The Canadian federal government is exploring the privatization of major public airports to raise funds for a national Sovereign Wealth Fund, the Canada Strong Fund, which would finance new infrastructure projects.
Major transport hubs in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Montreal are considered top candidates due to their commercial potential and large undeveloped land holdings.
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IFM Investors Ready to Deploy $10 Billion
Australia-based IFM Investors, managing approximately US$183 billion, has indicated readiness to invest up to $10 billion in Canadian infrastructure if public assets like airports, roads, and ports are opened to institutional investors.
IFM opened a Toronto office in December and signed an agreement with nine Canadian pension funds to identify joint investment opportunities ahead of the Canada Investment Summit in September.
Gian-Carlo Peressutti, executive director of public affairs at IFM Investors, said the firm aims to leverage existing public assets to fund new initiatives.
"We know that Prime Minister Carney has ambition to build a lot of what we call greenfield projects," Peressutti said.
"A great way to get the money to do that is to unlock the value that exists in a lot of your current public assets."
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Peressutti noted that discussions on institutional capital involvement in public infrastructure have progressed significantly in recent months.
"They have evolved from 'Is this a good idea?' to 'How do we get this done?'
," he said.
Addressing concerns over privatization, Peressutti argued that contractual safeguards and board representation can align private management with public interests.
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The investor coalition plans to publish a policy blueprint with recommended regulatory adjustments before the September summit.
