Overview of Canadian Heritage

On this page

• List of tables
• Introduction
• Organizational Overview
• Core Responsibility 1: Creativity, Arts and Culture
• Core Responsibility 2: Heritage and Celebration
• Core Responsibility 3: Sport
• Core Responsibility 4: Diversity and Inclusion
• Core Responsibility 5: Official Languages
• Internal Services
• Conclusion

List of tables

• Table 1. Expenditures and Total Employees, Department of Canadian Heritage
• Table 2. Expenditures and Total Employees, Core Responsibility 1: Creativity, Arts and Culture
• Table 3. Expenditures and Total Employees, Core Responsibility 2: Heritage and Celebration
• Table 4. Expenditures and Total Employees, Core Responsibility 3: Sport
• Table 5. Expenditures and Total Employees, Core Responsibility 4: Official Languages
• Table 6. Expenditures and Total Employees, Core Responsibility 5: Diversity & Inclusion
• Table 7. Expenditures and Total Employees, Internal Services

Introduction

Who we are

The Department’s mandate is at the heart of what it means to be Canadian. The Department’s 1,924 diverse employees, arrayed throughout the country, work to promote an environment in which all people in Canada are able to participate in dynamic cultural experiences, celebrate their history and heritage, and help build vibrant communities from coast to coast to coast.

With total spending of $2.32 billion for 2022-2023, and $1.9 billion forecasted for 2023-2024, the Department supports arts and culture, heritage, sport, multiculturalism, official languages and citizen participation, as well as initiatives related to Indigenous languages and cultures, youth and diversity & inclusion. Together with 16 Portfolio organizations and partners across Canada, Canadian Heritage plays a vital role in the nation’s cultural, civic, sporting and economic life.

What we do

The Department’s mandate is set out in the Department of Canadian Heritage Act and centres on fostering and promoting “Canadian identity and values, cultural development, and heritage.” The Act includes a range of specific responsibilities, as set out in federal statutes and regulations, as well as Orders in Council. The Department is also responsible for administering multiple statutes, including the Canadian Multiculturalism Act, the Broadcasting Act, the Copyright Act, the Official Languages Act (part VII) and the Indigenous Languages Act.

In addition, the Department shares responsibility for administering the Physical Activity and Sport Act with the Public Health Agency of Canada. The Sport Canada branch leads this work at the Department, fulfilling a leadership role for national sport policy and administering three funding programs. Together, these three funding programs make the federal government the largest funding contributor to the country’s sport system.

To achieve its objectives, Canadian Heritage collaborates with a wide range of partners from the private sector, creative enterprises, public institutions, national sport organizations and other non-governmental organizations to enrich cultural experiences, strengthen identity, and promote participation in sport and community life.

Through a range of levers including funding programs, regulatory policies, stakeholder engagement and federal/provincial/territorial collaboration, the Department plays a significant and ongoing role in the lives of people in Canada. This role is influenced by the Department’s operating environment and the current context, which is marked by, among others:

• The Department’s fiscal position in 2023-2024, particularly with respect to sunsetting programs and the related need to manage stakeholder relationships amidst a return to pre-pandemic funding levels.
• The Department’s capacity limitations amidst ongoing efforts to ensure internal efficiencies while also delivering on an ambitious agenda.
• The Department’s ongoing work on ensuring Canada’s laws reflect our evolving digital world, including implementation of the recently passed Online Streaming Act and Online News Act, and furthering online safety for communities in Canada.
• The Government of Canada’ commitment to advancing Reconciliation, such as the related work to implement the Department’s responsibilities under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and the Indigenous Language Act.
• The systemic inequities surfaced or exacerbated by the pandemic, and the Department’s ongoing efforts to foster more inclusive policy and programming across all business lines.

All these trends and commitments require the Department to constantly adapt, assess and act in the interests of everyone in Canada to advance its mandate and responsibilities. In doing so, Canadian Heritage continues to play a key role in promoting and celebrating an innovative, inclusive and prosperous society in which all people in Canada can reach their potential.

Organizational Overview

Department of Canadian Heritage

Description

In 2023–24, the Department will access $1.9 billion in funding. Its 1924 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions are spread across the National Capital Region and five regional offices;

• Atlantic region (consisting of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and New Brunswick);
• Quebec region;
• Ontario region;
• Prairies and Northern region (consisting of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut);
• Western region (consisting of Alberta, British Columbia, and Yukon).

The Department delivers approximately $1.7 billion in grants and contributions to support its objectives, making up more than 88 percent of its total budget of $1.9 billion, which is distributed through a variety of funding programs across the Department’s Sectors:

• Community and Identity Sector, including the Youth Secretariat and Portfolio Affairs
• Anti-Racism Strategy and Action Plan on Combatting Hate Sector
• Official Languages, Heritage and Regions Sector;
• Cultural Affairs Sector;
• Sport, Major Events, and Commemorations Sector;
• Strategic Policy, Planning and Corporate Affairs Sector.

In 2023–24, the Department will continue to advance governmental priorities across its five core areas of responsibility. These five core areas of responsibility are:

• Creativity, arts and culture;
• Heritage and celebration;
• Sport;
• Diversity and inclusion;
• Official languages.

In addition, the Department’s internal services provide horizontal support in a variety of fields, including communications and information technology. These six areas of responsibility will now be explored in greater detail.

Core Responsibility 1: Creativity, Arts and Culture

Canadian Heritage’s responsibility in this area is to ensure that a wide range of Canadian artistic and cultural content is accessible at home and abroad, and provides opportunities for Canadians to participate and engage in Canada’s creative life, fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion. The Department aims to foster creativity, innovation, growth and employment opportunities in Canada’s cultural sector, as well as in the creative economy. The Department’s work in this area also supports policy, legislative and regulatory measures; delivers funding programs that support creation, professional training, cultural infrastructure and arts presentation; develops business development and marketing initiatives; and establishes partnerships in Canada and abroad.

In 2023–24, the culture sector will continue to move forward from the pandemic’s impacts. Due to the changing environment, including venues reopening, in 2023–24, the Department will shift from supporting culture organizations through short-term recovery measures to more strategic supports, while staying abreast of future needs of stakeholders in the arts and culture sectors.

Alongside this direct industry support, the Department is working on renewing the enabling frameworks that establish the rules around which the sector operates to ensure that these are updated to better align with the current industry trends, and support integration and fairness within a changing environment.

In addition, the Department will continue to ensure that the implementation of its activities be done in consultation with Canadians, stakeholders, provinces and territories, Indigenous people, and equity-deserving Canadians and in alignment with Government of Canada horizontal priorities.

Results

The Department contributes to Core Responsibility 1 by undertaking activities to achieve the following results:

• Canadians are able to consume Canadian content on multiple platforms.
• Professional arts experiences are available to Canadians in their community.
• Creative industries are successful in the digital economy, foster creativity and contribute to economic growth.
• Creative industries are successful in global markets.
• Canadians are better equipped to counter the effects of online disinformation.

Programs

The Department achieves these results through the activities of these programs:

• Arts
• Cultural Marketplace Framework
• Cultural Industries Support and Development

Core Responsibility 2: Heritage and Celebration

The Department’s work in this area creates opportunities for Canadians to participate in celebrations and commemorations of national significance, as well as in local festivals and heritage events. The Department invests in the development of learning materials and experiences that give Canadians opportunities to enhance their understanding of Canada’s history. Through several programs, it facilitates access to heritage and provides support to heritage institutions to preserve and present heritage to all people in Canada; delivers projects, programs and services; grants, contributions and tax incentives; conducts research; provides authoritative information and expertise; and supports the implementation of heritage-related legislation.

Results

The Department contributes to Core Responsibility 2 by undertaking activities to achieve the following results:

• Canadians across the country are provided regular opportunities to engage in their communities through local arts and heritage activities.
• Canadians are increasingly engaged in celebrations and commemorations of national significance.
• Heritage objects and collections are preserved by heritage organizations for current and future generations.
• The public is provided with access to cultural heritage.

Programs

The Department achieves these results through the activities of these programs:

• National Celebrations, Commemorations and Symbols
• Community Engagement and Heritage
• Preservation of and Access to Heritage
• Learning about Canadian History

Core Responsibility 3: Sport

This area of the Department’s work promotes and enhances Canadian participation in sport from initial introduction to sport to the highest levels. It ensures that all Canadians have access to quality aligned sport programs in a safe and welcome environment regardless of race, gender or physical disability. It also fosters the development of high-performance athletes, coaches, officials, leaders and organizations within the Canadian Sport System. The Department assists Canadian communities in hosting the Canada Games as well as international sport events.

Results

The Department contributes to Core Responsibility 3 by undertaking activities to achieve the following results:

• Canadian athletes succeed at the highest levels of competition.
• Canadian children and youth are enrolled in a sport activity.
• Canadians, regardless of gender, physical ability and cultural background, who participate in sport activities are satisfied with the manner in which the activity is provided.

Program

The Department achieves these results through the activities of this program:

• Sport Development and High Performance

Core Responsibility 4: Diversity and Inclusion

This area of the Department’s work focuses on celebrating Canada’s diversity, identity and multicultural heritage, promoting resilient communities and reinforcing the rights of Canadians, as a means to foster diversity and inclusion. It promotes and supports domestic implementation of international human rights treaties, constitutional, and quasi-constitutional rights in Canada. It also works in collaboration with a variety of governmental and non-governmental organizations to support the provision of programs and services on matters of diversity and inclusion. Work in this area also supports the engagement, participation and inclusion of Canadian youth in their communities and in exchange activities. It also revitalizes, preserves, and promotes Indigenous languages and cultures, celebrates achievements, and strengthens Indigenous communities through investments in a variety of initiatives.

Results

The Department contributes to Core Responsibility 4 by undertaking activities to achieve the following results:

• Canadians value diversity.
• Canadians value human rights.
• Individuals or groups have access to funding to initiate or participate in test cases pertaining to rights and freedoms covered by the Court Challenges Program.
• Reversal of the current downward trend in the use and fluency of Indigenous languages.
• Youth enhance their appreciation of the diversity and shared aspects of the Canadian experience.

Programs

The Department achieves these results through the activities of these programs:

• Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism
• Human Rights
• Indigenous languages and Cultures
• Youth Engagement

Furthermore, two federal secretariats and a branch dedicated to advancing reconciliation report under this core responsibility.

• The Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat continues to lead work across government to coordinate federal action and identify and develop further areas for action through working in collaboration with federal departments to support in designing, reviewing, and delivering policies and programs from an intersectional anti-racism perspective based on its extensive engagement including with Indigenous peoples and racialized and religious minority communities.
• The federal Youth Secretariat is responsible for the federal implementation of Canada’s Youth Policy and supporting the Prime Minister’s Youth Council.
• The Reconciliation, Treaties and Engagement Branch serves to develop relevant and effective strategies to support the Department’s mandate related to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

Core Responsibility 5: Official Languages

The Department’s work in this area supports the promotion of Canada’s two official languages in Canadian society and the development of official language minority communities in collaboration with voluntary organizations and provincial and territorial governments. It fosters a coordinated approach to ensure participation from across the federal government in the implementation of the Official Languages Act and the coordination of related horizontal initiatives through the Official Languages Support Programs. These Programs support the promotion of both official languages in Canadian society, as well as the development of official-language minority communities, by collaborating with community organizations and provincial and territorial governments. They foster a coordinated approach to ensure participation from all institutions of the federal government in the implementation of the Official Languages Act, and the coordination of whole-of-government initiatives on Official Languages. The Department also coordinates the implementation of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection-Promotion-Collaboration.

Results

The Department contributes to Core Responsibility 5 by undertaking activities to achieve the following results:

• Canadians recognize and support Canada’s official languages.
• Federal institutions develop and implement policies and programs in accordance with Section 41 of the Official Languages Act.

Program

The Department achieves these results through the activities of these programs:

• Official Languages

Internal Services

Finally, Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that allow the Department to support programs or meet its corporate obligations. The 10 service categories are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Management Services; Real Property Management Services; Materiel Management Services; and Acquisition Management Services.

Conclusion

Canadian Heritage is focused on achieving service excellence to Canadians in a work environment that supports shared values, employee engagement and professional development. The Department takes pride in its diverse and passionate workforce, whose unique skills help accomplish the Department’s goals and objectives in a dynamic global context.

As illustrated by the breadth of the Department’s programs and responsibilities, the scope and diversity of Canadian Heritage’s activities are vast. To rise to these challenges, Canadian Heritage will continue to work with communities and individuals across this country, striving to build public policies that better serve the aspirations of all Canadians, from coast to coast to coast.