FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Barton, a founding ESF advisory council member, has been given a mandate to lead Canada’s foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction and promotion agency.
OTTAWA, O.N. — 1 September 2026 — Energy for a Secure Future (ESF) today congratulates founding ESF Advisory Council member Dominic Barton on his appointment by Prime Minister Mark Carney as Chair of the Board of Directors of Invest in Canada, alongside the appointment of Gurinder Grewal as Chief Executive Officer.
Dominic Barton, a valued member of the Energy for a Secure Future Advisory Council, brings to his new role as Chair of Invest in Canada a long-standing interest in the work he will now lead—catalysing major investment in Canadian energy and critical minerals. In an ESF interview, Barton laid out the top three things he wanted to see Canada do to achieve our energy potential. He will now be positioned to help make it happen:
- Build Faster
- Attract foreign direct investment
- Build relationships with customer countries
Watch the interview: Dominic Barton: Canadian LNG is the Bridge the World Needs – and Canada Must Build it Fast
As the Prime Minister’s Office has stated: “Together, Mr. Barton and Mr. Grewal will lead Invest in Canada to catalyse billions of dollars of new investment in Canadian energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, and infrastructure. Working with provincial, territorial, Indigenous, and municipal partners – and in close coordination with the Major Projects Office – Invest in Canada will bring the world’s largest investors to Canadian projects and guide them from initial interest to actual shovels in the ground.”
This mandate aligns closely with the approach of ESF and our network of leaders. ESF is a nonpartisan initiative of business, labour, municipal and Indigenous leaders, as well as industry organizations across various sectors, focused on building a secure energy future for Canada and our international allies. We believe that affordability, reliability, environmental performance, and geopolitical coherence must guide Canada’s approach to its energy systems and to its role in supporting international allies seeking reliable energy partners.
Quotes from Energy for a Secure Future Advisory Council Members:
“Canada has the resources, the people, and the partnerships to deliver the energy the world needs. Now we need to attract the investment to make it happen by building faster and being a supplier the world can count on. Success will depend on bringing all orders of governments, Indigenous Nations, workers, industry and their suppliers, as well as international investors together around clear, bankable opportunities. Invest in Canada, under Dominic Barton’s leadership, is well positioned to do exactly that.”
– Shannon Joseph, Chair, Energy for a Secure Future
“Canada’s skilled trades are ready to build. Dominic Barton’s appointment and Invest in Canada’s focus on getting major energy and infrastructure projects to shovels-in-the-ground stage means more work for the highly trained members who build this country.”
– Sean W. Strickland, Executive Director, Canada’s Building Trades Union
“For years we’ve said Canada needs to get serious about building energy infrastructure on timelines that work for investors and communities alike. Dominic Barton’s appointment and the clear focus on working at the local level is a positive step toward the adult conversation our energy future requires.”
– Mike Bradley, Mayor, City of Sarnia
“True energy security and reconciliation advance together when Indigenous Nations are at the table. The mandate given to Invest in Canada under Dominic Barton’s leadership — including to work closely with Indigenous partners — aligns with the path forward we have long championed.”
– Crystal Smith, Former Chief Councillor, Haisla Nation and Senior Fellow, Energy and Partnerships, Energy for a Secure Future
“Canada needs investment in energy infrastructure to support economic growth, strengthen energy security and provide reliable energy choices. We welcome Dominic Barton’s appointment to Invest in Canada and its strengthened mandate to attract global investment and help get major projects built.”
– Shannon Watt, President & CEO, Canadian Propane Association
