3 Canadian Stocks to Buy and Hold for 20 More Years

Canadian investors shouldn’t need to actively watch their portfolio day after day. Instead, holding stocks for the next 20 years is the ideal advantage. Time can do the heavy lifting for you. That means looking for companies with durable competitive advantages, clear long-term demand, and disciplined financial management that can weather economic cycles without cutting corners.

Over two decades, resilience and consistency will matter more than headlines, and the companies that quietly compound wealth tend to be those that keep their margins strong, their customers loyal, and their growth plans realistic. So, let’s look at three that fit the bill.

CJT

Right off the bat, Cargojet (TSX:CJT) stands out, serving a relatively under-appreciated niche of time-sensitive air cargo across Canada and North America. The dividend story and growth runway both look interesting. The dividend stock declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.40 per share. That gives you current income while you wait for growth.

On the growth side, thanks to e-commerce, supply-chain tightening and the need for fast freight delivery, its business is aligned with some structural trends that should last for decades. That said, there are risks. Its third-quarter 2025 results show revenue down about 10.5% year over year and net earnings sharply lower than in 2024.

That shows the air-cargo business remains cyclical and exposed to macro-economic pressures and global trade flows. However, its current price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 9.6 suggests the dividend stock could be cheap.

SJ

Stella-Jones (TSX:SJ) delivers the kind of stability long-term investors love. It makes treated wood products for railroads, utilities, and construction, which sounds simple, but the beauty is in how predictable that demand is. Railroads always need new ties. Utilities always need replacement poles. Cities always need maintenance materials. That steady replacement cycle gives Stella-Jones a reliable flow of business even when the broader economy slows down.

The dividend side is surprisingly strong, too. Stella-Jones doesn’t offer a huge yield at 1.5%, but it does offer a sustainable one backed by predictable cash flow and regular increases. Management has a long history of raising the payout as earnings rise, and because the business runs on essential infrastructure spending, the risk of a sudden collapse in demand stays low.

Over a 10- to 20-year period, the essential-service nature of its products, its ability to scale through acquisitions, and its steady dividend growth make it a compelling buy-and-hold choice for Canadians who want a mix of income and dependable capital appreciation.

WSP

WSP Global (TSX:WSP) is an engineering and consulting firm that works on everything from transit systems and highways to environmental studies and major private-sector builds. Governments keep spending on infrastructure, cities keep expanding, and companies keep upgrading their facilities.

WSP has built its entire strategy around this long-range stability, and it now operates on a global scale, giving it exposure to growth in Canada, the U.S., Europe, and fast-expanding markets that need modern infrastructure. It earns steady fees, wins recurring contracts, and has one of the most reliable growth pipelines on the TSX, which is why its share price has climbed year after year.

Its dividend isn’t huge at 0.61%, but it’s consistent and well supported by cash flow. WSP tends to keep its payout ratio low so it can reinvest heavily into expansion, and that approach has paid off in a big way.

Bottom line

When you’re holding for 10 or 20 years, the combination of global demand, recurring contracts, disciplined growth, and steady dividends puts these dividend stocks in that sweet spot of Canadian stocks built to compound wealth over the long haul. In fact, here’s what investors could earn from $7,000 invested in each stock.

If you’re looking for stability over the next 20 years, these are the three dividend stocks to consider today for your portfolio.