This TSX Pair Will Power Canada’s Nation-Building Push in 2026

Investors looking for growth ideas should have this TSX pair on their radar.

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Key Points
  • Canada’s nation‑building cycle starting in 2026 — spanning infrastructure, energy, mining, transportation and industrial projects — is creating large, long‑term opportunities for investors.
  • Two TSX plays poised to benefit are Bird Construction (TSX:BDT) — with a near‑$11B pipeline, rising Q1 2026 revenue and margin expansion targets — and Finning International (TSX:FTT) — the world’s largest Caterpillar dealer with a record $3.8B backlog and growing service revenues.
  • Both stocks have surged recently (BDT about 126%, FTT about 108% over 12 months) but still offer growth potential and shareholder‑friendly capital allocation (Bird: margin growth; Finning: 25 years of dividend increases).

Canada is entering a major nation-building cycle in 2026, driven by investments in infrastructure, energy, mining, transportation, and critical industrial projects. For investors looking to benefit from this long-term economic transformation, two Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) stocks come to mind: Bird Construction (TSX:BDT) and Finning International (TSX:FTT).

Both companies are deeply connected to the industries expected to fuel Canada’s next wave of growth. More importantly, they combine strong operational momentum with expanding backlogs, growing earnings, and shareholder-friendly capital allocation strategies.

infrastructure like highways enables economic growth

Source: Getty Images

Bird Construction is positioned at the centre of Canada’s infrastructure boom

Bird Construction has become a key partner for some of Canada’s largest industrial, infrastructure, and institutional projects. With exposure to sectors such as nuclear energy, oil and gas, renewable power, healthcare, transportation, defence, and data centres, the company is strategically aligned with the country’s long-term economic priorities.

Management estimates its total addressable market at roughly $280 billion, highlighting the scale of the opportunity ahead. Even more encouraging, Bird Construction continues to convert that opportunity into measurable growth.

In the first quarter of 2026, revenue increased 9.2% year over year to $783.4 million, while net income climbed 21% to $11.4 million. Adjusted EBITDA, a cash flow proxy, rose 8.9% to $37.1 million, demonstrating improving profitability despite a challenging economic backdrop.

What makes Bird Construction especially compelling is its enormous backlog. At the end of the quarter, the company reported a record contracted backlog of $5.4 billion, alongside a pending backlog of $5.6 billion. Together, the nearly $11 billion pipeline provides strong visibility into future growth.

Management expects double-digit revenue growth through 2027 while forecasting EBITDA margin expansion from 6.5% in 2025 to 8% in 2027. That combination of growth and improving margins could create meaningful upside for long-term investors.

The stock is already up 126% over the last 12 months.

Finning International benefits from mining and construction expansion

While Bird Construction helps build Canada’s future, Finning International supplies the machinery powering that expansion. As the world’s largest Caterpillar equipment dealer, Finning plays a critical role in mining, construction, forestry, and energy projects across Canada and internationally.

The company continues to benefit from rising demand for heavy equipment and aftermarket services, particularly from the mining sector. In the first quarter, Finning generated revenue of $2.5 billion, up 2.1% year over year, while adjusted earnings per share increased 7.4% to $1.02.

Its strongest performance came from product support services, where revenue rose 6% to $1.5 billion. This business is especially attractive because recurring service and maintenance revenue tends to be more stable and profitable over time.

Finning’s equipment backlog also reached a record $3.8 billion, supported by strong demand in mining and construction markets. That backlog gives investors confidence that growth could continue well beyond 2026.

Adding to the investment case, Finning recently raised its dividend by 7.4%, marking its 25th consecutive year of dividend growth.

This industrial stock has climbed about 108% over the last 12 months.

Investor takeaway

Canada’s nation-building push is creating significant opportunities for companies tied to infrastructure, energy, and industrial expansion. Bird Construction and Finning International are two TSX stocks positioned to benefit directly from these long-term trends.

Bird Construction offers investors exposure to massive infrastructure and industrial projects backed by a record backlog and visible growth. Finning provides a more diversified way to participate through the equipment and service demand generated by mining and construction activity.

Together, this TSX pair could be a powerful combination for investors seeking durable growth and long-term exposure to Canada’s economic transformation, especially on meaningful market corrections.

Fool contributor Kay Ng has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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