The Stars are in Town

TIFF is bringing another year of A-List celebrities to Toronto and Kawhi Leonard is officially a Raptor again, but the biggest star in town might be… Larry Fink?

September 21, 2026

 

 

Good morning everyone,

My morning coffee breaks have become a bit more glamorous as of late. Dineen Café regular brew has been replaced with a lavish Lavazza cappuccino paired with a stroll on the Red Carpet. I always knew I loved working on King Street, but getting the TIFF celebrity treatment wasn’t on my mid-week bingo card.

While TIFF brings the glitz and glamour, the main show in town is actually happening a few blocks north of King Street, inside a discrete conference room at the Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville.

It might not have had paparazzi or after-party bottle service, but it made up for it with its overhaul of bulletproof black SUVs, police escorts, and an invite list so exclusive that even top CEOs and figures around the world couldn’t get a ticket. Sorry Kevin O’Leary.

The first ever Canada Investment Summit was hosted this past week, attracting nearly 250 leading financial CEOs, senior executives and Canadian political leaders. The attendee list was a dense group of financial heavyweights – managing about $120 trillion in assets between them. High profile figures such as Larry Fink, CEO of Blackrock, to John Graham, CEO of the Canadian Pension Plan were in attendance.

The goal? The opportunity to invest in what Canada has to offer. This summit was a look under the hood of all the resources and opportunities in Canada, with the goal being to attract over $1 trillion of investments into Canada over the next 5 years.

“Canada has what the world wants. We are a superpower in both clean and conventional energy, with vast deposits of critical minerals. We are the best-connected economy in the world, with free trade deals covering 1.5 billion consumers. We are by far the most competitive country in the G7 for new business investment. We have one of the world’s most educated workforces, the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, and the fiscal capacity to act decisively.” - Office of the Prime Minister

A recap of the Canada Investment Summit and more in this month’s newsletter.

 

September – What’s on tap?

Canada Investment Summit:

• A recap from the Prime Minister of Canada
• Video panel discussion from Blackrock, the Canadian Pension Plan, and more

Sports:

• Kawhi Leonard is officially a Toronto Raptor again
• The Buffalo Bills love Canada, and are singing our national anthem to prove it

Economy & Capital Markets:

• CIBC Market Roundup; economic data, global market reaction, and more

Charts:

• The $92b Canada-EU trade relationship by product
• The world’s largest companies outside of the US

A Note from Nick:

• Romanticizing Toronto; being a tourist in your own city

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or would like to connect.

Thank you for your time and good luck picking outfits during this “too cold for summer but too warm for fall” season.

All the best,

Nick

 

A Note from Nick – Romanticizing Toronto

Last weekend we hosted my fiancée’s sister in Toronto. There’s something special about showing off the city you call home and seeing it through someone else’s eyes for the first time. We visited a number of places that I see in my daily walks or commute. But this time, it felt less routine and more dazzling.

When the stars align, this city is truly something remarkable. The CN Tower was suddenly something special. CIBC Square’s architecture was unique and picturesque. Queen Street was vibrant and alive. The vibes at Trinity Bellwood’s Park were the best they’ll be all year. The beers on Ossington were extra cold. And to top it off, the Blue Angels fighter jets were doing loops above us all day with the annual airshow.

Our days of touring the city ended with trips to the Rogers Centre; for a Jays game and a concert. As a result of mother nature showing off all weekend, the cherry on top was that the dome was open for these events.

As a regular Torontonian, I will argue that one of the most taken for granted things we have in this city is the world’s first stadium with a fully retractable roof. And getting to watch a concert under the stars with the CN tower beside us is something special, especially when you see it through someone else’s eyes for the first time.