Ottawa’s business community closed out 2025 on a high note with a sold-out Mayor’s Breakfast that brought more than 1,100 leaders together to hear Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mayor Mark Sutcliffe discuss the future of Canada’s capital. Hosted by the Ottawa Board of Trade and the Ottawa Business Journal, this special year-end edition of the series showcased a clear message: this is a new economic chapter for Ottawa.
A record-setting Mayor’s Breakfast
This was the largest Mayor’s Breakfast in the series’ history, reflecting both the strength of Ottawa’s business community and the significance of the Prime Minister’s visit. The event, held at the Rogers Centre, drew business, civic, and community leaders from across the region, along with representatives from all levels of government.
From early-morning networking over breakfast to a dynamic fireside chat, the atmosphere in the room underscored the value of bringing decision-makers and innovators together to exchange ideas and build relationships. As the voice of local business, we emphasized our role as a connector and catalyst for these conversations.
A bold agenda for housing and affordability
Prime Minister Carney highlighted new federal initiatives focused on housing supply, affordability, and infrastructure in partnership with the City of Ottawa. He announced a major investment package aimed at accelerating the construction of new homes in the capital, building on a $400 million partnership designed to unlock residential development and support thousands of new units.
These announcements align closely with the priorities of Ottawa’s business community, which has consistently identified housing availability and affordability as critical to attracting talent, supporting employers, and sustaining economic growth. The Prime Minister underscored that collaboration with municipalities and local business will be essential to delivering these projects quickly and responsibly.
Clean growth, innovation, and competitiveness
Beyond housing, the conversation focused on building a more innovative and competitive economy, with clean growth at its core. Prime Minister Carney outlined his government’s commitment to supporting technologies and businesses that reduce emissions while driving productivity, exports, and high-quality jobs.
He highlighted Ottawa’s unique strengths as a hub for tech, public service, research, and global-facing firms, and spoke to the opportunity for the National Capital Region to pilot new clean growth initiatives that can be scaled across Canada. This vision resonated strongly with attendees, who see climate action, digital transformation, and sustainable infrastructure as key drivers of long-term competitiveness.
Investing in community well-being and safety
The discussion also touched on the social foundations of a resilient economy, including community safety, mental health, and substance use supports. Attendees heard about new federal investment in a local pilot project aimed at addressing substance abuse, signalling a recognition that economic policy and social policy must move in tandem.
Mayor Sutcliffe and Prime Minister Carney both emphasized the importance of ensuring that Ottawa’s growth is inclusive; supporting vulnerable residents, strengthening neighbourhoods, and maintaining a high quality of life across the city. This integrated approach to prosperity – linking housing, infrastructure, health, and opportunity – was a recurring theme throughout the conversation.
A partnership-focused path to 2026
A central message from both leaders was the power of partnership: between federal, provincial, and municipal governments; between public and private sectors; and between Ottawa and Gatineau as a unified capital region. Prime Minister Carney spoke about his first months in office as a period of active collaboration with cities like Ottawa to turn shared priorities into concrete action, while Mayor Sutcliffe highlighted how aligned leadership can accelerate results on the ground.
As the Ottawa Board of Trade looks ahead to 2026, this Mayor’s Breakfast set a clear tone for the year to come: a commitment to working together to build more homes, advance clean growth, improve affordability, and ensure that Ottawa remains an inclusive, resilient, and opportunity-rich city for businesses and residents alike. The Board extends sincere thanks to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, our partners, and every attendee for making this landmark event – and this year – one to remember. The event served as a powerful reminder of how much we can achieve through radical collaboration when we bring our local business community together to drive progress and growth.
Not yet a member? Don’t miss out on priority registration for future events. Join the Ottawa Board of Trade today.
