Canada’s smallest provinces don’t usually walk into a room filled with the world’s biggest investors carrying 20 projects and asking them to open their wallets.
Nova Scotia just did.
Source: Getty Images
What happened
At the Canada Investment Summit, the province arrived with 20 investment-ready projects spanning offshore wind, ports, mining, clean fuels, and even a commercial spaceport.
BlackRock chief executive officer Larry Fink said his firm already has roughly $500 billion invested in Canada, but historically struggled to find enough Canadian deals. Blackstone president Jon Gray similarly argued Canada has enormous advantages in natural resources, energy and infrastructure, provided projects can actually get built.
That makes Nova Scotia particularly interesting. Instead of pitching one mega-project, it showed investors a menu. And one of those projects gives investors a surprisingly direct way to participate through the TSX.
Why Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia’s list included the massive Wind West offshore-energy plan, Melford International Terminal, Novaporte, and Spaceport Nova Scotia.
The province certainly has the raw ingredients. Its offshore territory is estimated to contain enormous wind resources as well as significant potential natural gas reserves. Deep-water ports provide access to Europe, while the province is also trying to establish itself in defence, aerospace, and satellite technology.
That combination looks suited to what investors at the summit said they wanted. That included energy, infrastructure, defence and technology projects capable of absorbing serious amounts of long-term capital.
Spaceport Nova Scotia might be the most interesting of the lot. The Canso facility is being developed as Canada’s first commercial orbital launch complex. Ottawa has already committed to a 10-year, $200 million arrangement for a dedicated federal launch pad, giving the project a role in defence and sovereign space capability as well as commercial launches.
For investors interested in Canadian growth stocks, that leads directly to MDA Space (TSX: MDA).
Why I’d buy MDA Space
MDA isn’t simply a company hoping Nova Scotia someday builds a spaceport. It already invested $10 million in Maritime Launch Services, the company developing Spaceport Nova Scotia, becoming both an equity owner and strategic partner. MDA is expected to participate in the spaceport’s operations as Canada builds a domestic chain stretching from satellite manufacturing all the way to launch.
That relationship suddenly looks far more important after the summit. MDA operates across satellite systems, robotics and geointelligence, technologies increasingly tied to defence, Arctic surveillance, and sovereign communications. Those were recurring themes throughout the summit’s defence discussions.
The business itself is growing quickly. Second-quarter revenue rose 34% year over year to $499 million, while MDA finished the quarter with a $4 billion backlog. That’s not merely a promising industry. That’s already a lot of work waiting to become revenue.
Today’s price is interesting
MDA shares recently traded around $40. That’s still roughly 45% higher in 2026, yet about 41% below their 52-week high of $67.90.
There’s a catch. At roughly 27 times forward earnings, MDA isn’t a traditional bargain. Investors are paying for years of growth, and space programs are expensive, technically difficult, and prone to delays. Spaceport Nova Scotia itself still needs to move from investment pitch to regular orbital operations.
That’s why anyone buying stocks in Canada should treat MDA as a long-term growth holding rather than a quick summit trade. Still, Nova Scotia walked into Canada’s investment summit offering offshore energy, global shipping, critical infrastructure and access to orbit.
Bottom line
If even part of today’s plan attracts the capital global investors say they’re ready to deploy, Canada’s east coast could become considerably more important to the national economy.
MDA already bought itself a seat at one of the most interesting tables.
