Question Period Note: 2020-21 PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

The Public Accounts of Canada for the year ended March 31, 2021 will be tabled in Parliament by the President of the Treasury Board in late November or early December 2021.

• Canadian Heritage’s 2020-21 Public Accounts were prepared in accordance with the Receiver General’s procedures.

• The financial information presented in these Accounts include the emergency support measures implemented by the Government of Canada in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which provided critical support to the Arts, Culture, Heritage, Sport, and Official Languages sectors.

• Impacts resulting from Public Health restriction measures on departmental and recipient organizations also contributed to results presented in these Accounts from a financial position and liability perspective.

• The department’s total net cost of operations before government funding and transfers increased from the previous year’s total by $412.7 million (26%) largely due to emergency support measures implemented by the Government of Canada. These measures provided additional temporary relief in the Arts, Culture, Sport, Official Languages and Heritage sectors to support and help them plan, maintain jobs and business continuity.

• Operating expenditures: The COVID-19 pandemic also had an impact on the department’s ability to fully undertake or deliver its regular activities. For example, events and activities which required in-person interactions or travel were either cancelled or postponed due to Public Health restrictions and contributed to the Public Accounts lapse of $9.2 million.

• Grants and contributions: Restrictions imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19 also caused significant disruptions and delays in the Official Languages, Sport Hosting, Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, Anti-Racism Strategy and multiculturalism programs which resulted in a Public Accounts lapse of $71.3 million.

• Liabilities: As recipients experienced delays in delivering activities due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, contribution agreements could not be fully paid prior to the closing of fiscal year 2020-21. As such, it resulted in an increase of $35.1 million (or 8.8%) in the accounts payable/accrued liabilities in comparison to the previous fiscal.

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