True North Rising: TOCW’s Official Kick-off (Opening Ceremony)
Co-hosted by TOCW, the University of Toronto, and MaRS, this event is more than a launch—it’s the dawn of Canada’s global climate leadership.
This flagship gathering will officially kick off Toronto Climate Week, setting the tone for 50+ events during this fall’s soft launch and building momentum toward hundreds more during our first full programming week in June 2026.
Expect a full day of bold voices, big ideas, and cross-sector collaboration. This is a rapid-fire style event—with fast-changing formats, speakers, and themes designed to keep you on your toes.
Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram for speaker announcements, sponsor highlights, and updates as we move toward this landmark moment.
At the heart of the event is a powerful theme: Toronto and Canada as a global climate hub—showcasing us as a hidden gem hub for climate innovation, exploring what it will take to elevate us onto the world stage, and sparking the collaboration and investment needed to power our green transition.
Agenda Highlights
Welcome & Opening Remarks from government leaders, institutional champions, startup innovators, nonprofit advocates, and grassroots voices shaping Canada’s climate future
Fireside Chats on the state of Canadian climate solutions and the path to scaling them
Panels: real-world stories of collaboration between startups, corporations, and communities
Lightning Talks on climate innovation, Indigenous leadership, nonprofit perspectives, and local business action
Performance: We Create Our Futures — an artistic invocation of Toronto’s climate leadership
Sector Spotlights
Clean Tech & Innovation
Investment & Finance
Natural World
Policy & Environmental Justice
Energy & Transportation
Agriculture & Food
Built Environment
Arts & Culture
We’re launching a week that reflects the best of Canada: creative, diverse, and ready to lead. From policy to poetry, from technology to community, this is the beginning of something impossible to ignore—and irresistible to join.
Will you be able to say you were there when Toronto took the lead?
Note: Space is limited. Participants may request access to attend; approved attendees will be confirmed by September 17.