Canada is sitting on a once-in-a-generation investment boom — don’t miss your chance to profit

By any measure, this is Canada’s moment. The next decade is a turning point for our country’s growth, explained RBC (TSX:RY.TO) CEO Dave McKay during this year's Investor Day — one powered by sectors where Canada already leads globally: energy, agriculture and critical minerals.

“We believe this is the right moment to share the significant growth opportunities that are in front of us in both Canada and globally,” McKay said (1). “The world wants what Canada can provide in great abundance. Canada can feed and fuel the growing world, be a leader in sectors like energy, agriculture, critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, and technology”.

A world hungry for what Canada offers

Global demand for energy, food and minerals is soaring as economies transition to cleaner technologies and growing populations strain supply chains. Canada — with its vast natural resources, stable governance and commitment to sustainability — stands at the intersection of these global shifts.

“Deglobalization, infrastructure requirements, and energy transition all support meaningful capital investment,” explained McKay during his presentation, pointing to a long-term cycle of industrial and commodity reinvestment. And McKay was clear on what the priority should be: This moment demands more than optimism — it demands execution.

“Canada must build a more resilient economy that leverages its strengths,” he said (2). “That means eliminating barriers to growth and productivity, getting energy and infrastructure projects approved faster, supporting homegrown talent, and unlocking more capital to scale our best engines of economic growth.”

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Energy and critical minerals: Powering the transition

RBC’s Capital Markets team sees clear momentum in the global energy transition — and in the financing opportunities that come with it.

The bank highlighted strong positioning in “energy, mining, power and utilities, and infrastructure,” with a focus on capturing growth across asset classes. This includes supporting companies at the heart of clean energy and critical minerals — the raw materials essential for electric vehicles, solar panels, and battery storage.

For investors, this means opportunity. TSX-listed giants like Canadian Natural Resources (TSX:CNQ.TO), Teck Resources (TSX:TEK-B.TO), and Nutrien (TSX:NTR.TO) already dominate their fields, while ETFs such as the iShares S&P/TSX Capped Energy Index ETF (TSX:XEG) or Horizons Global Lithium Producers ETF (TSX:HLIT) provide diversified exposure to Canada’s next growth engines.

“The world wants what Canada can provide,” McKay repeated — energy that fuels the world, and minerals that make clean technology possible.

Feeding the world: Agriculture’s quiet strength

While energy and mining attract headlines, agriculture may be Canada’s most underrated growth story. As global populations rise and food security concerns deepen, Canada’s reputation for sustainable, high-quality production is creating investor demand — from farmland REITs to agri-tech innovation funds.

The RBC team underscored this global advantage, emphasizing that “Canada can feed and fuel the growing world.” The country’s robust export infrastructure and proximity to key trade partners make it a reliable supplier of grain, meat and fertilizer — sectors that underpin both domestic stability and global trade.

Investors looking to participate can explore ETFs such as BMO Global Agriculture ETF (TSX:ZEAT) or direct exposure through agri-focused companies like Nutrien Ltd. (TSX:NTR.TO) or Maple Leaf Foods (TSX:MFI).

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The execution gap: Turning potential into prosperity

The opportunity is clear — but Canada’s challenge is translating it into results. Regulatory delays, infrastructure bottlenecks and investment uncertainty continue to limit the pace at which large-scale energy and resource projects move forward.

As McKay warned, unlocking this potential will require national coordination: “I believe this is the moment to unite the country behind a long-term economic agenda that boosts competition and drives prosperity for all.”

For investors, that means timing and diversification matter. Allocating capital to Canada’s strongest global sectors offers exposure to the next wave of economic growth — but execution, both corporate and policy, will determine how much of that potential is realized at home.

Bottom Line

From the world’s growing appetite for clean energy to the rising demand for food and critical minerals, Canada is well positioned to lead — if it acts with focus and urgency.

For investors, that leadership translates into tangible opportunities on the TSX, in ETFs, and through the growing private capital ecosystem that fuels innovation across these sectors.

As Dave McKay put it: “In a rapidly changing world, let’s take advantage of this moment in time."

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Royal Bank of Canada 2025 Investor Day Transcript (1, 2)