Departmental Results Report 2020-21

Departmental Results Report 2020-21 PDF Version (2.2 MB)

Table of contents

• From the Ministers
• Results at a glance
• Core responsibilities and key activities
• Results: what we achieved
  • National Security
  • Community Safety
  • Emergency Management
  • Internal Services
• Analysis of trends in spending and human resources
  • Actual expenditures
  • Actual human resources
  • Expenditures by vote
  • Government of Canada spending and activities
  • Financial statements and financial statements highlights
• Corporate Information
  • Organizational profile
  • Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do
  • Operating context
  • Reporting framework
• Supporting information on the program inventory
• Supplementary information tables
• Federal tax expenditures
• Organizational contact information
• Appendix: definitions
• Endnotes

From the Ministers

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

The Honourable William Sterling Blair
Minister of Emergency Preparedness

As the Ministers of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, we are pleased to present the 2020-21 Departmental Results Report (DRR) for Public Safety Canada. During this remarkably challenging and unpredictable year that changed how we all work and live, Public Safety Canada continued to provide leadership in strengthening Canada’s safety, security and resilience.

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada played a key role in the Government of Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the year, the Department coordinated and managed over 60 provincial and territorial Requests for Federal Assistance, and worked with the Health Portfolio and other partner departments on key files such as: border management and the establishment of federal quarantine facilities; supports for Indigenous communities and temporary foreign workers; epidemic prevention and control training at federal correctional facilities; and support for long-term care facilities and mobile health units. Public Safety Canada also continued to work closely with international partners on issues such as COVID-19 related border management, as well as transnational security issues.

Concurrent to its pandemic-related activities, the Department planned for and responded to flooding and wildfires across the country. These emergency management efforts were underpinned by new programming and the provision of substantial funding to the Canadian Red Cross to assist them in meeting the increasing demand for relief from Canadians negatively impacted by extreme weather events. Additionally, under the scope of the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada, Public Safety Canada led the effort to establish the Task Force on Flood Insurance and Relocation, which is the first step towards creating a new, low-cost, national flood insurance program—in addition to a relocation program—to protect homeowners who are at a high risk of flooding and repeat flooding.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of reliable and resilient critical infrastructure in protecting the health, security and economic well-being of Canadians. Public Safety Canada published guidance in April 2020 on services and functions deemed essential to Canada’s critical infrastructure during the pandemic, including in response to various restrictions and border measures. The Department met regularly with industry partners to address the needs of critical infrastructure stakeholders, and supported the movement of critical infrastructure workers between jurisdictions. In response to cyber threats to the health sector, the Department co-developed the Canadian Cyber Security Tool, which aims to assist organizations in understanding the risks they face and their level of resiliency to withstand cyber-attacks.

In order to protect the integrity of Canada’s economy, this year the Department proposed a new, integrated Financial Crime Coordination Centre, which launched in April 2021 to tackle key issues related to money laundering and terrorist financing. On the national security front, the Government of Canada added 13 new groups to the list of terrorist entities under the Criminal Code, four of which are considered ideologically motivated terrorist groups. The Department continued to lead the important work of the National Security Transparency Commitment and the National Security Transparency Advisory Group, to enhance transparency in national security and build trust between the national security community and Canadians.

Keeping communities safe is a priority for the Government of Canada. In 2020-21, the Department advanced a number of initiatives and collaborated with partners in support of this important objective. This included the expansion of the Communities at Risk: Security Infrastructure Program, which is intended to support security infrastructure improvements in communities – such as places of worship, private educational institutions, and community centers – that are at risk of hate-motivated crime.

In collaboration with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Department took measures to enable their participation in Clare’s Law in Saskatchewan and Alberta. This law allows police to disclose a person’s prior intimate partner violence information to a current or former intimate partner or to an authorized third party thereby helping Canadians make informed decisions about their safety. In addition, Public Safety Canada continued its important role in the whole-of-government fight to end human trafficking by supporting 20 organizations across Canada in the delivery of projects that prevent and address human trafficking, and support survivors and at-risk populations.

The Department advanced its commitment to protecting children from child sexual exploitation on the Internet, including by finalizing contribution agreements with five provinces to bolster the capacity of their Internet Child Exploitation units. Public Safety Canada also continued to support Cybertip.ca, the national tipline to which Canadians can report suspected cases of online child sexual exploitation.

The Department continued working closely with portfolio partners on new and important measures, including the modernization of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the creation of a review body for both the Canada Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the strengthening of diversity and inclusion principles across the Public Safety Portfolio to combat systemic racism and work towards reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

The report that follows offers a detailed look at these efforts and many other accomplishments. We encourage all Canadians to read this report and to learn more about how the Department is helping to keep them safe.

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

The Honourable William Sterling Blair, P.C., C.O.M., M.P
Minister of Emergency Preparedness

Results at a glance

Image Description

Expenditures
Total: $777.4M

National Security: 3%; $24.8M
Critical Infrastructure: 24%; Cyber Security: 14%; National Security Leadership: 62%

Community Safety: 39%; $300.6M
Corrections: 6%; Border Policy: 2%; Law Enforcement and Policing: 3%; Crime Prevention: 32%; Serious and Organized Crime: 9%; Indigenous Policing: 48%

Emergency Management: 49%; $380.0M
Emergency Preparedness: 4%; Emergency Prevention: 11%; Emergency Response: 85%

Internal Services: 9%; $72.0M
Acquisition Management: 3%; Information Management: 4%; Legal: 7%; Financial Management: 7%; Human Resources Management: 11%; Communications: 13%; Real Property Management: 7%; Information Technology: 16%; Management and Oversight: 32%; Material: 0%

This graphic describes Public Safety Actual Expenditures for 2020-21, broken down per Core Responsibility and Internal Services, for a total amount of $777.4M. National Security accounts for 3% ($24.8M) and is divided as following: 24% for Critical Infrastructure, 14% for Cyber Security, and 62% for National Security Leadership. Community Safety accounts for 39% ($300.6M) and is divided as following: 6% for Corrections, 2% for Border Policy, 3% for Law Enforcement and Policing, 32% for Crime Prevention, 9% for Serious and Organized Crime, and 48% for Indigenous Policing. Emergency Management accounts for 49% ($380.0M) and is divided as following: 4% for Emergency Preparedness, 11% for Emergency Prevention, and 85% for Emergency Response. Internal Services accounts for 9% ($72.0M) and is divided as following: 3% for Acquisition Management, 4% for Information Management, 7% for Legal, 7% for Financial Management, 11% for Human Resources Management, 13% for Communications, 7% for Real Property Management, 16% for Information Technology, 32% for Management and Oversight, and 0% for Material.

Human Resources

Image Description

National Security: 15%; 175 FTEs
Community Safety: 24%; 290 FTEs
Emergency Management: 22%; 255 FTEs
Internal Services: 39%; 466 FTEs

This graphic describes the Actual Public Safety Human Resources for 2020-21 per Core Responsibility and Internal Services. There is a total of 1,186 Full Time Equivalent (FTEs) Employees who work for the Department. Of those, 175 FTEs (15%) work for National Security, 290 FTEs (24%) who work for Community Safety, 255 FTEs (22%) who work for Emergency Management, along with 466 FTEs (39%) who work for Internal Services.

Image Description

Age
17% <30 years
27% - 30-39
31% - 40-49
20% - 50-59
5% >60
Median age – 41 years

Employment Equity groups representation
4% Aboriginal peoples
6% persons with disabilities
14% visible minorities
59% women

National Capital Region
90% employed in the National Capital Region
10% employed in regions

Meet language requirements for position
80% of employees

Stayed with Public Safety Canada
79% of employees stayed
14% of employees left*

Average time –
…in the Department 4.9 years 
…in a position 2.5 years

Non-executives
93%

Executives
7%

The graphic illustrates the Public Safety employees divided by age categories:

• 17% are less than 30 years old
• 27% are between 30 and 39 years old
• 31% are between 40 and 49 years old
• 20% are between 50 and 59 years old
• 5% are older than 60 years old
• Median age is 41 years old

The graphic also illustrates the Employment Equity groups representations within Public Safety compared to the workforce availability

• Aboriginal peoples: 4% (vs 3.9%)
• Persons with disabilities: 6% (vs 4.0%)
• Visible minorities: 14% (vs 14.3%)
• Women: 59% (vs 60.7%)
• Percentage of Public Safety employees working in the National Capital Region: 90%
• Percentage of Public Safety employees working in the regions: 10%
• Percentage of Public Safety employees who meet language requirements for position: 68%
• Percentage of Public Safety employees who stayed with Public Safety Canada: 79%
• Turnover*: 14%
• Average time in the Department: 4.9 years
• Average time in a position: 2.5 years
• Percentage of non-executive: 93%
• Percentage of executives: 7%

N.B.: due to rounding, combined percentages may not add to 100%.
*Due to a lag in administrative processing of employees transferring in or out of the Department, the combined percentage does not add to 100%.

Results: what we achieved

Public Safety Canada’s activities and results are structured under three Core Responsibilities (National Security, Community Safety, and Emergency Management) and Internal Services.

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, our critical infrastructure and our cyber systems while advancing national counter terrorism efforts.

Results

National Security Leadership

National Security Transparency Commitment

In 2020-21, the National Security Transparency Commitment (NSTC) Secretariat endorsed an initial work plan focusing on three aspects:

• Completing NSTC foundational work;
• Establishing a sound governance model; and
• Enabling pilot projects.

Public opinion research was conducted in late 2020-21 to better understand Canadians’ needs and expectations, as well as perceptions and attitudes toward transparency with regards to national security and government information sharing as a whole. The results provided valuable insight into the national security areas of most interest to Canadians, and how the implementation of the NSTC can be advanced through public information campaigns and outreach. The research also established a baseline to measure progress toward transparency goals moving forward.

In November 2020, the National Security Transparency Advisory Group (NS-TAG) published their Initial Report to the Deputy Minister of Public Safety Canada on Transparency in National Security. The report describes the main themes explored by the NS-TAG during its first year of operations, such as governance structures within the national security community, challenges associated with digital and open government, and relationships with racialized, marginalized and other minority communities.

Engaging with Canadians on National Security

Through webinars and symposiums, Public Safety Canada continued to engage historically underrepresented and excluded groups on national security, and worked to increase trust between security and intelligence partners and diverse communities across Canada. Public opinion research was conducted with 2,500 Canadians aged 18+ to understand the opinions and concerns of the general public on diversity, inclusion, bias and discrimination in national security policies, programs and operations. Results from this research provided a foundation for guiding future work and enhancing national security policies, programs and operations.

Hostile Activities by State Actors

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada continued to lead policy initiatives geared towards addressing hostile activities by state actors, and collaborated with both domestic and international partners to advance efforts in addressing these threats. The Department also supported work led by the Privy Council Office aimed towards protecting Canada’s democratic institutions.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Public Safety Canada shifted the delivery of its Safeguarding Science workshop to an online format. This enabled the Department to deliver on its mandate to safeguard Canada’s research institutions against foreign interference, the theft of intellectual property, the illicit transfer of data and knowledge, and other security-related issues relevant to the research and academic sectors. The workshop was delivered to four academic institutions, with the Department leading five sessions with research institutions, reaching a total of 395 participants.

Passenger Protect Program

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada successfully deployed two major initiatives, the Centralized Government-Controlled Screening System (CGCSS) and the Canadian Travel Number (CTN), to improve the Passenger Protect Program (PPP). On November 4, 2020, the final provisions of the Secure Air Travel Act (SATA) and the Secure Air Travel Regulations came into force, thereby enabling both the CGCSS and the CTN. As a result, air carriers began certifying their IT systems and integrating them into the PPP. Through the CTN Portal, travelers can now easily apply for a CTN and use it for air travel. These improvements enhance national security by ensuring effective and rigorous screening of the SATA list, and improve privacy and fairness through the CTN for travelers who have the same or similar name to someone on the SATA list.

Counter Terrorism

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada worked with its Portfolio agencies and other government departments to add thirteen new terrorist groups to the Criminal Code list of terrorist entities, including four ideologically motivated violent extremist groups (the Atomwaffen Division, the Base, the Proud Boys, and the Russian Imperial Movement), and eight Daesh and Al Qaida affiliates. The Department also completed a partial review of the list as per statutory requirements. These actions help to ensure that terrorists do not use Canada as a base from which to conduct their activities.

Public Safety Canada continued to work closely with Global Affairs Canada, the broader Canadian security and intelligence community, and international partners to provide leadership in the area of Canadian Extremist Travellers (CETs), and to ensure that the Government can effectively monitor and respond to CETs.

Economic-Based Threats

The Government of Canada’s Budget 2019 provided for investments in support of the various suite of tools the federal government has at its disposal to address economic-based security threats, including the Investment Canada Act. These threats can result in the loss of sensitive, military, or dual-use technology, as well as sensitive personal information – all of which may compromise critical infrastructure.

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada worked collaboratively with federal departments and agencies to address economic-based threats to Canada’s national security by enhancing outreach and engagement activities with key stakeholders, raising awareness surrounding risks, introducing operational improvements to the foreign investment review process, and working with partners to assess foreign investments under the national security provisions of the Investment Canada Act.

Public Safety Canada also created the Economic-Based National Security Threats Community of Practice, which consists of federal, provincial and territorial representatives, to facilitate engagement surrounding best practices and information sharing. Additionally, to inform future work, the Department collaborated with partners to identify and assess technology areas with national security implications.

The Economic Security Task Force (ESTF) continued its evaluation of the Government of Canada’s existing capabilities to address economic-based threats in the context of a threat environment that is perpetually evolving in scale and complexity.

Anti-Money Laundering

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada continued to strengthen Canada’s anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing regime. A new approach was proposed under the umbrella of the Financial Crime Coordination Center (FC3), which brings together an integrated unit of experts across intelligence and law enforcement agencies to strengthen inter-agency coordination and cooperation in addressing significant financial crime threats. FC3 implementation design was completed and the Centre was launched in April 2021, engaging in coordination at the federal, provincial and municipal levels to support the operational needs of partners to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing.

International Partnerships

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada participated in a number of virtual multilateral meetings with its international partners.

In June 2020, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness participated in a virtual Five Country Ministerial where discussions included shared issues and approaches relating to countering hostile activities by state actors, online harms, disinformation and terrorist and extremist content, child sexual exploitation and abuse, cybercrime, and encryption.

In March 2021, Public Safety Canada and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security began efforts to establish a bilateral working group to implement the commitment to counter terrorism and violent extremism made in the Roadmap for a Renewed U.S.-Canada Partnership.

At the G7 Roma-Lyon Group (RLG) on Transnational Organized Crime and Terrorism, a Canadian initiative to reform the RLG with the goal of improving efficiency and responsiveness was adopted under the U.S. presidency in the fall of 2020, and has been taken up by the UK in its 2021 presidency.

The Department also facilitated several security commitments highlighted in the Roadmap for a Renewed U.S.-Canada Partnership, including the strengthening of cooperation on issues such as cybersecurity, foreign interference, countering terrorism and violent extremism, and improving community safety and criminal justice.

Critical Infrastructure (CI) Resilience

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada completed an examination of the National Strategy for Critical Infrastructure, which identified four major drivers that are rapidly transforming critical infrastructure operations, supply chains, and the state of interconnectedness between critical infrastructure sectors. These drivers include the digitalization of systems and processes, environmental risks, security threats, and economic prosperity. Using these drivers to guide the examination, major gaps were identified with respect to modern strategic approaches to critical infrastructure, including standards and consistency, financial assistance and research to support resilience efforts, program and service delivery, and stakeholder roles, responsibilities and representation. These findings will support work on a renewed strategy and overall approach to Canadian critical infrastructure resilience.

In support of Canada’s response to the pandemic, Public Safety Canada established the Extended National Cross Sector Forum for Critical Infrastructure on COVID-19, wherein government and private sector participants met virtually on a monthly basis to raise and resolve issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic and to gain insights from subject-matter experts. Since March 2020, the number of stakeholders engaged through this forum has grown from under 100 to over 600.  

In 2020-21, the Department also developed and released the Canadian Cyber Security Tool (CCST), an online cyber security assessment capability which provides stakeholders with an individual method of assessing both their technical and cyber resiliency. In partnership with the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), the CCST was made available for all critical infrastructure partners to use, and has assessed over 123 stakeholders to date.

Public Safety Canada’s Industrial Control Systems (ICS) program delivered two events in 2020-21, reaching over 900 participants in the Canadian ICS community. The Department also continued to lead ICS international engagement through direct participation in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s ICS advisory committee and the ICS International Cooperation Group.

Over the past year, the Regional Resilience Assessment Program (RRAP) was required to adapt from an on-site format to a virtually administered program in order to continue to provide guidance to owners and operators regarding their physical security, resilience and cyber security posture. In 2020-21, six facilities received an all-hazards assessment using the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Tool, and seven facilities received cyber assessments via the virtual delivery of the Canadian Cyber Resilience Review. One network security assessment was also conducted.

In 2020-2021, the Virtual Risk Analysis Cell continued to provide critical infrastructure analysis and risk assessments to support stakeholder planning and response efforts. This included impact assessment products for cyclical hazards such as seasonal flooding, wildfires, hurricanes, and winter storms. These assessments highlighted interdependencies and cross-sector risks, and cascading impacts related to Canada’s critical infrastructure.

Cyber Security

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada led, coordinated, and supported the efforts of the cyber security community to deliver on the National Cyber Security Strategy (NCSS) across its three goals of security and resilience, cyber innovation, and leadership and collaboration. As part of this work, the Department collaborated with Statistics Canada and other partners on the release of a second iteration of the Canadian Survey of Cyber Security and Cybercrime, which aimed to better understand the impacts of cyber incidents on Canadian businesses, and which provided important data to support the cyber policy development process.

The Department released a second call for the Cyber Security Cooperation Program (CSCP) which targeted submissions in areas where the Department had previously identified gaps. The CSCP provides time-limited grants and contributions to projects and initiatives which seek to improve Canada’s security and support prosperity in the digital age. Funding agreements for the successful applicants will be released in 2021-22.

Public Safety Canada also organized several Cyber Security Workforce Panels to encourage Canadians to consider cyber security careers in the federal public service. Throughout this period, the Department continued to lead work related to 5G telecommunications security, critical cyber systems, and international standards.

Ransomware

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada continued to work alongside partners in both the public and private sectors to develop innovative policies which deny, deter and prevent malicious cyberattacks, including ransomware attacks. Recognizing the ongoing threat of ransomware to critical infrastructure in Canada, Public Safety Canada—in collaboration with the RCMP and CSE’s Cyber Centre—delivered two tabletop exercises in March 2021. These exercises brought together over 500 critical infrastructure organizations to examine their responses to a ransomware attack, with a focus on strengthening collaboration between government and private sector organizations.

Working alongside the RCMP, the Cyber Centre and Microsoft Canada, Public Safety Canada also delivered a ransomware webinar in April 2021. The event brought together approximately 125 critical infrastructure stakeholders to raise awareness of the threats posed by ransomware and the potential mitigation measures that organizations may implement to strengthen their resilience.

In order to address the transnational nature of ransomware threats, Public Safety Canada is also working closely with the international community to develop recommendations that enhance resiliency and responsiveness to ransomware attacks. In April 2021, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness attended the Five Country Ministerial and signed a Joint Statement Regarding the Threat of Ransomware, thereby demonstrating a commitment to tackle this threat collaboratively.

National Security: Gender-based analysis Plus (GBA Plus)

GBA Plus analysis forms the core of the policy and program development process and remains an important consideration in the delivery of national security initiatives and their objectives. Public Safety Canada continued to use GBA Plus to ensure inclusive outcomes for Canadians, including in the development and delivery of national security initiatives such as the National Security Transparency Commitment; the Enhanced Passenger Protect Program; the listing of terrorist entities under the Criminal Code; Anti-Money Laundering initiatives; responses to national security threats (e.g. Canadian extremist travellers and hostile activities by state actors); and Canada’s cyber and critical infrastructure priorities.

Public Safety Canada continues to implement the Bias Sensitivity, Diversity and Identity (BSDI) in National Security initiative, to inform and shape bias sensitive and inclusive approaches to national security policies, programs and operations. The Department leads and manages an interdepartmental working group to share best practices and promote the adoption of GBA Plus principles and practices in the national security community. In March 2021, the Department hosted an expert symposium which featured 100+ participants from government, academia, and civil society. Public Safety Canada also led various initiatives which aimed to raise awareness and institutionalize the use of GBA Plus in national security, including the hosting of a webinar series, the production of a practitioners’ toolkit, the examination of public opinion research and the development of tailored training on implicit bias for the national security community.

Additionally, the Department initiated research to explore options to integrate gender and diversity considerations into federal cyber security policy initiatives and in the implementation of the National Cyber Security Strategy. To support this research, employees participated in training to familiarize themselves with the concept of GBA Plus, and internal discussions were held to develop methods of incorporating GBA Plus into cyber security policy discussions. The ways in which GBA Plus intersects with areas in national security, and the gender and social impacts related to information and communication technology vulnerabilities were also explored.

National Security: Experimentation

No experiments were conducted under the National Security Core Responsibility in 2020-21. Public Safety Canada was still in the process of implementing a new approach and raising awareness about experimentation in the 2020-21 reporting year, and was further constrained due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

National Security: 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

As part of a whole-of-government approach to achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Public Safety Canada contributed in the following ways in 2020-21:

• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, targets 16.6, 16.7, and 16.10) via advancement of the National Security Transparency Commitment (NSTC) by increasing and ensuring departmental accountability within the national security community; and
• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals, targets 17.14, 17.16, 17.17) by helping to bridge the gap between national security departments and agencies and academia, civil society, and the Canadian public through the work of the National Security Transparency Advisory Group (NS-TAG), whose membership is composed of civil society representatives, academics, non-governmental experts and former civil servants. In December 2020, NS-TAG released its first report, which focused on why transparency in national security is important; what the Government of Canada could be doing to enhance transparency; and how the government could better communicate its activities to the public in order to enhance and build trust.

Financial, human resources and performance information for Public Safety Canada’s Program Inventory is available in 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.

Results

Crime Prevention

Firearms and Gun Control

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada advanced several key measures designed to strengthen gun control.

As of May 1, 2020, the Government of Canada prohibited over 1,500 models of assault-style firearms representing nine categories of firearms and two types identified by characteristic. Work to advance the development of an associated buyback program to compensate firearm owners and businesses affected by the prohibition was ongoing in 2020-21. Public Safety Canada also continued to examine and advance additional changes to further combat firearm-related criminal activity, and to establish additional legal frameworks and prohibitions surrounding assault-style firearms. Furthermore, the Department continued its work on implementing changes made via An Act to Amend Certain Acts and Regulations in Relation to Firearms (2019), and introduced a national firearms awareness and education campaign which aims to inform Canadians on actions taken by the Government of Canada to reduce gun violence. The Department also launched the firearms campaign webpage (Canada.ca/firearms), which serves as a central repository of firearms-related information, including the latest legislation, updates to regulations, and firearms resources.

Gun and Gang Violence

As part of the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence (ITAAGGV), more than $226 million over five years has been allocated to provinces and territories via the Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund (GGVAF) to combat firearm and gang-related criminal activity in their jurisdiction. The ITAAGGV is a horizontal initiative led by Public Safety Canada in collaboration with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the RCMP. In 2020-2021, funding agreements were signed with all 13 provinces and territories, and a total of $44.6 million was disbursed to provinces and territories under the GGVAF.

As well, via the Youth Gang Prevention Fund, Public Safety Canada continues to support the implementation of four projects to address and reduce youth gang involvement in Canada.

To support evidence-based actions and decisions, Public Safety Canada made extensive updates to an existing, comprehensive backgrounder on firearms and firearm-related crime in the country to include new data from Statistics Canada. The Department also continued to work with Statistics Canada to update and standardize how firearm-related crimes are reported by the police. Finally, a large dataset of firearm and gang-related statistics was compiled and analyzed to support community-based gun and gang funding requests for municipalities and First Nations communities.

Countering Radicalization to Violence

In 2020-21, the Department’s Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence continued to advance the three priorities of the National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence, which include building, sharing and using knowledge; addressing radicalization to violence in online spaces; and supporting interventions. Activities undertaken to advance these priorities included efforts to build the countering radicalization to violence evidence base through an announced series of systematic evidence reviews conducted through the Campbell Global Pooled Fund for Countering Violent Extremism in collaboration with partners in the Five Country Research and Development (5RD) CVE Network.

Additionally, in fall 2020, the Canada Centre launched its first stakeholder survey to improve its understanding of the delivery of programming as viewed by key stakeholders, and to expand the knowledge base on “what works” in preventing and countering radicalization to violence in Canada.

Throughout 2020-21, Public Safety Canada continued engagement in several multilateral forums to address radicalization to violence online, such as in the Christchurch Call to Eliminate Violent Extremist and Terrorist Content Online, the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Voluntary Transparency Reporting Framework (VTRF) Process which helps to improve and standardize voluntary transparency reporting on terrorist and violent extremist content by online content-sharing services. The VTRF is expected to be released for use in 2021-22.

Public Safety Canada also supported domestic efforts to address violent extremist and terrorist use of the Internet, including work led by the Department of Canadian Heritage to develop new regulations for social media platforms, which aim to address hate speech, the incitement of violence, and the creation and distribution of terrorist propaganda, among other harms.

The Community Resilience Fund (CRF) continued to support research and programs which build the evidence base along with local capability and capacity in Canada to counter radicalization to violence. Over the course of 2020-21, 11 new projects were signed with a total funding commitment of $8.2 million, which brought the number of active multi-year projects to 29, representing a multi-year total investment of $26 million. Frontline intervention programs supported through the CRF (such as Shift BC, Yorktown Family Services’ ETA program, John Howard Society’s Project ReSet, the Organization for the Prevention of Violence’s Evolve Program, and Calgary ReDirect) worked in 2020-21 to tailor their efforts in addressing increased stressors due to COVID-19 such as heightened anxiety, increased isolation, and exposure to stressful and harmful social media and internet content, including conspiracy theories.

Public Safety Canada continued to fund civil society and academic led-initiatives to address violent extremist and terrorist use of online platforms through the CRF, such as the Terrorist Content Analytics Platform, which, in March 2021, identified and verified 1,967 URLs containing terrorist content, sent 806 alerts to 30 tech companies, and removed 91.5% of this content.

National Crime Prevention Strategy

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada continued to monitor the evolving landscape of crime prevention, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on crime prevention issues, researched new approaches such as community safety and wellbeing, and examined emerging crime issues and trends (e.g.rural crime).  

Through the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS), new crime prevention projects were developed and implemented to prevent or reduce the impacts of youth gangs, youth violence, youth bullying and youth cyberbullying amongst Indigenous and vulnerable populations. As part of this effort, the Department continued to explore ways to adapt evidence-based crime prevention approaches to the local needs of Indigenous communities in 2020-21 by inviting applicants to explore customized activities and interventions based on their own needs and encourage communities to build on their strengths and existing resources. In 2020-21, approximately $38 million was disbursed to 142 projects as part of the NCPS.

In 2020-21, 19 programs were updated or added to the Crime Prevention Inventory (CPI), a national database of crime prevention programs in Canada which allows users to search both past and present programs based on a combination of filters and search terms. Public Safety Canada received new program entries from British Columbia and New Brunswick. An extensive quality control review of over 190 program entries forming the CPI was also completed.

The Federal, Provincial, and Territorial (FPT) Community Safety and Well-Being Strategic Partnership Framework and work plan were endorsed by FPT Ministers Responsible for Justice and Public Safety in December 2020. The Framework marks a renewed relationship between Public Safety Canada and the provinces and territories, and represents a shared commitment to advance evidence-based approaches to community safety and well-being.

Cyberbullying and Gender-Based Violence

Public Safety Canada launched a cyberbullying marketing campaign in March 2021, with the goal of increasing awareness and informing both youth and caregivers regarding where they can get help to deal with cyberbullying, and to empower young people in taking action to protect themselves and others from cyberbullying.

The new Cyberbullying website features the latest and relevant content, including a series of fact sheets about cyberbullying and online reputation for youth of all ages, and about sexting and sextortion for older youth (aged 14-17). Booklets were also created for teachers, parents, and youth caregivers. As part of the cyberbullying marketing campaign, monthly social media posts are issued from Public Safety Canada’s Twitter account. The calendar of posts is shared with stakeholders including Kids Help Phone, Cybertip.ca, and Health Canada.

Process and outcome evaluations were undertaken for two community-based cyberbullying intervention programs in Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan through the National Crime Prevention Strategy. Both programs examine the impact of cyberbullying for youth of different genders, youth who are Indigenous, and youth who identify as members of the LGBT2Q+ community.

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada collaborated with the RCMP on regulatory amendments, which came into force in April 2021, to enable the RCMP to participate in Clare’s Law in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Clare’s Law legislation allows police to disclose a person’s prior intimate partner violence information to a current or former intimate partner — or a third party, such as a parent — through a provincially-established process, thereby helping Canadians make informed decisions about their safety within intimate partner relationships.

Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples

Public Safety Canada continued to support Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada on the development of a National Action Plan to address violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People.

The Aboriginal Community Safety Planning Initiative was renewed in 2020 to support continued healing and reconciliation via the development and implementation of a National Action Plan. This was called for in the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).

In response to the MMIWG’s Calls for Justice—and specifically Call 5.4, which notes the need for the transformation of the current state of Indigenous policing—the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness was mandated to accelerate work, in partnership with the Minister of Indigenous Services, to co-develop a legislative framework recognizing First Nations policing as an essential service, and to work with interested communities to expand the number of communities served by First Nations policing. Additional Departmental efforts surrounding crime prevention, such as combatting human trafficking and sexual exploitation, also respond directly to the Calls for Justice.

Drugs

Illegal Cannabis Retailers

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada developed public education and awareness materials to inform Canadians about the dangers of ordering and using cannabis from illegal online sources.  A social media campaign, an animated video on cannabis sales, and articles were produced and shared with community newspapers, radio stations, and website editors across Canada. The Department also created a new web page to help consumers differentiate between legal and illegal retailers, and raise awareness about the risks of the illegal market.

To advance efforts aimed at displacing the illicit cannabis market, Public Safety Canada developed and implemented the Online Illicit Cannabis Sales Action Plan in 2020-21. Under this Action Plan, activities focus on the following five areas of intervention:

• Increasing public education and awareness for consumers;
• Increasing information-sharing and collaborative approaches among partners;
• Enhancing information resources to support enforcement of cannabis legislation and regulations;
• Enhancing data collection and monitoring; and
• Conducting outreach with third-parties, such as financial institutions, to identify ways to disrupt illicit transactions. 

Public Safety Canada continued to work closely with federal, provincial and territorial partners, including law enforcement agencies, in the implementation of the Action Plan. The Department also continued to collaborate with partners to address emerging issues associated with illicit cannabis, such as concerns surrounding cannabis edibles packaging; organized crime’s involvement in the cannabis market; addressing Indigenous interests in the cannabis market; and the increase in cross-border cannabis trafficking. 

Drug-Impaired Driving

Public Safety Canada conducts outreach and research projects on drug impaired driving to continue supporting evidence-based development of drug-related policies, legislation, and programs.

In 2020-21, the Don’t Drive High campaign raised awareness on the risks of drug-impaired driving by producing articles, audio spots, and a new animated video which was promoted on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and websites. Advertising was also shown on TikTok in order to ensure that the Campaign reached a 16-24 year old target audience.

The first Annual National Data Report to Inform Trends and Patterns in Drug-Impaired Driving was released in January 2021. Produced in cooperation with provinces, territories, the RCMP and CBSA, the report presents available data on actions taken to prevent, detect and deter drug-impaired driving. The report demonstrates that the federal initiative to enhance law enforcement capacity building has contributed to a significant increase in the number of law enforcement officers trained to use drug-impaired driving detection and screening tools. It also shows that public awareness messaging on cannabis and driving continues to have positive impacts on Canadians’ attitudes and behaviour, with fewer people reporting to have driven within two hours of cannabis use.

Efforts will continue within the Department to improve the availability of data on specific issues such as law enforcement’s use of approved drug screening devices and standardized field sobriety tests, and their results. Funding agreements between Public Safety Canada and the provinces and territories now allow for the reimbursement of expenses related to conducting public awareness campaigns to prevent drug-impaired driving, and to implement new or improved data collection tools.

Finally, Public Safety Canada is continuing to fund the laboratory study conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health to measure the dose-dependent impacts of smoked cannabis on driving abilities.

Law Enforcement and Policing

Transformation and Modernization of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Public Safety Canada supports the transformation and modernization of the RCMP and its efforts to address harassment and sexual violence.

In 2020-21, the Department continued to collaborate with the RCMP on the creation of an Independent Centre for Harassment Resolution to help resolve allegations of workplace conflict and harassment in the agency. The Centre is expected to improve the independence and impartiality of the harassment resolution process, and will provide the full suite of services required to support and effectively resolve complaints throughout the process.

Police Service Agreements

Public Safety Canada continued to maintain and foster relationships with provincial, territorial, and municipal (P/T/M) partners to administer and manage implementation of P/T/M police service agreements with the RCMP.

In 2020-21, the Department worked with the RCMP to ensure that their contract policing program continued to be an efficient and effective mechanism to deliver policing services in contract jurisdictions.

Additionally, Public Safety Canada supported the coordination of emergency provisions of police service agreements across provinces, territories, and major airports which required increased policing presence in response to and in support of public health measures to manage and minimize risks associated with COVID-19.

Serious and Organized Crime

Online Child Sexual Exploitation

In March 2021, Public Safety Canada launched the Online Child Sexual Exploitation (OCSE) Public Awareness Campaign. The campaign aims to increase Canadian’s awareness of OCSE and reduce the stigma associated with reporting instances of OCSE by increasing public and parental understanding that children who engage online may be at risk.

The long-term goal is to ensure Canadians can identify the signs of OCSE, and subsequently report incidents to Cybertip.ca. The target audiences for this campaign are Canadian youth aged 10-17, and caregivers of youth aged 5-17. In 2020-21, ads for the campaign were posted on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Native Touch (mobile), streaming platforms (Bell Media, CBC/SRC, Rogers), news websites and search engines.

National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking

Public Safety Canada continued to implement measures under the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to prevent human trafficking, prosecute perpetrators, and to support vulnerable populations, including women and girls, at-risk youth, Indigenous persons, and LGBTQ2+ individuals.

In 2020-21, the Department launched both open and targeted Calls for Proposals for organizations working to prevent and address human trafficking and support survivors and at-risk populations. Through these calls, up to $8.4 million has been made available to non-governmental organizations, including Indigenous organizations, law enforcement, community associations, and educational institutions. Funding is intended to support transition and second stage housing; mental health services; employment services and supports; training and tools to gain financial independence; and education and awareness to at-risk youth.

In 2020-21, the Department launched a national awareness campaign to raise awareness among Canadian youth and parents of the misperceptions of human trafficking, increase understanding of its warning signs, and avenues of reporting suspected cases to the appropriate authorities.

Finally, Public Safety Canada collaborated with Statistics Canada in the production of the Trafficking in Persons in Canada, 2018 Juristat article, which was published in June 2020, and which provides estimates of police-reported trafficking in persons, infographics, and statistics surrounding human trafficking.

Combatting Cross-Border and Illicit Drug Trafficking

During 2020-21, Public Safety Canada continued to work with the RCMP, CBSA, and other domestic and international counterparts to address illicit drug trafficking. Efforts included:

• Initiating a research project on the illegal use of pill presses, in collaboration with Health Canada, to better understand the scope, scale and impact of these devices;
• Organizing a workshop for law enforcement agencies which review intelligence trends, and to discuss measures for restricting the importation and exportation of precursor chemicals, in partnership with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police;
• Exploring options for strengthening the security of the domestic mail system, in collaboration with Public Services and Procurement Canada and Canada Post; and
• Engaging with industry counterparts and federal partners to prevent illicit substances from being sold over the Internet, social media and the Dark Web.

In support of these activities, Public Safety Canada hosted a fourth Law Enforcement Roundtable on Drugs virtually in March 2021. Building on the outcomes of previous events, the Fourth Roundtable brought together experts from the federal, provincial and territorial governments, police services, national organizations, Indigenous communities, and academia. Participants discussed the status of and responses to the opioid crisis – particularly in British Columbia – and emerging drug threats.

Public Safety Canada engaged in a range of bilateral and multilateral fora to advance policy responses to drug threats in 2020-21. Through the Canada-US Action Plan on Opioids, the Department and federal partners worked closely with U.S. counterparts to strengthen information sharing and coordination. This resulted in more than 50 drug samples being shared by Canada with the U.S. for advanced testing at their Drug Enforcement Administration laboratories. Similarly, the Government of Canada continued to work with counterparts in Mexico and the U.S. to advance priorities under the North American Drug Dialogue, including through a series of public health information sharing sessions, and the development of trilateral threat assessments on cocaine, methamphetamine and opioids.

In support of evidence-based policymaking, the Department commissioned a study of promising disruption methods in illicit drug markets and advanced literature reviews on decriminalization of simple possession and disruption methods for illicit markets.

In November 2020, a virtual meeting of the National Coordinating Committee on Organized Crime (NCC–OC) was held. The NCC-OC is a committee comprised of senior federal, provincial and territorial officials who have responsibility for public safety and/or policing issues in their respective jurisdictions. Discussions included issues surrounding  firearms, threats stemming from organized criminal activity, money laundering, and opioids.

Border Policy

In 2020-21, and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada collaborated closely with U.S. partners to balance border policy with the priority of protecting the health and safety of Canadians. This has included the introduction of strict border measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and its variants, while also facilitating the safe flow of essential goods and services.

Partnering with Health Canada, other levels of government and private sector stakeholders, Public Safety Canada supported the implementation of travel restrictions, health measures and safety and security assessment processes at ports of entry across the country, including at four international airports (Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montréal), sixteen land borders and twenty-two Designated Quarantine Facilities.

Irregular Migration and Asylum Reform

Throughout 2020-21, Public Safety Canada liaised with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and with portfolio partners such as CBSA, the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service on asylum system reform. Although COVID-19 border measures have contributed to a sharp decline in the number of asylum cases, continuing to modernize the system from a whole-of-government approach will support improved responses to fluctuations in the volumes of individuals seeking asylum in Canada.

Preclearance

Public Safety Canada continued its work with domestic and U.S. partners to advance preclearance, which refers to an arrangement whereby border officers from the inspecting country carry out customs and immigration inspections in the host country prior to allowing goods or individuals to physically cross the border. While preclearance travel has decreased sharply since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, specific advancements were made in 2020-21, such as:

• The facilitation of measures which promote the health and safety of travelers to the U.S., as well as for U.S. preclearance officers;
• Oversight of infrastructure changes at preclearance locations, consistent with the Agreement on Land, Rail, Marine, and Air Transport; and
• Introducing the U.S. Simplified Arrival program at a number of preclearance airports.

Canada Border Services Agency Review

In collaboration with Portfolio partners, Public Safety Canada continued to coordinate the establishment of an enhanced independent review and complaints body for the CBSA throughout 2020-21. The initiative will ensure that individuals who come into contact with the CBSA have access to an independent body which would review their complaints in a fair and impartial manner, thereby facilitating improved accountability and transparency.

Policing in Indigenous Communities

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada began collaborating with provinces, territories and Indigenous groups to co-develop a legislative framework for First Nations policing which recognizes it as an essential service, and to expand its availability to interested communities. In December 2020, and in recognition of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) status as an important partner in First Nations policing reform, the Department announced that $1.5 million would be awarded to the AFN to support initial dialogues, and to lay the groundwork for the co-development of legislation which would recognize the essential nature of First Nations policing.

Public Safety Canada also initiated engagement with other national Indigenous organizations with the goals of discussing their respective policing and identifying avenues for advancing these priorities. These organizations included the First Nations Chiefs of Police Association, the First Nations Police Governance Council, and several Indigenous women’s organizations, among others.

Funding for First Nations and Inuit Policing Facilities Program

Public Safety Canada continued to address safety issues within First Nation and Inuit police facilities under the Funding for First Nation and Inuit Police Facilities program. In 2020-21, the Department collaborated with provinces and territories in order to prioritize investments for future years, and to seek input from industry and external stakeholders in order to inform a professional assessment of community-owned facilities which, combined with a set of national merit criteria, will guide funding decisions moving forward.  

Public Safety Canada also continued its work with Public Services and Procurement Canada to conduct a professional assessment of community owned-policing facilities on-reserve which are funded by the First Nations Policing Program. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the launch date of the Request for Proposals to identify a contractor to conduct a professional assessment was postponed.

Corrections

Transforming Federal Corrections

The annual Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview (CCRSO) was published in fall 2020. Each year, the report provides a statistical overview of corrections and conditional release within a context of trends in crime and criminal justice. In 2020-2021, Public Safety Canada focused on redesigning the CCRSO to make it more user-friendly.

The Department made progress in 2020-21 towards creating a national database to provide comprehensive indicators of “re-contact” (which refers to a subsequent contact with police, courts, or corrections) across the Canadian criminal justice system. Specifically, a letter of agreement was completed between the Department and Statistics Canada which allowed for data linkages relating to corrections across five provinces and with other social domain data. This initial effort demonstrated there are a number of offenders who have contact with the provincial correctional system in different provinces. Based on this work, Public Safety Canada and Statistics Canada are working on a two-year plan to obtain pan-Canadian coverage for linkages.  

As part of its role as co-chair of the Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Working Group on Restorative Justice, Public Safety Canada released the Baseline Report on Increasing the Use of Restorative Justice In Criminal Matters in Canada in November 2020. Additionally, the Department conducted a survey on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on restorative justice, and worked towards the release of a study which compares restorative justice to traditional criminal justice approaches.

Community Safety: Gender-based analysis Plus (GBA Plus)

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada continued to apply GBA Plus principles and practices in community safety and crime prevention activities in order to strengthen equity and equality outcomes for all Canadians. GBA Plus was included in the policy development process in firearms and gun control, including via the Initiative to Take Action against Gun and Gang Violence horizontal initiative, which took into consideration GBA Plus indicators, where applicable, such as sex and gender, age, ethnicity, and Indigenous, residency and economic status.

The Department included GBA Plus analysis in the Call for Applications for the National Crime Prevention Strategy, the responses to which will assist in informing the assessment and development of funding agreements. GBA Plus informed Public Safety’s response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and the Department plans on continuing to employ GBA Plus considerations to inform future responses and policy directions in this respect. Additionally, the Department's initiatives to combat child sexual exploitation online are informed by GBA Plus, such as via targeted awareness initiatives which focus on the most vulnerable groups identified.

Public Safety Canada developed the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking horizontal initiative through a robust GBA Plus analysis, and GBA Plus considerations are incorporated into the design, delivery and implementation of initiative. The transformation and modernization of the RCMP also used a strong GBA Plus lens to examine topics such as recruitment practices, and GBA Plus considerations are integrated into these initiatives, where appropriate.

The Department continued to engage with Indigenous organizations, including women's organizations, law enforcement and criminal justice system stakeholders, academia and experts, and service providers to ensure that diverse perspectives and views are represented in the transformation of policing in Indigenous communities. GBA Plus considerations continue to be integrated in the day-to-day management and implementation of Police Service Agreement contracts as appropriate.

Community Safety: Experimentation

No experiments were conducted under the Community Safety Core Responsibility in 2020-21. Public Safety Canada was still in the process of implementing a new approach and raising awareness surrounding experimentation in 2020-21, and was further constrained due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Community Safety: 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

As part of a whole-of-government approach to achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Public Safety Canada contributed in the following ways in 2020-21:

• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) – via Initiative to Take Action against Gun and Gang Violence;
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) – via the Department's crime prevention initiatives (e.g. Firearms and Gun Control; the National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence; the National Crime Prevention Strategy; the Social Impact Bond, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Community Safety and Well-Being Strategic Partnership Framework, and cyberbullying initiatives);
• SDG 5 (Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls) - Online Child Sexual Exploitation initiative;
• SDG 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, target 5.2); SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth, target 8.7); and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, target 16.2) – via National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking; and
• SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) – via Response to National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls: Addressing violence against Indigenous women and girls.

The variance between actual and planned spending in 2020-21 is primarily the result of a transfer to the RCMP for the First Nations Policing Program, as well as new funding received through the Supplementary Estimates for the renewal of the Biology Casework Analysis Contribution Program.

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

Emergency Management

Description

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

Results

Emergency Prevention/Mitigation

Emergency Management Strategy for Canada

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada continued its collaborative emergency management role via various interdepartmental initiatives which form part of the Emergency Management Strategy for Ensuring Better Disaster Management in Canada horizontal initiative. Through the related Emergency Management Strategy for Canada, Public Safety Canada worked with federal, provincial and territorial partners to identify a set of Strategic Actions to support implementation. A related Action Plan will build upon a Capability-Based Planning approach, which will help to better understand disaster risk, improve cohesion in Canada’s emergency management system, and increase resilience.

The Department also worked with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) on advancing flood mapping and modelling efforts; played an enhanced role with ECCC, NRCan, and Infrastructure Canada in the development of a National Adaptation Strategy which will be used to help protect Canadians across the country from extreme weather and emerging climate risk; and supported federal, provincial and territorial partners to clarify roles, strengthen oversight, and support research to bolster the sustainability and effectiveness of the National Public Alerting System.

National Risk Profile

To raise awareness of disaster risk in Canada, the National Risk Profile advanced approaches to risk and capability assessments, including through external engagement with provinces, territories, Indigenous organizations, and other whole-of-society representatives.

A series of twelve virtual risk assessment sessions were launched in March 2021, five of which were completed by the end of the fiscal year and the balance shortly after in April 2021. The sessions brought together a diverse group of experts, including provincial and territorial representatives, Indigenous communities and organizations, local governments, non-governmental representation, academia, the private sector, and other federal government representatives. Participants provided their expert advice with respect to the potential impacts of hazard scenarios across several key areas, and identified hazard vulnerabilities. The sessions also included consideration of GBA Plus to ensure discussion of diverse populations. Additionally, the sessions looked at hazard events taking place in a pandemic context, and applied a future lens out to 2050 to account for risk drivers, including climate change.

Information from these sessions will provide context for undertaking capability assessments, which are used to identify gaps in preventing, mitigating, responding to, and recovering from disasters. Evidence from the virtual risk and capability assessments will inform the first public report on the National Risk Profile, expected in 2022.

Low-Cost National Flood Insurance Program

The Government of Canada recognizes the need for coordinated, whole-of-society action on flood risk management to better align market and behavioural incentives, and inform risk-based decisions that reduce the impact of Canada’s most pressing climate-related threat. In November 2020, the national Task Force on Flood Insurance and Relocation was created to examine options for low-cost residential flood insurance aimed at better protecting residents in high-risk areas, and to consider options for the potential relocation for residents within areas which are at the highest risk of recurrent flooding. The Task Force, which is comprised of federal representatives, provincial and territorial ministries, and private-sector stakeholders, began work on assessing the viability of risk-sharing solutions in January 2021, with a view to complete its work by spring 2022.

During the year, Public Safety Canada supported the work of the Task Force by collecting and evaluating flood hazard and risk data from across Canada to support flood damage estimation; aiding in the design of public policy objectives and options on insurance and relocation; laying the groundwork for the actuarial, financial, cost-benefit, GBA Plus and social vulnerability analyses; and fostering strong and meaningful ties with provinces, territories and industry stakeholders.

Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Preparedness Public Awareness Campaign 

Following the first Call for Proposal for the Emergency Management Public Awareness Contribution Program, an agreement for a four-year project was put in place in August 2020. The project will deliver a national public awareness campaign targeting at risk populations, including seniors, youth, women, new Canadians, and Indigenous communities.

Since the launch of this project, work has begun to design surveys and focus groups in order to gather baseline data and identify the needs and barriers to preparedness among the targeted groups. While progress on this initiative has been delayed by operational pressures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is expected that the surveys and focus groups will launch in 2021-22.

Public Safety Canada also launched an Emergency Preparedness Public Awareness Campaign. The campaign aims to protect Canadians, their homes, and their communities by focusing on concrete actions that they can take to better prepare against the risk of natural disasters and emergencies. Building awareness and understanding of disaster risks is an important priority under the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada. The campaign rolled out on digital platforms in March 2021, and was followed shortly after with radio ads.

Emergency Preparedness Week

Emergency Preparedness Week is an annual, week-long public education effort held during the first full week of May and led by Public Safety Canada. Established in 1995-96, the aim of Emergency Preparedness Week is to raise Canadians’ awareness on actions they can take to help themselves before, during and after an emergency.

In 2020-21, Emergency Preparedness Week took place between May 2 to 8, with the theme of “Emergency Preparedness: Be Ready for Anything,” to encourage Canadians to take action to become better prepared for the range of emergencies they could face in their region. 

Emergency Response/Recovery

Government Operations Centre

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada’s Government Operations Centre (GOC) continued to provide whole-of-government coordination in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. This involved managing the process for provincial and territorial Requests for Federal Assistance (RFAs) by working closely with key partners such as the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), Public Health Agency of Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, and the Canadian Red Cross. Throughout the year, the GOC responded to 64 RFAs from provincial and territorial governments and Indigenous communities, including for support for long-term care facilities, mobile health units and Indigenous communities.

The GOC also maintained its preparedness role in conducting the necessary advanced planning and risk assessments for the cyclical flooding and wildfires seasons. Finally, the GOC maintained its leadership in the design and delivery of the National Priority Exercise Coastal Response 2022, a catastrophic earthquake scenario which will introduce the National Staging Area Concept, a considerable potential federal capability.

Canadian Red Cross

The Government of Canada’s national COVID-19 response provided support to provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to manage the impacts of the pandemic. In 2020-21, this included a commitment of up to $170 million to help the Canadian Red Cross meet increased demand brought on by the pandemic, including assistance to long-term care facilities, testing and contact tracing, and epidemic prevention and control measures. The funding is also available to support future flood and wildfire relief efforts from the Canadian Red Cross.

Public Safety Canada also worked closely with Health Canada’s COVID-19 Task Force, the Public Service Commission, the Canadian Red Cross and the Public Health Agency of Canada to create an inventory of volunteers available to provide surge capacity to provinces and territories; and, recruit and develop a trained, standby humanitarian work force that could be rapidly deployed across the country, including to remote communities. By March 2021, approximately 24,000 from a total of some 50,000 on-call candidates were referred to provinces and territories as a result of this initiative.

Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries

Public Safety Canada continued to advance the Action Plan on Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries with the launch of two internet-based Cognitive Therapy pilot sites in Saskatchewan and Quebec. In addition, the Department supported the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment in developing a COVID-19 mental health resource for public safety personnel impacted by the pandemic.

Memorial Grant Program for First Responders

The Public Safety Canada Memorial Grant Program for First Responders (MGPFR) was launched in April 2018 and provides a lump-sum, tax-free payment of up to $300,000 to family members of first responders who have died as a result of their duties.

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada amended the Terms and Conditions of the MGPFR to include correctional, parole and probation officers as eligible beneficiaries, effective April 1, 2021, with eligibility being retroactive to April 1, 2018.

Federal Emergency Management Modernization Project

The Federal Emergency Management Modernization Project was established in 2017 to define and implement a modernized approach to the practice of emergency management within the Government of Canada.

In 2020-21, Public Safety began multi-departmental consultations to define an approach to renewing federal emergency management readiness and response, including the Federal Emergency Response Plan, and to inform broader efforts to align emergency response policy within Canada. Public Safety Canada also engaged partner departments in establishing a new whole-of-federal-government emergency management functional community to support the development and implementation of increased emergency management literacy, common approaches to training, standards of practice, interoperability, event planning, and exercises.

COSPAS-SARSAT Programme

Public Safety Canada supports the work of COSPAS-SARSAT, an organization that coordinates satellite detection and location of distress beacons on planes, ships and people. In 2020-21, this included participating in a multi-week global meeting involving 45 participating states and 10 observer organizations. Each year, COSPAS-SARSAT saves an average of three lives per day globally, including 41 Canadians in 2020-21.

The COSPAS-SARSAT program adapted to COVID-19 restrictions by moving its governance meetings to a virtual environment and was able to continue the evolution of the Programme. The four Parties also successfully met once to advance the renewal of the International COSPAS-SARSAT Programme Agreement.

Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Program

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada continued to work closely with the Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (HUSAR) Advisory Committee to advance work toward its three key strategic priorities. A Concept of Operations document was drafted that articulates objectives and processes for deployment and interoperability between six HUSAR Task Forces.

Emergency Management: Gender-based analysis Plus (GBA Plus)

Public Safety Canada continued to incorporate GBA Plus considerations into emergency preparedness programs and operations, as well as emergency prevention and mitigation strategies and policies.

Departmental stakeholders were encouraged to reduce design or other barriers in order to better serve individuals seeking to access disaster mitigation, emergency response and recovery. The Department also continued to review emergency management data collection channels and explore how changes to the administration and monitoring of related programs might contribute to filling any identified data gaps.

Public Safety Canada recognizes that input from partners across Canadian society is key to ensuring the National Risk Profile (NRP) reflects Canada’s unique and diverse circumstances. Risk assessment workshops hosted by the Department in 2020-21 integrated GBA Plus considerations into the scenarios developed for the assessment sessions. To ensure that the unique perspectives and situations of Indigenous groups are included in the NRP, participants from different Indigenous nations, groups, and band governments were encouraged to share evidence in whichever form they deemed appropriate, including traditional knowledge. Additionally, diversity in data and evidence are being reported using disaggregated data.

For the Flood Insurance and Relocation Project, an in-depth, descriptive, data-driven GBA Plus was included in the Project’s inception. The Department is also analyzing available socio-demographic data in high and ultra-high flood risk areas in order to better understand the characteristics of populations most at risk of flooding and those who may be affected by possible policy changes in the areas of insurance and relocation. Finally, the project involves an engagement process with a defined group of Indigenous communities to better understand how issues of flood risk, barriers to insurance, or experience with flood risk-based relocation have affected these communities, and ensure the project’s final report captures those experiences and recommendations before decisions are made on possible policy options.

Emergency Management: Experimentation

No experiments were conducted under the Emergency Management Core Responsibility. Public Safety Canada was still in the process of implementing a new approach and raising awareness about experimentation in the 2020-21 reporting year, and was further constrained due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emergency Management: 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

As part of a whole-of-government approach to achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Public Safety Canada contributed in the following ways in 2020-21:

• SDG 1 (End Poverty, target 1.5) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities, target 11.b): In 2019, federal, provincial and territorial governments endorsed the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada: Toward a Resilient 2030 (the “EM Strategy”). The EM Strategy helps fulfill the Government of Canada’s commitment under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 for a pan-Canadian disaster risk reduction strategy. The purpose of the EM Strategy is to build resilience in Canada by guiding governments, and their respective partners, in carrying out priorities aimed at strengthening Canada's ability to assess risks and to prevent/mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. Following the endorsement of the EM Strategy, Public Safety Canada has been working with federal, provincial and territorial partners to co-develop an Action Plan to support its implementation over the short term. Once finalized, the Action Plan will be made public.

• Public Safety Canada continued to work on enhancing understanding of risks posed by various hazards nationally across Canada, and by developing Canada’s first National Risk Profile (NRP). Work on the NRP will help to prioritize mitigation measures and identify capability improvements to keep pace with a changing risk environment.
• Public Safety Canada has been providing support for the development of a national climate change adaptation strategy which will help to advance initiatives and measures focussed on reducing the impact of climate-related disasters, such as floods and wildfires, to make communities safer and more resilient. The Department also continued to work with NRCan and ECCC on advancing work on flood mapping and modelling.

• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being, target 3.d) - Through the NRP, Public Safety Canada worked to strengthen the evidence base on risks and capabilities across Canada to allow for the prioritization of mitigation measures, and to identify capability improvements that keep pace with a changing risk environment.

The variance between actual and planned spending in 2020-21 is primarily the result of new funding received through the Supplementary Estimates for Supporting the Canadian Red Cross’s Urgent Relief Efforts Related to COVID-19, Floods and Wildfires and in statutory Authority for Supporting the Readiness of the Canadian Red Cross for Urgent Relief Efforts Related to COVID-19.

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

Internal Services

Description

Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal Services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct service categories that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. The 10 service categories are:

• Acquisition Management Services
• Communication Services
• Financial Management Services
• Human Resources Management Services
• Information Management Services
• Information Technology Services
• Legal Services
• Material Management Services
• Management and Oversight Services
• Real Property Management Services

Results

Departmental Culture, Character and Identity

In 2020-21, as part of a broad effort to enhance the culture, character and identity of the Department, Public Safety Canada adopted a new structure of senior-level Champions. In this new structure, Assistant Deputy Minister Champions and Executive Ambassadors have been given broad leadership roles under five pillars, which include learning and development, diversity and inclusion, engagement, wellness, and workplace.

An internal Workplace Consultative Committee (WCC) was also launched to focus on matters related to the departmental culture, character and identity and to support corporate management and initiatives. Meetings of the WCC are open to all Public Safety Canada employees. Often informed by employee feedback, the WCC makes recommendations, as required, to the Departmental Management Committee on policy and corporate management initiatives.

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada also focused on bolstering leadership in people management competencies through initiatives and training in a variety of areas, including values, ethics, diversity, inclusion and wellness. This was supported by strengthened human resources practices, processes and services.

Diversity and Inclusion

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada developed a Strategic Framework on Diversity and Inclusion. The Framework is focused on three main pillars: building awareness and a culture of inclusion; increasing the diversity of Public Safety Canada’s workforce; and fostering an inclusive and accessible environment. Under this Framework, in 2020-21 the Department:

• Created a centralized Secretariat to lead the Department’s diversity, inclusion and equity efforts, and to support the work of the Inclusive by Design Committee in collaboration with the Diversity and Inclusion Champion;
• Developed the Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive Recruitment Strategy to remove barriers and facilitate the increased hiring of Canadians of diverse backgrounds and abilities. This included actions to implement the Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service of Canada by, among other efforts, participating in the demonstration phase of the Government of Canada Workplace Accessibility Passport; and
• Developed and offered training on diversity and inclusion, and implemented mandatory training for employees and managers which focused on unconscious bias.

In November 2020, Public Safety Canada celebrated its second annual Diversity and Inclusion Week and hosted a Deputy and Associate Deputy Ministers’ Town Hall on Diversity and Inclusion.

Additionally, the Department’s Inclusive by Design Committee, an internal employee advisory forum on matters related to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, advanced work on a variety of issues including accessibility, recruitment, retention and talent management for under-represented groups.

Healthy Workplaces and Mental Health

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada continued work towards promoting workplace wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the remote work environment by:

• Creating the Public Safety Canada Pandemic Management Committee, with a focus on matters related to the Department’s workplace and workforce perspective;
• Obtaining employee feedback on matters of mental health, wellness and remote work through an employee questionnaire and a “Pulse Survey”;
• Developing and communicating new or improved remote work tools, resources and strategies to support mental health, wellness and remote work during the pandemic;
• Developing and implementing a protocol for reporting work-related COVID-19 suspected or confirmed cases; and
• Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Week in May, Healthy Workplaces Month in October, and promoting various year-round employee assistance services. 

In June 2020, Public Safety Canada appointed its first Ombudsman, a role responsible for supporting employees by providing a trusted space for the discussion of workplace issues, and helping to navigate existing information and programs in order to resolve workplace issues.

Consistent with legislative requirements under An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (harassment and violence), Public Safety Canada developed a new departmental policy on Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention, along with an internal Harassment and Violence Prevention Program. Mandatory training was introduced for all employees and managers in support of workplace harassment and violence prevention, and to support people management competency development.

As a follow up to the Department’s first psychological hazards assessment, a Psychosocial Factors Mythbusting Series was developed and communicated to increase employees’ awareness and change behaviour and culture in a way that aligns with the recommendations of the benchmark hazards assessment.

Experimentation Framework

In fall 2020, Public Safety Canada revised and approved the departmental Experimentation Framework. As a result, the Department began inviting experimentation proposals in winter 2021. The Department’s first official experiment, which is focused on increasing the response rate to an Internal Services’ client survey, was approved in March 2021 and is expected to conclude at the end of 2021-22.

While the impact of COVID-19, including the remote work environment, presented challenges in fostering innovation and take-up of experimentation opportunities in 2020-21, the Department continued its efforts to enhance employee awareness and idea generation with respect to experimentation. For example, an internal webpage devoted to experimentation was significantly enhanced to include expanded reference material, tools and guidance documents. As well, a new Experimentation Speakers Series was launched and an “Experimentation 101” presentation was offered to all branches in the department.

Departmental Security Plan

The 2020-23 Departmental Security Plan was approved in January 2021 and was communicated to employees in March 2021. The plan includes strategic security initiatives as well as a COVID-19 departmental security risk assessment and mitigation. A review of the 2021-22 implementation plan is underway to realign security initiatives and priorities in light of the sustained remote work environment as well as departmental program and service delivery changes.

Human Resources Improvements

In 2020-21, people management approaches and practices were reviewed, improved or created to support government-wide priorities and initiatives. This included adapting all human resources processes to the new virtual work environment through digitization.

To support the use of both official languages, Public Safety Canada developed a new Official Languages Action Plan for 2020-2023. As well, new language training procedures and virtual learning opportunities were introduced to help employees learn, maintain or improve their second language competencies.

The Department made enhancements to the Employment Equity self-identification process, awareness and data entry, resulting in a 9% increase in self-identification for a total departmental response rate of 75%.

To support and enhance recruitment efforts, Public Safety Canada launched and piloted the use of “READI-POOLs”, a continuous intake inventory for collective staffing for advertised processes. These pools were actively promoted on social media.

In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada also continued to enhance its compensation procedures and services. As part of these efforts, processes were adapted to reflect new “HR-to-Pay” timeliness requirements to ensure employees get paid on a timely basis. Of note, the number of outstanding pay issues over 30 days fell from 1,700 to less than 900. The Department also drafted and implemented a new Pay Administration Management Action Plan in response to various internal and external audit recommendations.

Workplace

Prior to the pandemic, Public Safety Canada began moving towards a modernized approach to the workplace, including the completion in June 2020 of a small Innovation lab located in the National Capital Region. This space is the first of many intended to support the Department’s commitment to the Beyond 2020 vision for the Government of Canada in providing workplaces that are flexible, healthy, efficient, inclusive, collaborative, digital and green.

Following the sudden transition to remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Public Safety Canada’s employees demonstrated a strong capacity to remain an agile and resilient workforce. Through data collected from a consultative series of workshops held in 2020-21, the Department continued to shape plans for the future of its workplace to support the changes in the way employees work. The “workplace evolution” input will support the development of the medium and long term accommodation strategy and provide a modern, inclusive, collaborative, healthy, digital, flexible, secure and mobile environment.

Performance Management and Reporting

Public Safety Canada continued to bolster the effectiveness and strength of its performance measurement and reporting exercises through enhanced performance measurement practices.

The Department focused on increasing awareness of performance measurement throughout the Department, and on delivering high-quality products and services in compliance with the Policy on Results. As part of a department-wide review of Public Safety Canada’s Performance Information Profiles (PIP), four of twelve possible PIP reviews were either launched or nearing completion in 2020-21. The Department also developed workshops on risk management, information sessions on corporate reporting best practices, and offered advice and guidance to Programs in relation to policy and program performance measurement.

For the 2020-21 Management Accountability Framework Assessment, Public Safety Canada achieved strong overall results, thereby demonstrating continued progress towards a departmental culture of excellence in public sector management.

The variance between actual and planned spending in 2020-21 is primarily the result of new funding received from the Treasury Board Central Vote for compensation adjustments, as well as resources required to support the Department in this unexpected shift toward digital business and supporting efficient work from home.

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

Analysis of trends in spending and human resources

Actual expenditures

Departmental spending trend graph

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

Image Description

Departmental Spending Trend Graph by fiscal year and by thousands of dollars

• For Fiscal Year 2018–19, the total was 727,600, the voted number was 712,758 and the statutory number was 14,842.
• For Fiscal Year 2019–20, the total was 919,335, the voted number was 838,625 and the statutory number was 80,710.
• For Fiscal Year 2020–21, the total was 777,374, the voted number was 720,307 and the statutory number was 57,066.
• For Fiscal Year 2021–22, the planned total is 1,055,464, the planned voted number is 1,039,444 and the planned statutory number is 16,020.
• For Fiscal Year 2022–23, the planned total is 667,361, the planned voted number is 651,514 and the planned statutory number is 15,847.
• For Fiscal Year 2023–24, the planned total is 562,451, the planned voted number is 546,971 and the planned statutory number is 15,480.

In 2020-21, Planned Spending increased by $146.6 million (20%) to a Total Authorities Available for Use of $872.1 million. This increase is primarily the result of new funding for:

• Supporting the Canadian Red Cross’s urgent relief efforts related primarily to COVID-19 ($170.0 million), of which $99.3 million has been spent and $70 million was transferred into fiscal year 2021-22;
• The renewal of the Biology Casework Analysis Contribution Program ($6.9 million);
• Treasury Board Central Vote funding ($7.3 million) for compensation, collective bargaining, paylist allocations and operating carry forward;

Offset by:

• A transfer to the RCMP for the First Nations Community Policing Service ($58.8 million), which takes place annually through the Supplementary Estimates.

Actual spending for 2020-21 is $142.0 million (15%) lower than expenditures in 2019-20. The decrease is mainly due to:

• A decrease in payments for the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements program ($148.4 million);
• A one-time statutory grant in 2019-20 to the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service   ($65.0 million);
• A decrease in payments for the National Disaster Mitigation Program ($39.4 million); and,
• A one-time endowment in 2019-20 to support Avalanche Canada ($25.0 million);

Offset by:

• New funding in support to the Canadian Red Cross’s urgent relief efforts related primarily to COVID-19 ($99.3 million).

Actual human resources

The decrease of 19 FTEs (2%) from 1,205 FTEs in 2019-20 to 1,186 FTEs in 2020-21 is primarily the result of challenges in recruiting given the context of the pandemic and uncertainties around remote work.

The increase of 49 FTEs (4%) from the 2020-21 Planned FTEs to the 2020-21 Actual FTEs is affected by staffing related to new items that were received through the Supplementary Estimates, such as the Canada’s Flood Risk Plan, the extension of the National Disaster Mitigation Program, funding to end violence against Indigenous women and girls, as well as the relocation and accommodations for the Government Operations Centre.

Expenditures by vote

For information on Public Safety Canada’s organizational voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada 2020–2021.

Government of Canada spending and activities

Information on the alignment of Public Safety Canada’s spending with the Government of Canada’s spending and activities is available in GC InfoBase.

Financial statements and financial statements highlights

Financial statements

Public Safety Canada’s financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2021, are available on the departmental website.

Financial statement highlights

Total departmental expenses have decreased by $360 million, from $1,053 million in 2019-20 to $693 million in 2020-21. This decrease can be attributed primarily to a decrease in transfer payments to provinces.

The chart below presents the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position by showing expenses by category as a percentage of total departmental accrual accounting expenses. Transfer payments represent 70.7% of the total expenses of $490 million. Meanwhile, salaries and employee benefits represent 21.4%, professional and special services 3.4%, accommodation 2.3% and other expenses which include travel and relocation, equipment, communication, equipment rentals, amortization, repairs, utilities, material and supplies represent 2.2%.

Image Description

This chart presents the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position by showing expenses by category as a percentage of total departmental accrual accounting expenses. Transfer payments represent 70.7% of expenses which amounts to $490 million; salaries and employee benefits account for 21.4% which is $148 million; professional and special services is 3.4% with $24 million; accommodation is 2.3% at $16 million; and other expenses, which include travel and relocation, equipment, communication, equipment rentals, amortization, repairs, bad debt expense, utilities, material and supplies, account for 2.2% or $15 million of total expenses.

Public Safety Canada's total net liabilities of $3,232 million is primarily comprised of Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangement (DFAA) ($2,546 million) program liabilities, accounts payables and accrued liabilities ($670 million), vacation pay and compensatory leave ($11 million) and employee future benefits ($4 million).

The decrease of $67 million in total net liabilities is mainly attributed to a decrease in the DFAA accrued liabilities.

The total net financial assets of $676 million include $668 million due from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and accounts receivables and advances of $8 million. The increase in the total net financial assets is mainly due to the increase in the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Total net liabilities were approximately $3,232 million at the end of 2020-21, a decrease of  2% when compared to the previous year.

The chart below shows total net liabilities by type of liability.

Image Description

This chart shows total net liabilities by type of liability. Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) make up 78.8% of total net liabilities at $2,546 million; accounts payable and accrued liabilities make up 20.7% at $670 million; and vacation pay, compensatory leave and employee future benefits make up 0.5% with $15 million.

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]: Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Act (2005), Emergency Management Act (2007)

Year of incorporation / commencement: 2003

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

“Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do” is available on Public Safety Canada’s website.

For more information on the department’s organizational mandate letter commitments, see the Minister’s mandate letter and supplementary mandate letter.

Operating context

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

Reporting framework

Public Safety Canada’s Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory of record for 2020–21 are shown below.

2020-21 Reporting Framework by Core Responsibility

Supporting information on the program inventory

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

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on Public Safety Canada’s website:

• Reporting on Green Procurement
• Details on transfer payment programs
• Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+)
• Horizontal initiatives
• Responses to parliamentary committees and external audits

Federal tax expenditures

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs as well as evaluations and GBA Plus information on tax expenditures.

Organizational contact information

Post:
269 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa. Ontario, Canada
K1A 0P8

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

Media enquiries: 613-911-0657 or ps.mediarelations-relationsaveclesmedias.sp@ps-sp.gc.ca

National Crime Prevention Centre (NCPC): 1-800-830-3118 or ps.prevention-prevention.sp@ps-sp.gc.ca

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

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

Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-866-865-5667

Fax: 613-954-5186

Website: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/index-en.aspx

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 report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a 3‑year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.

departmental priority (priorité)

A plan or project that a department has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired departmental results.

departmental result (résultat ministériel)

A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. A departmental result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.

departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.

departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

A framework that connects the department’s core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on a department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

experimentation (expérimentation)

The conducting of activities that seek to first explore, then test and compare the effects and impacts of policies and interventions in order to inform evidence-based decision-making, and improve outcomes for Canadians, by learning what works, for whom and in what circumstances. Experimentation is related to, but distinct from innovation (the trying of new things), because it involves a rigorous comparison of results. For example, using a new website to communicate with Canadians can be an innovation; systematically testing the new website against existing outreach tools or an old website to see which one leads to more engagement, 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. For a particular position, the full‑time equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person’s collective agreement.

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 2019–20 Departmental Results Report, those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2019 Speech from the Throne, namely: Fighting climate change; Strengthening the Middle Class; Walking the road of reconciliation; Keeping Canadians safe and healthy; and Positioning Canada for success in an uncertain world.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative where 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.

performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)

The process of communicating evidence‑based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision making, accountability and transparency.

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 to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in 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 the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

program inventory (répertoire des programmes)

Identifies all the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibilities and results.

result (résultat)

A 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.

Endnotes

Date modified:

2022-07-22