Public Safety Canada Departmental Plan 2022–23

From the Ministers

The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino

The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino
Minister of Public Safety

The Honourable William Sterling Blair

The Honourable William Sterling Blair
Minister of Emergency Preparedness

As Ministers responsible for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, we are proud to introduce Public Safety Canada's 2022-23 Departmental Plan. This highlights plans and priorities for the year ahead, as we address a wide variety of threats to the safety and security of Canadians.

Tragically, serious and violent crime involving firearms remains a reality in our communities. In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue taking bold action to fulfill new and existing commitments on firearms. That will include introducing measures to crack down on high capacity magazines, protect Canadians from domestic firearms violence, raise penalties for gun smuggling and trafficking, and bolster the capacity of enforcement agencies to detect and disrupt the flow of illegal firearms. Working with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Department will prepare to bring into force firearms licence verification and business record-keeping regulations tied to the former Bill C-71. It will also continue with planning to fully implement the ban of assault-style firearms, in order to remove firearms prohibited on May 1, 2020 from Canadian communities, and will advance the design and development of a mandatory buyback program that offers fair compensation to owners and businesses affected by that prohibition.

In all the Department does to protect Canadians, close collaboration with all partners will mean leveraging strong partnerships within the public safety portfolio, with all levels of government, and within Parliament. The Government will continue working with First Nations, provinces and territories to co-develop a legislative framework for First Nations policing, implement investments in Indigenous policing and community safety announced in Budget 2021, and engage Inuit and Métis on their policing priorities. The Department will help to increase accessibility to record suspensions, through legislative and non-legislative reforms, and facilitate the safe reintegration of federal offenders upon their release from incarceration, through the tabling in Parliament of the Federal Framework to Reduce Recidivism. Building on 2021 successes, this year the Public Safety Financial Crime Coordination Centre (FC3) will continue to provide policy, expertise and training, as well as key operational support to Canada's anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing enforcement partners. The Department will also continue to implement initiatives announced through the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, including support for survivors and prevention projects, as well as to continue countering the horrible crime of online child sexual exploitation.

Resilience is also a key theme demonstrated by Canada's national efforts to protect our critical infrastructure from a range of risks. In 2022-23, the Department will build on its progress in implementing the National Strategy for Critical Infrastructure, advancing work on addressing emerging cyber and physical threats, and helping to strengthen resilience and partnerships with key stakeholders. The National Cyber Security Strategy will also strengthen that resilience, for example through the introduction of frameworks to protect Canada's critical cyber systems and to support the introduction of 5G technology. The Department will also continue work towards better-informing the public on national security threats and issues, and on building awareness among frontline researchers and the academic community through the Safeguarding Science initiative, offering workshops, tools, and resources through direct engagement. The Department and portfolio agencies will also continue to closely monitor and respond to the evolving threat posed by ideologically-motivated extremists, through a range of national security tools including terrorist listings and investigations, and prevention initiatives.

After almost two years, the pandemic remains the most pressing, challenging and wide-sweeping issue facing Canadians. The Government Operations Centre, housed at the Department, will continue to coordinate Canada's planning and response to the pandemic and prepare for other large-scale emergencies. This includes helping to build and maintain a humanitarian workforce to provide federal surge capacity, bolstered by significant investments beginning in 2021-22 and continuing this fiscal year. The Department will also continue to support the efforts of non-governmental organizations, including the Canadian Red Cross and others, as they help Canadians facing the devastating impacts of COVID-19, and other events like floods and wildfires. Canadians witnessed the overwhelming impacts of wildfires and extreme flooding in British Columbia, generously donating to the Canadian Red Cross, with funds matched by the Government of Canada. A new committee of federal and provincial ministers, announced in 2021 by the Prime Minister of Canada and the Premier of British Columbia, will work together along with Indigenous leadership, to guide immediate and ongoing support to those families, businesses and communities affected by the flooding. Efforts to complete flood maps for high-risk areas across the country will also continue in 2022-23, in collaboration with provinces and territories. This year, the Department will also release and begin implementing the joint Federal-Provincial-Territorial Emergency Management Strategy Action Plan, to help strengthen Canada's ability to assess risks like flooding and wildfires, and help to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters.

Further, as the global environment evolves, our health, safety and security depends on close international partnerships. The Department will continue its strong collaboration with the U.S., Five Eyes countries and other partners, to advance Canada's public safety priorities, ensure the safe and secure management of our borders, and help Canada confront the ongoing crisis through coordinated global action.

More details about these and other plans and priorities can be found in this report. We urge all Canadians to learn more about what Public Safety Canada and its dedicated, skilled and hard-working employees are doing to support safe and secure communities.

The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety, P.C., M.P.

The Honourable William Sterling Blair, President of the Queen’s Privy Council and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, P.C., C.O.M., M.P.

Plans at a glance

Key highlights

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue to advance initiatives under the National Security, Community Safety and Emergency Management Core Responsibilities.

Result: National security threats are understood and reduced while maintaining public trust.

Result: Community safety practices are strengthened.

Result: Canadian communities are safe.

Result: Crime is prevented and addressed in populations/communities most at-risk.

Result: Canada can effectively mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from all hazards events.

Core Responsibilities: planned results and resources, and key risks

This section contains information on the Department's planned results and resources for each of its Core Responsibilities. It also contains information on key risks related to achieving those results.

National Security

Description

Public Safety Canada develops policy, legislation and programs to support Canada's capacity to respond to a range of national security threats directed against Canadians, critical infrastructure and cyber systems, while advancing national counterterrorism efforts.

Planning highlights

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will seek to achieve national security results through the following activities.

Enhancing transparency
National Security Transparency Commitment

The National Security Transparency Commitment (NSTC) seeks to foster stronger engagement and better inform Canadians on national security issues. In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will coordinate and advance the implementation of the NSTC to support the sharing of information and perspectives with Canadians on national security issues. The Department will also release a first status report on the implementation of the NSTC to date.

Public Safety Canada will also continue to advance declassification initiatives for the declassification of historical national security records, in collaboration with the national security and intelligence community, the Treasury Board Secretariat, and Library and Archives Canada.

Combatting terrorism and violent extremism

Public Safety Canada will continue to work with the security and intelligence community to ensure that the government can respond to the evolving landscape of terrorism and violent extremism, and the threats posed by Canadian extremist travelers (CETs).

Public Safety Canada, in coordination with Government of Canada partners, will also continue to address the rise of ideologically motivated violent extremism. In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will develop mechanisms to ensure that the Government response is well coordinated as well as provide a long term vision in addressing the ever changing threat landscape. Public Safety Canada will continue to engage with international partners, including the United States, and look to engage with civil society and academia to capture societal perspectives.

Passenger Protect Program (the following is in a definition list format indented to distinguish the heirarchy)

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue to work with the Canada Border Services Agency, Transport Canada and Shared Services Canada to bring the screening of the Secure Air Travel Act (SATA) list under government control from the remaining air carriers to ensure the consistent and unbiased screening of all passengers. Additionally, the Department is working to fully onboard all regulated air carriers under the Passenger Protect Program (PPP) to the new system by November 2022.

Public Safety Canada will also continue to process and issue Canadian Travel Numbers to improve privacy and fairness for travellers who have the same or similar name as someone on the SATA list.

As part of Public Safety Canada's Forward Regulatory Plan 2021-2023, the Department will propose minor amendments to the Secure Air Travel Regulations (SATR) to ensure PPP continues to run optimally.

Terrorist listings
In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue to work with the interdepartmental community to administer, review, and provide policy advice and recommendations relating to the listing of terrorist entities under the Criminal Code of Canada. These efforts will support the investigation and prosecution of terrorist acts and offences, and will also assist in preventing the exploitation of Canada's financial systems by terrorist entities.
Federal Terrorism Response Plan update

In 2016, Canada enacted the Federal Terrorism Response Plan (FTRP) with the aim to strengthen coordination among security and intelligence departments and agencies. The review of the Plan continues in an effort to refine the operational model to guide an effective and collaborative response to terrorist incidents in Canada.

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada along with other national security and intelligence partners will work to identify potential gaps within the current plan and will hold consultations with the goal of introducing a revised plan that reflects the changing realities and novel threats facing Canada's national security.

Countering hostile activity by state actors (this is H5)

Hostile state activities by state actors (HASA) threatens Canada's national security, prosperity and sovereignty, and these threats are expected to increase in scope for the foreseeable future. In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue to work with federal partners to counter threats related to HASA, including by leading horizontal policy development efforts to provide advice and recommendations aimed at combatting HASA and reducing Canada's appeal as a target for such actors.

Efforts will be made toward advancing a whole-of-government counter-HASA strategy in coordination with interdepartmental and international partners, including the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats, aiming to raise awareness, increase whole-of-society resilience, and encourage transparency to address the increasingly complex and multi-dimensional nature of HASA.

Economic-based threats to national security

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue its interdepartmental work to develop a comprehensive policy framework that counters economic-based threats to national security – including the theft of valuable intellectual property, the exploitation of military and dual-use technology, data breaches involving sensitive personal information, and compromised critical infrastructure – while maintaining a positive climate for innovation and investment.

Also in 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue to work with partners on assessing foreign investments under the national security provisions of the Investment Canada Act. The Department will continue to enhance outreach and engagement activities with key stakeholders to raise awareness regarding the broad range of risks surrounding economic-based security threats via forums such as the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Economic-based National Security Community of Practice.

Countering financial crimes

In 2022-23, the Financial Crime Coordination Centre (FC3) will continue to strengthen coordination among operational partners and increase support for efforts which aim to counter money laundering and financial crimes in Canada. This will be accomplished via close collaboration with federal, provincial, territorial and municipal partners, with a focus on legislative and policy initiatives in addition to improvements in information sharing and training opportunities for investigators and prosecutors.

Strengthening cyber security and critical infrastructure resilience
National Cyber Security Strategy renewal
In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will work with the cyber security community to renew the National Cyber Security Strategy while continuing to implement the National Cyber Security Action Plan.
Cyber incident response

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue interdepartmental work to develop the Government of Canada Coordination Policy for Cyber Events Affecting Non-Government of Canada Cyber Systems.

This policy will establish a formal coordination and information sharing framework for cyber security events that affect non-Government of Canada information systems, and will complement the pre-existing Government of Canada Cyber Security Event Management Plan and Federal Emergency Response Plan.

Critical cyber systems
In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue its work on a critical cyber systems framework, which aims to protect Canada's critical cyber systems in the finance, telecommunications, energy and transportation sectors. This initiative will also support the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security in providing advice and guidance to critical infrastructure owners and operators on how to better prevent and address cyber-attacks.
Cyber Security Data Strategy
In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue advancing the development of a cyber security data strategy, enabling cross-cutting and government-wide data sharing on cyber security incidents and cybercrime. The strategy will support evidence-based decision making, provide ongoing information on cyber incidents, and identify policy gaps and priorities related to national cyber security data.
Canadian Survey of Cyber Security and Cybercrime
In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will work with Statistics Canada and the cyber security community to assess the findings from the Canadian Survey of Cyber Security and Cybercrime and apply a continuous improvement process to its design. The Department will tap into the expertise of stakeholders to ensure the survey effectively informs Government of Canada policy development and decision making.
Solidifying cyber and critical infrastructure partnerships

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue to build and improve its partnerships to achieve successful delivery of Canada's cyber and critical infrastructure (CI) priorities, as identified in the National Strategy for Critical Infrastructure.

In particular, the Department will continue to bolster partnerships with the provinces and territories, the private sector, CI owners and operators, academic stakeholders, and international partners through existing governance mechanisms (e.g., the National Cross Sector Forum) to address the full range of cyber and CI risks.

Enhancing Canada's critical infrastructure resilience

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue to lead national efforts to enhance the security and resilience of Canada's critical infrastructure (CI) and advance the federal government's efforts to protect Canadians from cyber threats and cybercrime.

Through collaborative work with public and private sector partners, and stemming from an examination of the National Strategy for Critical Infrastructure, these efforts will focus on the identification of potential initiatives and approaches that could further strengthen resilience against new threats, hazards and risks, such as the digitalization of systems and processes, security challenges, and a changing climate.

Delivery of critical infrastructure programs

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will focus on providing critical infrastructure (CI) owners and operators with concrete tools and actionable information to strengthen their resilience. The Department will continue to deliver the suite of CI programs, which include:

In addition, Public Safety Canada will continue to work with provinces and territories to strengthen national and regional coordination on CI priorities.

Telecommunication security
As the lead department for Canada's Telecommunication Security Examination, Public Safety Canada will continue to ensure that the policies and legislation for the introduction of 5G technology in Canada recognize both the significant economic opportunities and related security challenges.
Ransomware

In recent years, ransomware has become the number one cyber threat affecting citizens, businesses, and critical infrastructure globally.

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue to lead the development of interdepartmental policy initiatives to address the ransomware threat that is affecting Canadian citizens and businesses.

Strengthening International partnerships

Recognizing the global nature of security challenges and solutions, Public Safety Canada will continue to advance key priorities through bilateral and multilateral engagements with international partners such as the United States and other Five Eyes countries (which include the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand), and through multilateral fora including the G7 and the United Nations.

Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus)

Public Safety Canada will continue to use GBA Plus to ensure inclusive outcomes for Canadians. Specific examples of these efforts include:

United Nations' (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Promoting transparency in institutions and combating global terrorism and money laundering is a key facet of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Under the Core Responsibility of National Security, Public Safety Canada will support SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals) through the following targets:

Experimentation

Further to the Experimentation Direction for Deputy Heads from the Treasury Board Secretariat, Public Safety Canada has finalized its own experimentation framework, which guides the Department's efforts in testing new approaches to existing problems, measuring their effectiveness, and building on their results.

Key risk(s)

Public Safety Canada's mission is to build a safe and resilient Canada. Accordingly, the Department must exercise a high level of awareness, engagement and adaptability to keep Canadians safe, maintain a cohesive and coordinated approach to safety and security, and generate results for Canadians while managing a variety of risks.

Currently, the Corporate Risk Profile (CRP) comprises the following four risks:

A number of controls are currently in place and additional mitigation measures are being implemented to respond to threats to the Department's ability to deliver on its mandate, render timely decisions and achieve intended outcomes. Furthermore, some of the planned initiatives listed in the previous section will help the Department respond to the risks associated with the delivery of Public Safety Canada programs.

Planned results for National Security

The following table shows National Security's planned results, its result indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2022–23, and the actual results for the three most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

Planned results for National Security
Departmental Result Departmental Result Indicator Target Date to Achieve Target 2018–19 Actual ResultFootnote 1 2019–20 Actual ResultFootnote 2 2020–21 Actual ResultFootnote 3
National security threats are understood and reduced while maintaining public trust. Canada's ranking on the Global Terrorism Index ≥ 82 March 31 2023 54 56 N/AFootnote 4
Percentage of the population who thinks that the Government of Canada respects individual rights and freedoms while ensuring the safety of CanadiansFootnote 5 ≥ 70% March 31 2023 N/A N/A N/A
Percentage of the population who think that the right mechanisms are in place to identify national security threats in CanadaFootnote 6 ≥ 60% March 31 2023 N/A N/A N/A
Percentage of the population who think that the right mechanisms are in place to respond to national security threats in CanadaFootnote 7 ≥ 60% March 31 2023 N/A N/A N/A
Percentage of partners who indicate that Public Safety Canada provides effective policy leadership and operational coordination on national security issues ≥ 75% March 31 2023 70.5% 83% N/AFootnote 8
Critical Infrastructure Resilience Score At least 34.2 March 31 2023 35.91 36.01 35.84
Percentage of partners who indicate that Public Safety Canada provides effective leadership in advancing Canada's cyber security interests ≥ 80%Footnote 9 March 31 2023 N/A 90% 100%
Canada's ranking in the National Cyber Security IndexFootnote 10 ≥ Ranked 30thFootnote 11 March 31 2023 36 41 27

The financial, human resources and performance information for the Public Safety Canada's Program Inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned budgetary spending for National Security

The following table shows, for National Security, budgetary spending for 2022-23, as well as planned spending for that year and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Planned budgetary spending for National Security
2022–23 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates) 2022–23 planned spending 2023–24 planned spending 2024–25 planned spending
25,199,898 25,199,898 25,379,745 25,382,883

Financial, human resources and performance information for Public Safety Canada's Program Inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned human resources for National Security

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the Department will need to fulfill the intended outcomes of this Core Responsibility for 2022-23 and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Planned human resources for National Security
2022–23 planned full-time equivalents 2023–24 planned full-time equivalents 2024–25 planned full-time equivalents
187 190 190

Financial, human resources and performance information for Public Safety Canada's Program Inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Community Safety

Description

Public Safety Canada provides national coordination to help Canadian communities and stakeholders respond to crime and build community resilience, promote the safety and security of Canadian communities and institutions, enhance the integrity of Canada's borders, and support the provision of policing services to Indigenous communities.

Planning highlights

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will seek to achieve community safety results through the following activities.

Crime Prevention
Firearms and gun control

The Government of Canada is committed to enhancing Canada's firearm control framework and will continue efforts towards implementing a ban on assault-style firearms. It will also continue to combat the criminal use of firearms by advancing additional legislation and program measures.

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue to:

  • Work on the design and development of a mandatory buyback program to compensate firearm owners and businesses affected by the May 1, 2020 prohibition of assault-style firearms;
  • Work with provinces and territories that wish to impose further restrictions on handguns;
  • Address the importation of high capacity magazines;
  • Support the Government's efforts to provide vulnerable people and their support networks with more options for protection by establishing a “red” and “yellow” flag regime to temporarily remove firearms from or suspend the licences of those who pose a threat to themselves or others;
  • Increase the maximum penalties for firearms trafficking and smuggling offences; and
  • Enhance secure storage requirements to deter theft.

The Department will also continue the implementation of the remaining provisions under the 2019 Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms. The Department will move forward to bring into force mandatory licence verifications when purchasing non-restricted firearms, and business record-keeping requirements to assist law enforcement in tracing illegal firearms.

Further, Public Safety Canada will also continue efforts to raise awareness and educate Canadians on actions taken to reduce violent crimes by implementing a national firearms awareness and education campaign.

In addition, the Department will continue to collaborate with Statistics Canada to enhance the quality and improve the availability of firearms data by updating and standardizing how firearm-related crimes are reported by the police.

Combatting gun and gang violence

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue to advance initiatives to reduce gun and gang violence under the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence (ITAAGGV). These efforts include providing funding to provinces and territories in support of law enforcement prevention and intervention.

In addition, Public Safety Canada will be launching the development of a National Strategy on Guns and Gangs. This strategy is being developed in collaboration with key stakeholders with plans to be published by 2022-23.

Public Safety Canada will also begin efforts to implement contribution agreements with identified municipalities and Indigenous communities under the Building Safer Communities Fund. These actions are part of the Government of Canada's commitment to deliver a total of $250 million to support prevention and intervention activities for children and youth who are at-risk of joining gangs and/or becoming involved in crime, as well as providing support to youth and young adult gang members who are in the process of exiting gangs.

National Crime Prevention Strategy

In 2022-23, under the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS), Public Safety Canada will develop and implement new projects selected from the 2021 Crime Prevention Action Fund Call for Applications. These new projects will provide additional supports to at-risk youth from priority populations, with specific focus on Black Canadian and Indigenous youth, and will incorporate a multi-sectoral partnership approach aimed at enhancing protective factors and reducing risk factors.

In alignment with Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence, Public Safety Canada will also continue to fund research, awareness, and intervention activities aimed at addressing and preventing cyberbullying behaviours amongst children and youth.

National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence

In 2022-23, the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence (the Canada Centre) will continue to support the three priorities identified in the 2018 National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence:

  • Building, sharing and using knowledge;
  • Addressing radicalization to violence in the online space; and
  • Supporting front-line interventions.

Following a Call for Applications in late 2021, the Community Resilience Fund (CRF) will continue to support the development and implementation of both existing and new projects that assist youth and local organizations with research projects and events focused on the prevention of radicalization to violence.

Consistent with the strategic priorities established for the Call for Applications, focus will be placed on:

  • Locating harms, vulnerabilities and needs to better inform prevention efforts, build evidence in new and under-studied areas, and guard against bias;
  • Professionalizing the practice to build on evidence-based resources and practices to support and guide effective and bias-sensitive prevention and intervention initiatives in countering radicalization to violence (CRV); and
  • Expanding capacity by building on lessons from domestic and international CRV initiatives to help strengthen existing programs in Canada and address gaps in the types of prevention services available in local communities, online and offline.

The Canada Centre will also work to expand its efforts in implementing the recommendations of the 2020 Evaluation of the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence by increasing outreach and stakeholder engagement; improving knowledge production and mobilization; and systematically collecting and reporting on its outputs and outcomes to better learn about and share lessons. The Centre's web presence will be updated and expanded in order to support these efforts.

Reforming the criminal justice system
Record Suspension Program reform

The Government of Canada has committed to fighting systemic racism, sexism, discrimination, misconduct, and abuse, including in our core institutions. In 2022-23, the Government of Canada will continue to reform the criminal justice system as well as invest in the empowerment of Black and racialized Canadians, and Indigenous Peoples.

Public Safety Canada initiated Phase One of the Record Suspension Program (RSP) reforms in 2021-22, which included legislative and non-legislative components such as a reduction in application fees, the planning of an online application portal, and preparations for the addition of contribution funding for community support services to assist individuals in navigating the record suspension application process.

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada, in collaboration with portfolio partners, will continue to advance the implementation of all aspects of Phase One and will begin advancing Phase Two of RSP reforms in collaboration with provincial, territorial, and municipal partners and criminal justice stakeholders. This will include identifying elements that would be necessary for the implementation of an Automated Sequestering of Criminal Records (ASCR) system, and the development of a sound proposal for how an ASCR system could be implemented in Canada.

Community corrections

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will develop the Federal Framework to Reduce Recidivism (FFRR) for tabling in Parliament, as required by the Reduction of Recidivism Framework Act, which received Royal Assent in June, 2021.

In order to help facilitate the safe reintegration of federal offenders into Canadian communities upon release, the FFRR will include measures such as:

  • Pilot projects;
  • Access to adequate and ongoing resources to increase employment opportunities;
  • Supports for faith-based organizations;
  • The consideration of international best practices; and
  • Evaluations and improvements of risk assessment instruments and measures.
Modernizing law enforcement and policing
Transformation and modernization of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Public Safety Canada supports the transformation and modernization of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and its efforts to address harassment and sexual violence.

The Department will continue to collaborate with the RCMP to advance commitments relating to the Independent Centre for Harassment Resolution at the RCMP and the RCMP Management Advisory Board.

In addition, Public Safety Canada will support the RCMP in its work with other police services to review operational use of force tools and de-escalation training, with the objective of promoting the safest possible outcomes for both the public and police officers.

Policing in Indigenous communities

Budget 2021 allocated significant investments to support culturally responsive policing and community safety services in Indigenous communities. This includes the stabilization and expansion of the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program (FNIPP), the co-development of a legislative framework that recognizes First Nations policing as an essential service, the provision of new funding to enhance Indigenous-led crime prevention strategies, and the creation of the Safe Indigenous Communities Initiative. In 2022-23, the Department will continue to implement these investments and commitments with Indigenous, provincial and territorial governments.

Public Safety Canada will also continue to deliver and expand on the FNIPP to support responsive, dedicated, professional and culturally sensitive police services in First Nation communities. The Department will continue to work with partners to co-develop legislative options that recognize First Nations policing as an essential service. Public Safety Canada will conduct an extensive series of consultations, such as virtual engagement sessions, targeted discussions with partners, an expert symposium, and a national online engagement tool for partners and stakeholders to share feedback. The inputs received via these consultations will assist in informing options, drafting legislation, and identifying distinction-based priorities that will recognize and prioritize Inuit and Métis needs for the purpose of improving policing services and safety in their communities.

Combatting serious and organized crime
Organized crime

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue to support Canada's efforts to combat organized crime by:

  • Facilitating information sharing and collaboration between federal, provincial and territorial stakeholders;
  • Advancing the Government of Canada's knowledge of key organized crime issues; and
  • Supporting law enforcement efforts to combat organized crime.
Online child sexual exploitation

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue to advance the National Strategy for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation on the Internet. The Department will also continue work with other government departments and international partners such as the Five Eyes and digital industry stakeholders to better address online child sexual exploitation and further protect children and youth. Five Eyes partners will also continue to collaborate on a regular basis to discuss the ongoing implementation of the Voluntary Principles to Combat Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, which provide a framework to combat online child sexual exploitation, drive collective action, and establish a baseline standard for safety.

Moreover, Public Safety Canada will continue to support the Canadian Centre for Child Protection in its operation of Cybertip.ca, a national tip-line to which Canadians can report suspected cases of online child sexual exploitation, in addition to Project Arachnid, a web-crawling technology to identify and increase the rate of removal of child sexual abuse material on the internet.

National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking

Public Safety Canada will continue working with federal, provincial, and territorial partners and other stakeholders to implement measures under the whole-of-government National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking 2019-2024.

Specifically, in 2022-23 the Department will continue to:

  • Support a national human trafficking awareness campaign to raise awareness among Canadians of some of the misconceptions surrounding human trafficking;
  • Implement and disseminate training tools for the transportation, hospitality and health care sectors to increase awareness and equip employees to identify the signs of human trafficking;
  • Establish a Survivor Advisory Committee and Chief Advisor on Human Trafficking to advise and make recommendations relating to federal anti-trafficking policies and initiatives;
  • Support organizations that provide trauma-informed services to victims and survivors, and enhance awareness among at-risk youth via the Contribution Program to Combat Serious and Organized Crime;
  • Develop culturally relevant guidelines for front-line community workers who work with individuals affected by forced labour and human trafficking;
  • Enhance knowledge of human trafficking through research and data collection; and
  • Engage with a wide range of both governmental and non-governmental stakeholders to share information, collaborate and coordinate anti-human trafficking efforts.

Public Safety Canada will also continue to provide funding to the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking for the multilingual, 24/7 toll-free Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline.

Reducing illegal drug supply & use
Reducing the harms associated with the illegal drug supply

Building on its domestic and international partnerships with law and border enforcement agencies and partners, in 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue its collaborative efforts to address illegal drug production and trafficking to help reduce the harms associated with an increasingly toxic illegal drug supply.

Specifically, the Department will work to address:

  • Organized crime involvement in the illegal synthetic drug market;
  • Drug trafficking online and through the domestic mail system; and
  • The illegal use of equipment and chemicals to manufacture controlled substances.

Additionally, Public Safety Canada will support the consideration of alternatives to criminal penalties for the possession of small amounts of controlled substances for personal use, as part of the Government of Canada's public health response to substance use and the ongoing opioid crisis. To address the global threat of illegal synthetic opioids and other drugs, the Department will work closely with international partners to coordinate policy and operational responses and to improve safety for Canadian communities.

Reducing the illegal cannabis market

Given the continued challenges presented by the illicit cannabis market, sustained efforts are required from key federal government partners, the law enforcement community, private industry and Indigenous leadership.

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada plans to continue working in collaboration with federal, provincial and territorial stakeholders, and the law enforcement community to disrupt and displace the illegal online cannabis market.

Public Safety Canada will also continue its engagement with key stakeholders, such as financial institutions and payment platforms, to explore ways to address illegal online cannabis activities and protect the integrity of the financial payment system from illicit transactions and money laundering. The Department will also continue to work with stakeholders to monitor trends and patterns in the illegal cannabis markets, including the role of organized crime.

In addition, Public Safety Canada will build and share evidence-based knowledge on strategies to disrupt the illegal cannabis market in particular by:

  • Implementing the renewed Online Illicit Cannabis Sales Action Plan, with a focus on:
    • Building on information resources to support law enforcement efforts;
    • Enhancing data collection and monitoring;
    • Continuing outreach with third-party entities; and
    • Building on public education and awareness activities.
  • Undertaking research on progress towards the displacement of the illegal cannabis market and other public safety aspects, such as the impacts on law enforcement practices, the role of organized crime in the cannabis market, and the impact of cryptocurrencies on the future of the cannabis industry.
Drug-impaired driving

The Drug-Impaired Driving (DID) initiative aims to protect public safety on roadways in Canada by equipping law enforcement with the tools, technology and training necessary to enforce drug-impaired driving legislation, as well as through research, public awareness and the development of evidence-based policies.

With respect to law enforcement training, the DID initiative aims to ensure that at least 33% of all frontline officers have been trained in the use of Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, and that 1,250 officers are certified Drug Recognition Experts by the end of the initiative.

In 2022-2023, Public Safety Canada will continue working with provinces and territories through established funding agreements to achieve the law enforcement training objectives and support the acquisition and use of approved drug screening devices. In addition, through this initiative, the Department will work with provinces and territories to collect and report on data relating to trends and patterns in drug-impaired driving. The second annual data report is set to be released in the winter of 2022, and data collection will continue for the purposes of producing a subsequent report in 2023.

Public Safety Canada will also continue to support the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health to conduct laboratory studies on the impacts of cannabis on driving abilities. The results of the study should be available early in 2023.

Strengthening border policy

In 2022-23, in coordination with portfolio agencies and key international partners, Public Safety Canada will continue to protect the health and safety of Canadians by providing federal policy leadership to strengthen the integrity and efficient management of Canada's borders. This will include providing advice on the formulation of policies, regulations and programs related to immigration and border law enforcement matters.

The Department will also continue to work with partners to expand preclearance operations for international travellers and cargo in order to bolster trade, increase border security and enable faster travel.

Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus)

Public Safety Canada will continue to use GBA Plus to ensure inclusive outcomes for Canadians. Specific examples of these efforts include:

United Nations' (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Under the Core Responsibility of Community Safety, Public Safety Canada will advance SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) through the following targets:

Experimentation

Further to the Experimentation Direction for Deputy Heads from the Treasury Board Secretariat, Public Safety Canada has finalized its own experimentation framework, which guides the Department's efforts in testing new approaches to existing problems, measuring their effectiveness, and building on their results.

Key risk(s)

Public Safety Canada's mission is to build a safe and resilient Canada. Accordingly, the Department must exercise a high level of awareness, engagement and adaptability to keep Canadians safe, maintain a cohesive and coordinated approach to safety and security, and generate results for Canadians while managing a variety of risks.

Currently, the Corporate Risk Profile (CRP) comprises the following four risks:

A number of controls are currently in place and additional mitigation measures are being implemented to respond to threats to the Department's ability to deliver on its mandate, render timely decisions and achieve intended outcomes. Furthermore, some of the planned initiatives listed in the previous section will help the Department respond to the risks associated with the delivery of Public Safety Canada programs.

Planned results for Community Safety

The following table shows Community Safety's planned results, its result indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2022–23, and the actual results for the three most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

Planned results for Community Safety
Departmental Result Departmental Result Indicator Target Date to Achieve Target 2018–19 Actual ResultFootnote 12 2019–20 Actual ResultFootnote 13 2020–21 Actual ResultFootnote 14

Community safety practices are strengthened.

Percentage of stakeholders who report consulting Public Safety research or policy documents to inform their decision-making ≥ 70% March 31, 2023 64% 67% 91%
Percentage of stakeholders who report good or very good results of projects funded through Public Safety Canada's Community Resilience Fund, in line with project objectives ≥ 80% March 31, 2023 N/A N/A 92%
Number of new research products available to Canadians on radicalization to violence and efforts to prevent and counter it ≥ 5Footnote 15 March 31, 2023 N/A 30 40
Canadian communities are safe.

Crime Severity IndexFootnote 16

≤ 70.1 March 31, 2023 75.61 79.77 73.44Footnote 17
Police-reported crime rate per 100,000 populationFootnote 18 ≤ 5,200 March 31, 2023 5,513 5,878 5,301Footnote 19
Percentage of Canadians who think that crime in their neighbourhood has decreased ≥ 4% March 31, 2023 N/A N/A 6.5%
Percentage of Canadians who report driving a vehicle within two hours following cannabis useFootnote 20 ≤ 17%Footnote 21 March 31, 2023 26% 22% 21%Footnote 22
Crime is prevented and addressed in populations/communities most at-risk. Percentage of programs where participants experienced positive changes in risk and protective factors related to offending ≥ 75% March 31, 2023 58% 83% 58%Footnote 23
Percentage of programs targeting at-risk populations that achieve the intended participation rate ≥ 75% March 31, 2023 N/A 75% N/AFootnote 24
Difference between police reported crime in First Nation communities and police reported crime in the rest of Canada ≤12,000 March 31, 2023 18,817 19,475 21,474Footnote 25

The financial, human resources and performance information for the Public Safety Canada's Program Inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned budgetary spending for Community Safety

The following table shows, for Community Safety, budgetary spending for 2022–23, as well as planned spending for that year and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Planned budgetary spending for Community Safety
2022–23 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates) 2022–23 planned spending 2023–24 planned spending 2024–25 planned spending
605,361,643 605,361,643 592,821,323 615,244,047

Financial, human resources and performance information for Public Safety Canada's Program Inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned human resources for Community Safety

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the Department will need to fulfill this Core Responsibility for 2022–23 and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Planned human resources for Community Safety
2022–23 planned full-time equivalents 2023–24 planned full-time equivalents 2024–25 planned full-time equivalents
399 379 351

Financial, human resources and performance information for Public Safety Canada's Program Inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Emergency Management

Description

Public Safety Canada works to strengthen national emergency management to help prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from all-hazards events. Public Safety Canada provides resources and expertise to Canadian communities in support of emergency preparedness, disaster mitigation and recovery.

Planning highlights

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will seek to achieve emergency management results through the following activities.

Strengthened resilience
Emergency Management Strategy and Action Plan

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada, in collaboration with provinces and territories, will release the first Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Emergency Management Strategy Action Plan (EMSAP), which identifies how FPT governments are implementing the objectives of the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada: Toward a Resilient 2030.

The EMSAP supports the roles and responsibilities outlined in the Emergency Management Framework, and guides FPT governments and their respective emergency management partners in carrying out priorities to strengthen Canada's ability to assess risks and to prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.

Federal Emergency Management Modernization Project

The Federal Emergency Management Modernization Project (FEMMP) was established in 2017 to improve the alignment and coherence of emergency management practices across the federal government in support of provincial and territorial partners. The ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight the importance of reinforcing interoperability within and between federal organizations and a shared understanding of roles, responsibilities and accountabilities for managing emergency events.

In 2022-23, the FEMMP will continue to:

  • Modernize the existing policy suite to provide coherent guidance with respect to federal emergency response coordination, including implementing new approaches to defining emergency management capabilities;
  • Establish a federal Functional Community for Emergency Management, which will provide structure and oversight of federal training and workforce development to ensure and sustain a prepared, capable workforce at all levels of federal organizations;
  • Identify common business requirements for current and future information management and procurement that provide a common, data-driven approach to managing emergency response functions and information; and
  • Work with Public Services and Procurement Canada and Shared Services Canada to fully implement the fit-up of the new facility for the Government Operations Centre by 2024.
National Adaptation Strategy on Climate Change

In the November 2021 Speech from the Throne, the Government of Canada committed to developing Canada's first ever National Adaptation Strategy (NAS).

The NAS aims to:

  • Create a shared vision for climate resilience in Canada;
  • Identify key priorities for increased collaboration with provinces, territories, municipalities, and Indigenous Peoples, among others; and
  • Establish a framework that establishes targets and performance indicators to measure climate resilience at the national level.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is leading this whole-of-government effort with other federal departments, including Public Safety Canada, Health Canada, Infrastructure Canada, Natural Resources Canada. To inform the development of the NAS, the Government of Canada is launching five Advisory Tables, each of which will be co-chaired by a federal department along with an external partner or stakeholder with expertise in the following areas:

  • Health and Well-being;
  • Resilient Natural and Built Infrastructure;
  • Thriving Natural Environment;
  • Strong and Resilient Economy; and
  • Disaster Resilience and Security.

In 2022-23, the Disaster Resilience and Security Advisory Table, co-chaired by Public Safety Canada and the Insurance Bureau of Canada, will build on existing work to help strengthen Canada's preparedness and readiness for disaster events, and will focus on the following key sub-themes of the NAS:

  • Economic and social implications of climate disasters and recovery initiatives;
  • Capabilities to respond to natural hazards and climate-driven emergencies;
  • Emergency preparedness, disaster mitigation and disaster risk reduction;
  • The needs and risks of vulnerable populations and communities; and
  • Security and public safety in a climate-impacted future.

The Table's membership consists of representatives from non-governmental organizations, emergency management practitioners, academics, industry representatives, and Indigenous community members (including from the three National Indigenous organizations).

National Action Plan on Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue to advance Canada's first-ever National Action Plan on Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries (PTSI) for public safety personnel. This includes continued support for the National Research Consortium on PTSI among public safety personnel. The Department will also continue to support a $10 million pilot project focused on the delivery of Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy.

In order to assess results and effectiveness as well as to identify potential gaps, the Department will undertake an evaluation of the PTSI program in 2022-23. Public Safety Canada will also support the Public Health Agency of Canada as it continues to advance a Budget 2021 commitment to support mental health programming for a trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder stream for populations at high risk of developing COVID-19 related challenges.

The Department will also continue to recognize emergency management practitioners across the country through the Emergency Management Exemplary Service Award.

Understanding disaster risks
Emergency Management Public Awareness Contribution Program

To improve understanding of disaster risks in various sectors of society, Public Safety Canada's Emergency Management Public Awareness Contribution Program (EMPACP) provides funding to help Canadians understand the risks associated with natural disasters and what can be done to prepare for and mitigate weather-related emergencies.

In 2020-21, the EMPACP provided funding to the Canadian Red Cross (CRC) for its 5-year project, Driving Risk Awareness to Action and Building Resiliency for Vulnerable Canadians in High-Risk Areas. In 2022-23, the Department will continue to work with the CRC to raise awareness of the risks faced by vulnerable populations in Canada and to promote actions that improve individual and community resiliency.

National Risk Profile

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will conduct a National Risk Profile (NRP) assessment using scientific evidence and stakeholder perspectives to create a forward-looking national picture of risk and capabilities.

The NRP will assist in decision making to support resilience to disasters and increase understanding of the diversity of risks faced by various populations, Indigenous peoples, and northern and remote communities. The NRP is also advancing the development of a common language and set of terms with the goal of increasing whole-of-society interoperability and cooperation.

Whole-of-society disaster prevention and mitigation

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will maintain efforts to improve public awareness of and preparedness for natural disasters through existing mechanisms such as the Emergency Preparedness and Fire Prevention Weeks.

Enhancing disaster response capacity and coordination
National Public Alerting System and public safety broadband network
In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue to support the advancement of a public safety broadband network in Canada (PSBN), and the enhancement and maintenance of the National Public Alerting System (NPAS) to ensure the effectiveness and safety of first responders and the safety of Canadians. The Department will also continue to lead a collaborative federal, provincial and territorial plan to strengthen governance, sustainability, and guidelines around the usage of the NPAS to maintain a public alerting system for all Canadians that is stable, accessible, inclusive and trusted.
Humanitarian workforce

As part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada has committed $150 million between 2021 and 2023 to support the Canadian Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in building and maintaining a humanitarian workforce to provide surge support in response to the pandemic and other large-scale emergency events in Canada.

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue to support the efforts of NGOs to strengthen their emergency readiness capacity and fund deployment activities in response to specific Requests for Federal Assistance from provincial and territorial governments.

Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (HUSAR) Program
In 2022-2023, the Department will advance efforts towards finalizing the development of a national concept of operations to address preparedness and response issues linked to a wide range of disasters. It will also continue to work towards establishing a national HUSAR team accreditation process certified by the United Nations International Search and Rescue Advisory Group.
International COSPAS-SARSAT Programme

The International COSPAS-SARSAT Programme is an international satellite-based search and rescue (SAR) distress alerting system that directly contributes to the efficient and effective use of SAR resources in Canada and around the world. On average, 45 Canadian lives and an additional 950 lives internationally are saved annually by COSPAS-SARSAT.

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue to provide leadership for Canada's engagement and participation in the International COSPAS-SARSAT Programme. Canada continues to make substantial investments in new COSPAS-SARSAT capabilities, including in the Medium Earth Orbit Search and Rescue (MEOSAR) system. Canada's continued leadership role in the Programme will ensure that Canadians receive the full benefit of these investments and that our interests are given appropriate international consideration.

Additionally, the Department will continue to lead Canada's efforts to renew the International COSPAS-SARSAT Programme Agreement (ICSPA) between Canada and the three other signatories (France, the Russian Federation and the United States).

Strengthened recovery
BC Floods and Extreme Weather Appeal
On November 26, 2021, the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia announced that they will match individual and corporate donations made to the Canadian Red Cross' British Columbia Floods and Extreme Weather Appeal, meaning that every dollar donated will become $3 to support those affected by the floods. In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will provide this funding through the Canadian Red Cross COVID-19, Floods, and Wildfires transfer payment program.
Flood Insurance and Relocation Project

To support whole-of-society disaster prevention and mitigation activities, Public Safety Canada has established an interdisciplinary Task Force on Flood Insurance and Relocation (“Task Force”) to continue the efforts of the Advisory Council on Flooding. Efforts of the Task Force in 2022-23 will include:

  • Providing Canadians and their elected representatives with a report on the viability of a low-cost, national, residential flood insurance program and national action plan on potential relocation for residents of areas at the highest risk of recurrent flooding;
  • Exploring options to protect homeowners at high risk of flooding who lack adequate insurance protection; and
  • Examining the viability of a low-cost national flood insurance program and considering options for potential relocation for residents of areas at the highest risk of recurrent flooding.

Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) will also work with First Nations partners on a dedicated Steering Committee on First Nations Home Flood Insurance Needs to examine the unique context on reserves. The Task Force and Steering Committee will work closely to share information and engage with various partners, including with First Nations off-reserve, Inuit, and Métis communities and organizations. Both entities began their work in January 2021 and will report their findings in the spring of 2022.

Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements

Public Safety Canada has initiated a review of the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA). The review is based on internal research and consultation, as well as external inputs and contributions.

In 2022-23, the Department expects to establish a panel of external advisors, primarily academics and industry practitioners, to provide advice and recommendations on the DFAA, taking into account the interdependencies of the DFAA with provincial and territorial programming.

The Department will continue working closely with federal, provincial and territorial stakeholders, primarily through the Senior Officials Responsible for Emergency Management (SOREM), to ensure that stakeholders receive regular updates regarding the work of the advisory panel, and are engaged in the broader policy efforts and work being undertaken.

Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus)

Public Safety Canada will continue to use GBA Plus to ensure inclusive outcomes for Canadians. Specific examples of these efforts include:

United Nations' (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Under the Core Responsibility of Emergency Management, Public Safety Canada will advance SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals) through the following targets:

Experimentation

Further to the Experimentation Direction for Deputy Heads from the Treasury Board Secretariat, Public Safety Canada has finalized its own experimentation framework, which guides the Department's efforts in testing new approaches to existing problems, measuring their effectiveness, and building on their results.

Key risk(s)

Public Safety Canada's mission is to build a safe and resilient Canada. Accordingly, the Department must exercise a high level of awareness, engagement and adaptability to keep Canadians safe, maintain a cohesive and coordinated approach to safety and security, and generate results for Canadians while managing a variety of risks.

Currently, the Corporate Risk Profile (CRP) comprises the following four risks:

A number of controls are currently in place and additional mitigation measures are being implemented to respond to threats to the Department's ability to deliver on its mandate, render timely decisions and achieve intended outcomes. Furthermore, some of the planned initiatives listed in the previous section will help the Department respond to the risks associated with the delivery of Public Safety Canada programs.

Planned results for Emergency Management

The following table shows, for Emergency Management, the planned results, the result indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2022–23, and the actual results for the three most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

Planned results for Emergency Management
Departmental Result Departmental Result Indicator Target Date to Achieve Target 2018–19 Actual ResultFootnote 26 2019–20 Actual ResultFootnote 27 2020–21 Actual ResultFootnote 28
Canada can effectively mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from all-hazards events. Percentage of stakeholders who participated in a Government Operations Centre-led exercise indicating the exercise program increased their organization's preparedness ≥ 80% March 31, 2023 N/A N/A 85%
Percentage of hazards assessed through the National Risk Profile for which Government of Canada response plans are in place or in developmentFootnote 29 100% March 31, 2023 N/A N/A N/A
Percentage of Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements events for which provinces and territories have reported mitigation measures to prepare for, respond to, and recover from future natural disasters ≥ 65%Footnote 30 March 31, 2023 N/A 47% 58%Footnote 31
Percentage of Canadians who are aware of risks facing their household ≥ 60% March 31, 2023 N/A N/A 52%Footnote 32
Percentage of Canadians who have taken measures to respond to risks facing their household ≥ 50% March 31, 2023 N/A N/A 11%Footnote 33
Percentage of stakeholders who indicate that the Government Operations Centre provided effective leadership and coordination for events affecting the national interest ≥ 90% March 31, 2023 87% 92% 98%
Percentage of stakeholders who indicate that the Government Operations Centre's processes, products and tools were useful in preparing to respond to an emergencyFootnote 34 ≥ 80% March 31, 2023 N/A N/A N/A
Percentage of events that required the coordination of a federal response for which after-action activities were completed by the Government Operations CentreFootnote 35 100% March 31, 2023 N/A N/A N/A

The financial, human resources and performance information for the Public Safety Canada's Program Inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned budgetary spending for Emergency Management

The following table shows budgetary spending for 2022-23, as well as planned spending for that year and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Planned budgetary spending for Emergency Management
2022–23 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates) 2022–23 planned spending 2023–24 planned spending 2024–25 planned spending
187,624,211 187,624,211 156,067,462 146,218,802

Financial, human resources and performance information for Public Safety Canada's Program Inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned human resources for Emergency Management

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the Department will need to fulfill the intended outcomes of this Core Responsibility for 2022–23 and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Planned human resources for Emergency Management
2022–23 planned full-time equivalents 2023–24 planned full-time equivalents 2024–25 planned full-time equivalents
271 267 259

Financial, human resources and performance information for Public Safety Canada's Program Inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Internal Services: planned results

Description

Internal Services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of Internal Services:

Planning highlights

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will seek to support Internal Services through the following activities.

Diversity and inclusion

In 2022-2023, Public Safety Canada will continue its efforts to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive Public Service. Building on the Departmental Strategic Framework on Diversity and Inclusion and the associated action plan, Public Safety Canada will continue to:

People management

To ensure a strong focus on results through effective performance measurement and sound management practices, Public Safety Canada will continue to build the Department's people management capacity and enhance human resources (HR) services through innovative approaches.

Key initiatives for 2022-2023 include:

Sustained pandemic management

In 2022-23, the Department will continue to pursue its commitment to foster a healthy work environment and effectively respond to the pandemic by continuing to:

Workforce planning and modernization

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue to define and direct the implementation of the Treasury Board Secretariat Hybrid Workforce Vision within the Department by:

Government of Canada Business Continuity Management Program renewal

In 2022-23, Public Safety Canada will continue to advance the Business Continuity Management (BCM) Program renewal across the federal government by:

Planned budgetary spending for Internal Services

The following table shows, for Internal Services, budgetary spending for 2022–23, as well as planned spending for that year and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Planned budgetary spending for Internal Services
2022–23 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates) 2022–23 planned spending 2023–24 planned spending 2024–25 planned spending
65,286,723 65,286,723 62,869,869 61,703,330

Financial, human resources and performance information for Public Safety Canada's Program Inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned human resources for Internal Services

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the Department will need to deliver these services for 2022–23 and for each of the next two fiscal years.

Planned human resources for Internal Services
2022–23 planned full-time equivalents 2023–24 planned full-time equivalents 2024–25 planned full-time equivalents
466 457 451

Financial, human resources and performance information for Public Safety Canada's Program Inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Planned spending and human resources

This section provides an overview of the Department's planned spending and human resources for the next three fiscal years and compares planned spending for 2022–23 with actual spending for the current year and the previous year.

Planned spending

Departmental spending 2019–20 to 2024–25.

The following graph presents planned spending (voted and statutory expenditures) over time.

Departmental spending 2019–20 to 2024–25

Departmental spending 2019–20 to 2024–25

Image Description

The graph illustrates the Department's spending trend over a six-year period starting in 2019-20 and ending in 2024-25. In fiscal year 2019-20, the actual statutory spending was 80,710,434 dollars and in 2020-21, 57,066,459. In 2021-22, the planned statutory spending is 19,384,389; in 2022-23, 18,595,792 dollars; in 2023-24, 18,157,836 dollars; and in 2024-25, 17,562,193 dollars. In fiscal year 2019-20, the actual voted spending was 838,624,665 dollars and in 2020-21, 720,307,174 dollars. In 2021-22, the planned voted spending is 1,162,906,449; in 2022-23, 864,876,683 dollars; in 2023-24, 818,980,563 dollars and in 2023-24, 830,986,869 dollars.

The figure below displays the allocation of Public Safety Canada's planned spending by program in 2022-23

Budgetary planning summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services (dollars)

Budgetary planning summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services (dollars)

Image Description

This graph depicts the planned spending for 2022-23 for the Department and for each core responsibility. Planned spending for Public Safety Canada is 883,472,247 dollars. Planned spending for the core responsibility of National Security is 25,199,898 dollars, which represents 3 per cent of the total. Planned spending for the core responsibility of Community Safety is 605,361,643 dollars, which represents 69 per cent of the total. Planned spending for the core responsibility of Emergency Management is 187,624,211 dollars, which represents 21 per cent of the total. Planned spending for Internal Services is 65,286,723 dollars, which represents 7 percent of the total.

The following table shows information on spending for each of Public Safety Canada's Core Responsibilities and for its Internal Services for 2022–23 and other relevant fiscal years
Core Responsibilities and internal Services 2019–20 actual expenditures 2020–21 actual expenditures 2021–22 forecast spending 2022–23 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates) 2022–23 planned spending 2023–24 planned spending 2024–25 planned spending
National Security 22,139,061 24,757,972 30,030,624 25,199,898 25,199,898 25,379,745 25,382,883
Community Safety 272,306,142 300,591,346 407,183,955 605,361,643 605,361,643 592,821,323 615,244,047
Emergency Management 555,007,610 380,026,737 675,507,839 187,624,211 187,624,211 156,067,462 146,218,802
Sub-Total 849,452,813 705,376,055 1,112,722,418 818,185,752 818,185,752 774,268,530 786,845,732
Internal Services 69,882,286 71,997,578 69,568,420 65,286,723 65,286,723 62,869,869 61,703,330
Total 919,335,099 777,373,633 1,182,290,838 883,472,475 883,472,475 837,138,399 848,549,062

The 2022-23 Main Estimates and Planned Spending are $298.8 million (25%) lower than the 2021-22 Forecast Spending. The decrease is mainly attributable to $345.8 million in funding levels for the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program resulting from provinces and territories' forecasts for expected disbursements. Public Safety Canada regularly consults with provinces and territories to ensure funding levels meet disbursement requirements under the DFAA legislation, and then aligns funding levels accordingly. Due to the unpredictable nature of natural disasters, the DFAA funding levels may be significantly adjusted throughout the course of the fiscal year.

The overall decrease is also the result of the completion of $84.0 million for one year funding in support of a Humanitarian Workforce to Respond to COVID-19 and Other Large-Scale Emergencies, the completion of $70.0 million in financial support to the Canadian Red Cross resulting from the program extension and various provincial and territorial requests for assistance, and $20.9 million for the expiry of the National Disaster Mitigation Program. These decreases are mainly offset by a net increase of $139.7 million in funding for the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program, which is comprised of a transfer to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in 2021-22 and increased funding levels for the program in 2022-23; $43.1 million in funding levels to establish the Building Safer Communities Fund that will bolster gang-prevention programing to counter the social conditions that lead to criminality; and $36.2 million in funding levels for the relocation and accommodations for the Government Operations Centre, of which the majority will be allotted to Public Services and Procurement Canada for the implementation of the project.

The decrease of $46.3 million (5%) in planned spending from 2022-23 to 2023-24 is mainly attributable to a decrease of $78.0 million for the maturation of the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence, which is being complemented by a new $250 million investment to establish the Building Safer Communities Fund to continue to respond to the call to combat gun and gang violence, and $28.5 million in funding levels for the relocation and accommodations for the Government Operations Centre. These decreases are mainly offset by an increase of $61.2 million in funding for the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program. Lastly, the increase of $11.4 million (1%) in planned spending from 2023-24 to 2024-25 is mainly attributable to funding level increases of $17.0 million for the First Nations and Inuit Policing Facilities Program. These increases are mainly offset by the decrease in funding level of $6.9 million for the relocation and accommodations for the Government Operations Centre.

Planned human resources

The following table shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for each of Public Safety Canada's Core Responsibilities and Internal Services for 2022–23 and the other relevant years.

Human resources planning summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services
Core Responsibilities and Internal Services 2019–20 actual full‑time equivalents 2020–21 actual full‑time equivalents 2021–22 forecast full‑time equivalents 2022–23 planned full‑time equivalents 2023–24 planned full‑time equivalents 2024–25 planned full‑time equivalents
National Security 181 175 194 187 190 190
Community Safety 287 290 352 399 379 351
Emergency Management 264 255 297 271 267 259
Sub-Total 732 720 843 857 836 800
Internal Services 473 466 502 466 457 451
Total 1,205 1,186 1,345 1,323 1,293 1,251

* Note: The calculation of full-time equivalents (FTE) differs from the actual number of employees in that the former combines part-time employment, term employment, job sharing, etc., to indicate the total aggregate use of the equivalent to a full-time employee. For instance, two half-time employees constitute a single FTE. Figures presented above include students and executive interchange.

In fiscal year 2021-22, planned FTEs increased by 159 FTEs (13.4%) from 1,186 in 2020-21 to 1,345 in 2021-22. Public Safety Canada's forecasted FTEs in fiscal year 2021-22 include the addition of FTEs related to new programs received through Supplementary Estimates. These programs mainly include the funding to develop a buy-back program for assault-style firearms and a national social marketing campaign, the Anti-Money Laundering Action, Coordination and Enforcement Team, the funding to support Indigenous policing and community safety, and the funding to establish the Building Safer Communities Fund that will bolster gang-prevention programming to counter the social conditions that lead to criminality.

Overall FTEs in 2022-23 will decrease by 22 FTEs (1.6%) from 1,345 in 2021-22 to 1,323 in 2022-23 as a result of sunsetting programs. The same trend, as a result of program maturation, is seen in 2023-24 with a decrease of 30 FTEs (2.3%) from 1,323 in 2022-23 to 1,293 in 2023-24, and in 2024-25 with another minimal decrease of 42 FTEs (3.2%) from 1,293 in 2023-24 to 1,251 in 2024-25.

Estimates by vote

Information on Public Safety Canada's organizational appropriations is available in the 2022–23 Main Estimates.

Future-oriented condensed statement of operations

The future‑oriented condensed statement of operations provides an overview of Public Safety Canada's operations for 2021–22 to 2022–23.

The forecast and planned amounts in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The forecast and planned amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan were prepared on an expenditure basis. Amounts may therefore differ.

A more detailed future‑oriented statement of operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations with the requested authorities, are available on Public Safety Canada's website.

Future‑oriented condensed statement of operations for the year ending March 31, 2023 (dollars)
Financial information 2021–22 forecast results 2022–23 planned results Difference (2022–23 planned results minus 2021–22 forecast results)
Total expenses 2,393,779,833 1,062,267,987 (1,331,511,846)
Total revenues 2,700,000 2,700,000 -
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers 2,391,079,833 1,059,567,987 (1,331,511,846)

The difference of $1.3 billion in the expenses between 2021–22 and 2022–23 is mainly due to the fact that Public Safety Canada intends to review future funding levels for the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) and, if required, seek the appropriate level of funding to meet its obligations under the DFAA program.

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister(s):

The Honourable Marco E.L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P.

The Honourable William Sterling Blair, P.C., C.O.M., M.P.

Institutional head:
Mr. Rob Stewart
Ministerial portfolio:
Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Enabling instrument(s):
Year of incorporation/commencement:
2003

Raison d'être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do

Information on Public Safety Canada's raison d'être, mandate and role is available on the Department's website.

Information on Public Safety Canada's mandate letter commitments is available in the Minister of Public Safety's mandate letter and the Minister of Emergency Preparedness mandate letter.

Operating context

Information on the operating context is available on Public Safety Canada's website.

Reporting framework

Public Safety Canada's approved Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory for 2022–23 are as follows.

Reporting framework
National Security Community Safety Emergency Management

RESULT: National security threats are understood and reduced while maintaining public trust

  1. Canada's ranking in the National Cyber Security Index
  2. Canada's ranking on the Global Terrorism Index
  3. Critical Infrastructure Resilience Score
  4. Percentage of partners who indicate that Public Safety Canada provides effective policy leadership and operational coordination on national security issues
  5. Percentage of partners who indicate that Public Safety Canada provides effective leadership in advancing Canada's cyber security interests
  6. Percentage of the population who thinks that the Government of Canada respects individual rights and freedoms while ensuring the safety of Canadians
  7. Percentage of the population who thinks that the right mechanisms are in place to identify national security threats in Canada
  8. Percentage of the population who thinks that the right mechanisms are in place to respond to national security threats in Canada

RESULT: Canadian communities are safe

  1. Crime Severity Index
  2. Police-reported crime rate per 100,000 population
  3. Percentage of Canadians who think that crime in their neighborhood has decreased
  4. Percentage of Canadians who report driving a vehicle within two hours following cannabis use

RESULT: Community safety practices are strengthened

  1. Number of new research products available to Canadians on radicalization to violence and efforts to prevent and counter it
  2. Percentage of stakeholders who report good or very good results of projects funded through Public Safety Canada's Community Resilience Fund, in line with project objectives
  3. Percentage of stakeholders who report consulting Public Safety Canada's research or policy documents to inform their decision making

RESULT: Crime is prevented and addressed in populations/ communities most at-risk

  1. Difference between police reported crime in First Nation communities and police reported crime in the rest of Canada
  2. Percentage of Public Safety-funded programs targeting at-risk populations that achieve the intended participation rate
  3. Percentage of programs where participants experienced positive changes in risk and protective factors related to offending

RESULT: Canada can effectively mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from all-hazards events

  1. Percentage of Canadians who are aware of risks facing their household
  2. Percentage of Canadians who have taken measures to respond to risks facing their household
  3. Percentage of Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements events for which provinces and territories have reported mitigation measures to prepare for, respond to, and recover from future natural disasters
  4. Percentage of stakeholders who indicate that the Government Operations Centrex (GOC) provided effective leadership and coordination for events affecting the national interest
  5. Percentage of hazards assessed through the National Risk Profile for which Government of Canada response plans are in place or in development
  6. Percentage of stakeholders who participated in a Government Operations Centre-led exercise indicating the exercise program increased their organization's preparedness
  7. Percentage of stakeholders who indicate that the Government Operations Centre's processes, products and tools were useful in preparing to respond to an emergency
  8. Percentage of events that required the coordination of a federal response for which after-action activities were completed by the Government Operations Centre
Program Inventory
National Security Community Safety Emergency Management

National Security Leadership

Critical Infrastructure

Cyber Security

Border Policy

Corrections

Crime Prevention

Indigenous Policing

Law Enforcement and Policing

Serious and Organized Crime

Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Prevention/Mitigation

Emergency Response/Recovery

Changes to the approved reporting framework since 2021–22

Public Safety Canada has not made any changes to the approved reporting framework since 2021-22.

Supporting information on the Program Inventory

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to Public Safety Canada's Program Inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables will be available on Public Safety Canada's website:

Federal tax expenditures

Public Safety Canada's Departmental Plan does not include information on tax expenditures.

Tax expenditures are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for government‑wide tax expenditures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report provides detailed information on tax expenditures, including objectives, historical background and references to related federal spending programs, as well as evaluations, research papers and GBA Plus.

Organizational contact information

Mailing address

269 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1A 0P8 Canada

Telephone:

General enquiries: 613-944-4875 or 1-800-830-3118

Media enquiries: 613-991-0657

National Crime Prevention Centre (NCPC): 1-800-830-3118

National Office for Victims: 1-866-525-0554

TTY:
1-866-865-5667
Fax:
613-954-5186
Email:

General enquiries: enquiries.enquetes@ps.gc.ca

Media enquiries: 613-991-0657 or media@ps.gc.ca

Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security (CCRS): roundtable@ps.gc.ca

National Crime Prevention Centre (NCPC): prevention@ps.gc.ca

Passenger Protect Inquiries Office: PS.PPinquiries-demandesPP.SP@ps-sp.gc.ca

Website:
Public Safety Canada

Appendix: definitions

appropriation (crédit)
Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund
budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)
Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations
Core Responsibility (Responsabilité essentielle)
An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a Core Responsibility are reflected in one or more related Departmental Results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.
Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)
A document that sets out a department's priorities, programs, expected results and associated resource requirements, covering a three‑year period beginning with the year indicated in the title of the report. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.
Departmental Result (résultat ministériel)
A Departmental Result is a change that a department seeks to influence. It is often outside a departments' immediate control, but it should be influenced by Program-level outcomes.
Departmental Result Indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)
A factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a Departmental Result.
Departmental Results Framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)
A framework that consists of the department's Core Responsibilities, Departmental Results and Departmental Result Indicators.
Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)
A report on a department's actual performance in a fiscal year against its plans, priorities and expected results set out in its Departmental Plan for that year. Departmental Results Reports are usually tabled in Parliament each fall.
experimentation (expérimentation)
The conduct of activities that explore, test and compare the effects and impacts of policies and interventions in order to inform decision making and improve outcomes for Canadians. Experimentation is related to, but distinct from, innovation. Innovation is the trying of something new; experimentation involves a rigorous comparison of results. For example, introducing a new mobile application to communicate with Canadians can be an innovation; systematically testing the new application and comparing it against an existing website or other tools to see which one reaches more people is experimentation.
full‑time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)
A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person‑year charge against a departmental budget. Full‑time equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.
Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])
An analytical process used to assess how diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people experience policies, programs and services based on multiple factors including race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability.
government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)
For the purpose of the 2022–23 Departmental Plan, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the Government's agenda in the 2021 Speech from the Throne, such as protecting Canadians from COVID-19; helping Canadians through the pandemic; building back better – a resiliency agenda for the middle class; the Canada we're fighting for.
horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)
An initiative in which two or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.
non‑budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)
Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.
performance (rendement)
What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.
plan (plan)
The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead up to the expected result.
planned spending (dépenses prévues)
For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in the Main Estimates.
A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.
Program (programme)
Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within a department and that focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.
Program Inventory (répertoire des programmes)
An inventory of a department's Programs that describes how resources are organized to carry out the department's Core Responsibilities and achieve its planned results.
result (résultat)
An external consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead, they are within the area of the organization's influence.
statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)
Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.
target (cible)
A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.
voted expenditures (dépenses votées)
Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an Appropriation Act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.
Date modified: