT Chamber looks forward to engaging with the Government of Canada and investment partners on the details of the announced measures and on a clear pathway for northern projects to participate in Canada’s next investment cycle.

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About the Northwest Territories Chamber of CommerceThe Northwest Territories Chamber of Commerce represents and advocates for businesses across the territory. The Chamber works to strengthen the northern economy, improve the conditions for investment and business growth, and support prosperous, resilient communities.

Media contact Newton Grey President, Northwest Territories Chamber of Commerce president@nwtchamber.com