Canon is considering releasing a small mirrorless camera next year

In an interview with Reuters, Masaya Maeda (head of Canon's camera division) said that they are exploring the possibility of launching a compact mirrorless camera with the features and capabilities of a upmarket DSLR camera:

"We are considering the technical aspects. We will launch an interesting product next year"

In the past Canon has viciously denied the need of a mirrorless system in their current lineup.