Annual Report on Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures 2023-24
Polar Knowledge Canada
As required by the Treasury Board Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures, this report provides information on travel, hospitality and conference expenditures for Polar Knowledge Canada for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024.
Travel, hospitality and conference expenditures incurred by a federal department or agency relate to activities that support the departments or agency’s mandate and the government’s priorities.
Mandate:
Polar Knowledge Canada was created pursuant to the Canadian High Arctic Research Station Act and came into force on June 1, 2015. The purpose of Polar Knowledge Canada is to:
- Advance knowledge of the Canadian Arctic to improve economic opportunities, environmental stewardship and the quality of life of its residents and all other Canadians.
- Promote the development and dissemination of knowledge of the other circumpolar regions, including the Antarctic.
- Strengthen Canada's leadership on Arctic issues.
- Establish a hub for scientific research in the Canadian Arctic.
Further details on Polar Knowledge Canada mandate, program activities and legislation may be found in the Departmental Plans and the Departmental Results Reports https://www.canada.ca/en/polar-knowledge/reports.html.
| Expenditure Category |
Expenditures for the year ended March 31, 2024 |
Expenditures for the year ended March 31, 2023 |
Variance |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | (b) | (a-b) | |
| Travel | |||
| Operational Activities | $ 366 | $ 293 | $ 73 |
| Key Stakeholders | $ 529 | $ 370 | $ 159 |
| Internal Governance | $ 333 | $ 392 | $ (59) |
| Training | $ 141 | $ 153 | $ (12) |
| Other | $ 231 | $ 240 | $ (9) |
| A. Total Travel | $ 1,600 | $ 1,448 | $ 152 |
| B. Hospitality | $ 63 | $ 30 | $ 33 |
| C. Conference Fees | $ 38 | $ 24 | $ 14 |
| TOTAL (A+B+C) | $ 1,701 | $ 1,502 | $ 199 |
Significant variances compared with the previous fiscal year
Total Travel, Hospitality and Conference fees:
Travel, hospitality and conference expenses increased by 13.2% over fiscal 2022-2023. These increases are mainly attributable to a combination of two important factors. First, Polar Knowledge Canada has returned to its pre-pandemic level activities to align with Canadian government objectives for Arctic engagement, research, and sovereignty which led to an increase of in-person engagements participation in national and international gatherings to advance and mobilize knowledge of the polar regions through leadership, partnerships and collaboration on polar science and technology. Second, the return to regular in-person meetings and conferences inherently incurred higher travel costs primarily due to the continued rise in conference fees, air travel and lodging costs which have been driven by increased demand and inflation in the North and internationally.