On the social media site formerly known as Twitter, L. Wayne Mathison identifies one of the biggest reasons the Canadian economy is falling ever further behind other industrialized nations:
AI-generated image from L. Wayne Mathison
Canada does not have a talent shortage.
It has a capital formation shortage.
In Q1 2026, Canada managed one growth-stage VC deal. One. Worth $1M.
That is lemonade-stand money in a global tech race.
The U.S. pulled in $267.2B in VC investment. Capital is not confused. It goes where risk is rewarded, scale is possible, and success is not treated like a moral offence.
Carney and the Liberals keep talking about “building the economy” while presiding over a country where founders raise seed money here, then scale somewhere else.
That is the real brain drain.
Not just doctors. Not just engineers. Builders. Founders. Investors. People who can turn ideas into payrolls.
They look at Canada and see taxes, red tape, weak productivity, political favouritism, and a government more interested in managing decline than getting out of the way.
Carney was sold as the adult in the room. OK. Then explain this: why is Canada producing press releases while the Americans are producing companies?
Because capital can smell fear.
And right now, Canada smells like a country that punishes ambition, subsidizes failure, and calls it fairness.
