Premier François Legault said the provincial pension fund manager needs to do “even more” local investing and make “calculated risks” in sectors such as manufacturing and critical minerals to help boost the economy. (La Presse, Bloomberg)

Talking point: The Caisse, which manages about $496 billion in assets, is aiming to have $100 billion invested in Quebec by next year, representing about 20 per cent of its portfolio. By comparison, CPP Investments—the only Canadian pension fund bigger than the Caisse—has 13 per cent of its assets in Canada. The country’s Maple 8 pension funds have been under increasing pressure to use their financial heft to help boost the Canadian economy, particularly as U.S. trade barriers threaten growth at home. Legault’s remarks follow an updated economic plan for the province that leans on state-owned giants like Hydro-Québec and Investissement Québec, pledging new investments in defence, a renewed push for data centres and faster approvals for key infrastructure projects.