Recent discussions on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) are signaling an important shift in how Canada is thinking about digital government. The Canadian Digital Service and Digital Governance Council recently published a summary of what they heard during interjurisdictional roundtables held across the country, bringing together representatives from federal, provincial, territorial, Indigenous, academic, and private-sector organizations.
The findings reinforce a reality many public-sector leaders have recognized for years: digital transformation is no longer about individual applications or isolated modernization projects. It is about building shared foundations that enable governments, businesses, and citizens to interact seamlessly and securely.
The full summary can be found here: Powering Canada’s Digital Future: What We Heard from the Interjurisdictional Roundtables on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
The themes emerging from these discussions are noteworthy not because they are new, but because there appears to be growing consensus around them.
Digital Infrastructure is Becoming National Infrastructure
For decades, governments have invested in roads, utilities, and telecommunications networks because they are foundational enablers of economic activity and public services. Increasingly, digital infrastructure is being viewed through the same lens.
Participants in the roundtables described Digital Public Infrastructure as a shared layer of capabilities that supports the exchange of information, services, and value across jurisdictions. This includes digital credentials, digital payments, and trusted data exchange. Rather than each organization building and maintaining its own isolated systems, DPI creates common foundations that others can build upon. This mirrors international thinking, where digital identity, payments, and data exchange are widely recognized as the three core building blocks of modern digital ecosystems.
The implications are significant. When governments invest in shared digital foundations, every service built on top becomes easier to deliver, easier to use, and more resilient.
Digital Identity Continues to be the Cornerstone
Among all the topics discussed, digital identity emerged as the highest-priority capability.
This is not surprising. Nearly every digital interaction begins with a question of trust: Who is the person? What are they authorized to do? What information can be shared, and under what conditions?
The roundtable participants emphasized the importance of privacy-preserving digital credentials, citizen control over personal information, interoperability across jurisdictions, and trust frameworks that enable broad participation. These priorities align closely with international best practices, which increasingly focus on empowering individuals rather than creating larger identity silos.
The discussion reflects a broader evolution in digital identity thinking. Success is no longer measured by how many accounts are created or how many systems are connected. Success is measured by whether individuals can move between services, organizations, and jurisdictions without repeatedly proving who they are or re-entering the same information.
In other words, digital identity is becoming an enabler of digital trust.
Data Exchange is the Next Frontier
Many public-sector interactions still require citizens and businesses to provide information multiple times to multiple organizations.
The roundtables highlighted a growing recognition that this model is no longer sustainable.
Participants identified secure and interoperable data exchange as a critical component of future digital service delivery. When organizations can exchange information using common standards and governance models, services become more efficient, administrative burden is reduced, and users receive faster outcomes.
The opportunity extends beyond government efficiency. Secure data exchange can support innovation ecosystems, improve service delivery, and create entirely new forms of collaboration across public and private sectors.
Yet the conversation also underscored an important truth: data sharing is not primarily a technology challenge. It is a trust challenge.
Governance May be the Most Important Infrastructure of All
Perhaps the most interesting theme from the roundtables was the emphasis on governance.
Participants repeatedly pointed to the importance of shared standards, accountability frameworks, sustainable funding models, transparency, and public trust. Technology alone cannot solve fragmentation if organizations operate under different rules, priorities, and assumptions.
This observation deserves greater attention.
Historically, many digital transformation initiatives have focused on technology acquisition and implementation. Increasingly, leading jurisdictions are recognizing that sustainable transformation depends on governance structures that allow organizations to collaborate while maintaining appropriate autonomy.
In practice, this means agreeing on common rules before building common platforms.
The jurisdictions that succeed in digital transformation will likely be those that invest as much effort in governance, trust frameworks, and operating models as they do in software and infrastructure.
Digital Sovereignty is Moving to the Forefront
The roundtable discussions also reflected a growing focus on digital sovereignty and resilience.
As governments around the world become increasingly dependent on digital systems, questions about control, security, interoperability, and long-term sustainability become more important. Canada’s digital future depends not only on adopting technology, but on ensuring that critical digital capabilities align with Canadian values, regulatory requirements, and public interests.
Digital Public Infrastructure is increasingly being viewed as a strategic national capability rather than simply an IT initiative. This mirrors broader discussions occurring internationally around economic resilience, cybersecurity, and national competitiveness.
Looking Ahead
The most encouraging aspect of the roundtable findings is the level of alignment they reveal.
Across jurisdictions and sectors, there appears to be growing agreement that Canada’s digital future requires shared foundations, trusted digital identity, secure data exchange, common standards, and collaborative governance.
The challenge ahead is not identifying what needs to be done. The challenge is executing collectively.
Building Digital Public Infrastructure will require long-term commitment, sustained collaboration, and a willingness to move beyond organizational boundaries. It is not a single project or platform. It is an ongoing effort to create the conditions that allow governments, businesses, and citizens to participate in a more connected digital society.
As the conversation continues, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: the future of digital government will be shaped not by any individual technology, but by the shared infrastructure that allows all technologies to work together.