Report on Annual Expenditures for Travel, Hospitality and Conferences

This information is updated annually and does not contain information withheld under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act.

Expenditures on travel, hospitality and conference fees incurred by federal departments and agencies are related to activities that support a departmental or agency mandate and the government's priorities.

NRCan works to improve the quality of life of Canadians by ensuring that our natural resources are developed sustainably, providing a source of jobs, prosperity and opportunity, while preserving our environment and respecting our communities and Indigenous People. To fulfil its responsibilities, NRCan relies on a number of instruments (e.g. policy, regulation, statutory transfers, grants and contributions) and key activities (e.g. science and technology, partnerships and communications), while working in offices and laboratories located across the country, in the National Capital Region, Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, Western and Pacific Regions and Northern Canada.

In 2016-17, NRCan spent $11.6 million on travel, hospitality and conference fees. Consistent with last year’s spending, the expenditures in travel (19%) were in support of the Landmass Information program, which provides open access to Canada’s fundamental geomatics framework and information system, including accurate three-dimensional positioning, high-resolution satellite imagery and other remote sensing products, legal (boundary) surveys, mapping and other analysis applications.  In addition, it delivers logistics support in the North and regulatory oversight for a robust property system framework on Canada Lands.

The largest contributor to expenditures in hospitality (28%) was in the Market Access and Diversification program mainly in support of the new Indigenous and Advisory Monitoring Committees co-development process. This program supports Canada’s natural resource sectors that face two key barriers to market access and diversification: 1) trade and policy barriers, and 2) lack of awareness of Canada’s natural resource products. The objectives of this Program are to break down those barriers and support the development and expansion of markets for Canadian natural resource products by making information available to Canadians, supporting negotiations to reduce trade barriers, and ensuring that regulations are up to date.  This helps maintain natural resource sectors’ access to existing markets and increases their access to new market segments.

Consistent with last year’s spending, the largest contributor to expenditures in conference fees (22%) was in support of the Technology Innovation program, which encourages academia, industry and the public sector to research, develop and demonstrate innovative solutions.  This objective is achieved through the generation and dissemination of scientific knowledge, and the development and demonstration of new technologies.

For more information on NRCan’s Plans and Priorities, see the 2016-2017 – Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP)

Total annual expenditures for travel, hospitality and conferences of NRCan are summarized below:

Significant Variances Compared With the Previous Fiscal Year

Travel

Public Servants: Compared with fiscal year 2015-16, 2016-17 departmental travel expenditures by public servants decreased by $35 thousand.

Non-Public Servants: Compared with fiscal year 2015-16, 2016-17 departmental travel expenditures by non-public servants increased by $38 thousand.

Total: Compared with fiscal year 2015-16, 2016-17 total travel expenditures for the department have remained stable with a net $3 thousand increase for public and non-public servants. Additional public and non-public servants travel expenditures were incurred in 2016‑17 to support the Minister’s commitment to strengthen engagement and collaboration with Canadians including Indigenous communities, on major resource projects and on options to modernize the National Energy Board. This increase was offset by a general reduction in other public and non-public servants departmental travel.

Hospitality

Compared with fiscal year 2015-16, 2016-17 hospitality expenditures for the department have remained stable with a net decrease of $7 thousand. Additional hospitality expenditures were incurred in 2016-17 in support of the Minister’s commitment to strengthen engagement and collaboration with Indigenous communities, on major resource projects across Western Canada to support the new Indigenous and Advisory Monitoring Committees co-development process. This increase was offset by an overall reduction in the number of events hosted by the department.

Conferences Fees

Compared with fiscal year 2015-16, 2016-17 departmental conferences expenditures decreased by $30 thousand mainly due to reduced participation in conferences.

Minister and Minister’s Staff

Compared with fiscal year 2015-16, 2016-17 departmental international travel expenditures by the minister and his staff increased by $108 thousand mainly due to an increase in the number of international trips taken by the Minister and his staff to increase engagement in order to support core mandate activities. Also, fiscal year 2015-16 included fewer trips due to the November 2015 Federal election.