2025 Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers’ Symposium on Digital Trust and Cyber Security

KANANASKIS, September 23, 2025 – Canada is facing unprecedented challenges due to ongoing political and economic uncertainty. Protecting and defending Canada's interests, citizens, consumers, workers, businesses, and public sector remains critically important, especially in today’s digital economy. Federal, Provincial, and Territorial (FPT) Ministers responsible for digital trust and cyber security met at the FPT Ministerial Symposium on Digital Trust and Cyber Security in Kananaskis, Alberta to discuss how to further build and protect the digital economy and sovereignty of Canada and its governments.

Protecting against cyber attacks

During the symposium, the federal, provincial and territorial governments signed a multilateral cyber security collaboration agreement to better protect Canada's critical infrastructure and the personal information of Canadians. The agreement aims to prevent and mitigate the consequences of cyber security events that that may affect the confidentiality, integrity or availability of information and information technology. It also allows governments to more easily share real-time intelligence on cyber threats, as well as cyber security tools and services for this purpose. They will also be able to share resources to help each other prevent, manage and mitigate cyber threats, and defend against cyber events.

The agreement resulted from ministerial discussions during the 2024 FPT Symposium which centred on facilitating information sharing to quickly and effectively respond to cyber attacks. The ministers discussed implementing the agreement, emphasizing increased intergovernmental collaboration to address existing and emerging threats. Ministers also highlighted the importance of organizing a pan-Canadian tabletop exercise to enhance our country's resilience to cyber attacks.

Nation-building digital public infrastructure for Canada

The ministers discussed the need to make it easier for people, workplaces, services, and communities to connect, across urban, rural, remote and underserved areas through digital public infrastructure projects. Ministers emphasized the importance of publicly available digital infrastructure to help individuals, businesses, and governments more easily participate in and grow the digital economy, supporting a stronger and more competitive Canada. The ministers affirmed their commitment to strengthen the building blocks of the digital public infrastructure needed to break down barriers to access, improve governments’ efficiency, and support sustainable prosperity for communities in Canada.

Diversifying digital supply chains and supporting Canadian businesses

Strong economies need self-reliance, diversification, and relationships with partners across the country and around the world. In light of current geo-political realities, ministers emphasized the need to diversify hardware and software supply chains and suppliers to support digital sovereignty for governments in Canada. They discussed the importance of nurturing existing markets and supporting emerging industries as well as Canadian digital businesses and talent. Ministers acknowledged the importance of addressing cyber security risk in procurement and supplier selection to strengthen overall trust in the digital supply chain. The ministers committed to keep working individually and collectively where possible to make procurement easier, faster, and more accessible for suppliers and buyers. Ministers also agreed on the importance of strengthening the purchasing power of governments in Canada in information technology.

Harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence

Ministers discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping our world in simple and profound ways; from automating repetitive tasks to enabling early disease detection to accelerating drug discovery. The ministers affirmed their commitment to secure the necessary computer capacity by leveraging a mix of cloud and private data centres to increase the country’s digitally sovereignty. Ministers pledged to leverage existing work, share open-source technology so that every government in Canada has interoperable tools and architectures. They also recognized the need to work closely so AI leaders across Canada can more easily collaborate on research, prototyping, and production.

Officials representing Newfoundland and Labrador as well as Nunavut attended the meeting as observers due to the ongoing provincial and territorial elections.

Ministerial Quotes

“Canada’s digital future is about Canadians—their security, opportunities, and prosperity. With this agreement, our government will work with provinces and territories to share real-time intelligence to stop cyber attacks, protect personal data, and keep critical services running. It also means stronger digital infrastructure so every community can connect and do business securely, and more opportunities for Canadian businesses and workers.

The Honourable Jenna Sudds, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement for the Government of Canada and to the Secretary of State

“The Ontario government is pleased to be working with its federal, provincial and territorial partners to address the complex and evolving challenges of our digital age. By strengthening our digital infrastructure, supporting Canadian innovation and safeguarding our digital sovereignty, we’re building a more prosperous and secure future for all Canadians.

The Honourable Stephen Crawford, Ontario’s Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement

“The Quebec government has a firm and resolute commitment to the success of its digital transformation, based on collaboration with the federal, provincial and territorial governments. This collaboration has become essential in the current political and economic context, to ensure greater cybersecurity of public digital infrastructures while preserving Quebec’s digital sovereignty. The Quebec government's initiatives in this direction, such as the signing in 2023 of a collaboration agreement with British Columbia on the interoperability of digital identity services, and the cybersecurity collaboration agreement signed with Communications Security Establishment Canada, position Quebec as a proactive player, ready to meet the challenges of the digital age for the benefit of society as a whole, while capitalizing on the strengths of the digital ecosystem of Quebec.

Gilles Bélanger, ministre de la Cybersécurité et du Numérique du gouvernement du Québec

“Our government is committed to digital transformation to enhance service delivery, boost productivity, and drive economic growth. Ensuring the security of our digital systems and citizens' data is essential. This agreement strengthens our cyber security, builds resilience, and supports ongoing innovation while promoting a team Canada approach to digital independence.

The Honourable Jill Balser, Minister of Cyber Security and Digital Solutions for the Province of Nova Scotia 

“Manitoba is committed to strengthening Canada’s collective cyber defences through operational readiness, real-time threat sharing, and coordinated response to emerging threats. We continue to expand our collaboration with municipal and regional partners to protect critical services and infrastructure across the province. As we build the secure digital foundation needed to grow our economy, Manitoba is fully aligned with its federal, provincial, and territorial partners in defending public systems and safeguarding the personal data of all Canadians.

The Honourable Mike Moroz, Minister of Innovation and New Technology for the Province of Manitoba.

“Cyber threats are becoming more complex, and no single government can face them alone. British Columbia is proud to work alongside partners from across the country to strengthen our shared readiness, protect critical infrastructure and improve cyber security. By working together and focusing on shared priorities, we are ensuring government services remain secure and accessible for all communities. This includes protecting people’s personal information, expanding our digital infrastructure to improve the depth and reach of our services, and diversifying our supply chains demonstrating our resiliency and strengths across Canada."

The Honourable Diana Gibson, Minister of Citizens' Services, Government of British Columbia

“We are living in a time of extraordinary digital transformation and I am proud to be working with government partners across Canada on national strategies that reflect our current landscape but also chart our path forward. The work we have undertaken will strengthen our global competitiveness and help us harness technology to serve the public good, empower businesses and our economy, preserve digital sovereignty, and safeguard our data.

The Honourable Jill Burridge, Minister of Finance, Prince Edward Island

“As we navigate the complexities of the digital age, Saskatchewan is steadfast in its commitment to securing and fortifying our digital infrastructure. The signing of this multilateral cyber security collaboration agreement represents a pivotal advancement in safeguarding our citizens and businesses from cyber threats. By uniting with our federal, provincial, and territorial partners, we are positioned to build a more robust and secure digital economy that serves the interests of all Canadians. We look forward to the implementation of this agreement and remain dedicated to fostering the growth and innovation of our digital ecosystem.

The Honourable David Marit, Minister of SaskBuilds and Procurement

“As more Canadians rely on digital service offerings, governments must ensure a resilient, prosperous and secure digital economy. Alberta is proud to work with our counterparts from across the country to address these challenges, improve infrastructure and services, including responsible adoption of artificial intelligence, and safeguard Canada’s digital sovereignty for the next generation.

The Honourable Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology and Innovation, Government of Alberta

“The Northwest Territories faces unique challenges when it comes to building secure and reliable digital infrastructure, but we are working with federal, provincial and territorial colleagues to apply existing and emerging tools and processes to enhance our services and increase efficiency and effectiveness. We will also continue to work collectively to strengthen our cyber defenses. This collaborative approach will not only help deliver and protect critical digital infrastructure but also supports innovation, economic growth, and greater participation in the digital economy. Together, we are building resilience and creating the conditions for long-term prosperity in the North

The Honourable Caroline Wawzonek, Northwest Territories Minister of Finance

Media Relations Contacts

Canada
Media Relations
Shared Services Canada
media@ssc-spc.gc.ca
Telephone: 613-943-2917

Ontario
Media Relations
Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement
MPBSDP.MediaRelations@ontario.ca

Québec
Juliette Ayachi
Cabinet du ministre de la Cybersécurité et du Numérique du Québec
Téléphone : 367 977-9913

Nova Scotia
Jodi Sibley
Department of Cyber Security and Digital Solutions
Jodi.Sibley@novascotia.ca

Manitoba
Zach Fleisher
Director of Ministerial Affairs - Innovation and New Technology
Telephone: 431-323-1809

British Columbia
Ministry of Citizens’ Services
Media Relations
Telephone: 250-507-3418

Prince Edward Island
Janice Fogarty
Department of Finance
jefogarty@gov.pe.ca

Saskatchewan
Media Desk, SaskBuilds and Procurement
Phone: 306-520-3607
Email: media.sbp@gov.sk.ca

Alberta
Jonathan Gauthier 
Press Secretary, Ministry of Technology and Innovation

Jonathan.gauthier@gov.ab.ca
587-335-3971 

Northwest Territories
Cabinet Communications
Government of the Northwest Territories
PressSecretary@gov.nt.ca