We crashed Carney's CEO Summit

Yesterday, Prime Minister Carney’s so-called Canada Investment Summit concluded with a closing keynote by former Conservative Prime Minister, Stephen Harper. Arm in arm, Carney and Harper welcomed the world’s worst corporate villains to access Canadian resources and tax dollars to torch our climate, arm war and genocide, and privatize our public institutions — all so these billionaires can get richer while the rest of us pay the price.

That’s why, right as this CEO summit kicked off on Monday, the 350 community joined with local and national organizations and thousands of people to crash their glitzy opening gala in a powerful, cross-movement show of opposition to the billionaire agenda. We rallied and marched — thousands strong — and surrounded their gala venue.

Together, we sent a clear message to the billionaires and politicians inside: our future is not for sale. Just see for yourself:

Help us spread the word by sharing this video on Instagram, youtube, facebook, TikTok, and Bluesky.

Our story was central in national coverage about the summit. Here are just some of the media articles:

Showing up is critical to fighting back against Prime Minister Carney’s agenda that places profits first and people last.

On Monday, we sounded the alarm about Prime Minister Carney’s plans to auction off public resources and infrastructure and finance destructive projects, like the West Coast Pipeline. And, within hours, our warning became reality.

Carney immediately announced that he was indeed opening up Canada’s 4 largest airports for private investment, a move that will hike costs, reduce safety, and erode labour conditions.

Then, just yesterday, the feds unveiled new, massive tax breaks that will line the pockets of oil and gas execs, Big Tech billionaires, and Wall Street investors.

The Canada Investment Summit was sold to us as a pathway for attracting foreign capital to boost the Canadian economy. But the truth is, it opened the door for some of the world’s wealthiest corporations to profit off the privatization of our public institutions and build destructive projects that threaten our future.

Laying down the welcome mat for foreign (primarily American) billionaires plays right into Trump’s hands instead of making our economy more resilient in the face of new tariffs. It’s crucial for us to fight back before it’s too late.

One of the projects that Carney pitched at his summit this week is the West Coast Pipeline5 – a disastrous blow to fragile ecosystems, threat to nearby communities, and enabler of growing emissions from the Alberta tar sands, one of the biggest carbon bombs on the planet.

This project is on the fast-track to becoming the first designated Project of National Interest under the Building Canada Act. That means the same Wall Street billionaires reviewing the pitch this week would be able to build this toxic pipeline without having to abide by Canadian environmental protections, consulting local communities, or addressing concerns from Indigenous peoples. And the winning bidder will even get a giant pay check right from our public purse.

Join us to say absolutely not. Not on our dime, not on our planet – this nation-burning project will endanger us all and we will not let it be built.

The public comment period on the West Coast Pipeline is open until September 18th. Add your voice now, to tell the government that another toxic pipeline is not in our national interest.

What’s Next? We know that the billionaire agenda thrives off oppressing the working class, especially some of the most vulnerable workers who are caring for our sick, educating our children, and supporting the elderly. Will you join thousands of people across the country to stand up and fight back on September 19th and 20th for the Cross-Country Day of Action for Migrant Rights? Find an action close to you here.

Blog by Johanna Lewis

Photo Credit: Sarah Hassanein