The National Battlefields Commission's 2026-27 Departmental plan
Copyright information
© His Majesty the King in right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, 2026
No° de cat. CH58-2/4E-PDF
ISSN 2371-6789
Aussi disponible en français sous le titre : Plan ministériel 2026-2027
At a glance
This departmental plan details the National Battlefields Commission’s priorities, plans and associated cost for the upcoming three fiscal years.
These plans align with the priorities outlined in the Mandate Letter, as well as the National Battlefields Commission’s Vision, mission, raison d’être and operating context.
Key priorities
The National Battlefields Commission has defined the following major priorities for 2026-2027:
- Update the NBC strategic plan, which expired in 2025, to define a renewed vision of pivotal policy aims and operational objectives to meet the challenges of coming years;
- Bring about the opening of the new temporary exhibition Natura & Historia by developing its museological content and by optimizing the visitor experience;
- Continue to implement the Asset Maintenance Plan, including the actions and investments needed to preserve and conserve the heritage assets and buildings under NBC responsibility to ensure their long-term survival and integrity.
Comprehensive Expenditure Review
The government is committed to restraining the growth of day-to-day operational spending to make investments that will grow the economy and benefit Canadians.
As part of meeting this commitment, the NBC is planning the following spending reductions:
- 2026-27 : $715,100
- 2027-28 : $957,080
- 2028-29 : $1,431,468
It is anticipated that these spending reductions will involve a decrease of fewer than 7 full-time equivalents by 2028-29.
The NBC will achieve these reductions by doing the following:
- Focus on activities that are aligned with the mandate
The figures in this departmental plan reflect these reductions.
This departmental plan reflects these measures.
Highlights for the National Battlefields Commission in 2026-27
With the expiry of its strategic plan in 2025, the NBC will be preparing a new plan for its organizational priorities over the next three years. This planning process will rely on analysis of the new realities created by the changing socioeconomic context and the issues that arise from managing a large area with a unique heritage—Canada’s first national historic park and one of the world’s most prestigious urban parks. Through this process, clear policy aims will be defined to increase the relevance and scope of activities, optimize the visitor experience, and help preserve and conserve the natural and built heritage on a sustainable basis.
The exhibition Natura & Historia will showcase the natural environment that has shaped the Battlefields Park, its benefits, its beauty, and its history. It will be presented at the Plains of Abraham Museum beginning in June 2026, thus offering Canadians and tourists a renewed immersive educational experience. It is an outcome of close collaboration with the NBC’s horticulturists and several partnerships with community groups. By combining natural sciences, art, and history, it will help enrich and diversify the park’s range of cultural activities. It will also strengthen the Museum’s position in its aim to stand out as a leader in museology by offering ever more creative and contemporary approaches to mediation and development. The exhibition will underscore the relationship to nature in a large urban park and how its site was created and transformed over time.
The NBC has respected its mandate to conserve the heritage buildings and assets under its responsibility. Over the next year, it will continue work on the project to replace the copper roof on the Plains of Abraham Museum and begin upgrading the building’s ventilation, heating, and air conditioning systems. The NBC will also start on the first stages of reroofing the building at 390, De Bernières Avenue, the renovation of the Grey Terrace, and the rehabilitation of certain sections of the Battlefields Park road network. These projects will meet rigorous heritage conservation standards and help protect the site’s historical integrity while mitigating the impacts on its security, accessibility, and serviceability.
For 2026–2027, the total planned spending (including spending on internal services) of the National Battlefields Commission is $21,768,688 and the total number of planned full-time equivalents (including those for internal services) is 58.
Summary of planned results
The following provides a summary of the results the department plans to achieve in 2026-27 under its main areas of activity, called “core responsibilities.”
Core responsibility 1: Conservation
The NBC will continue its actions to ensure the conservation, maintenance, and security of park grounds under its responsibility. This includes regular infrastructure and equipment maintenance, such as the replacement of benches, lampposts, and other pieces of urban furniture, often created through the know-how of internal NBC teams.
The work planned for 2026-2027 will also include planning and carrying out major maintenance projects to preserve the park’s integrity, serviceability, and beauty. Among these projects, the NBC will replace the copper roofs on the Plains of Abraham Museum and on the building at 390, De Bernières Avenue. The NBC will carry out this work in compliance with heritage and safety standards in order to protect the site’s historical and natural character.
Meanwhile, the NBC will continue to develop and implement preventive practices and remedial measures to maintain infrastructure quality, strengthen accessibility, and anticipate future needs, thus ensuring the long-term survival of the built and natural heritage of the Battlefields Park.
Planned spending: $12,386,101
Planned human resources: 20
You will find more information on Conservation in the complete plan.
Core responsibility 2: Promotion of Heritage
After the opening, in June 2026, of a new exhibition, Natura & Historia, at the Plains of Abraham Museum, the NBC will promote the natural and historical heritage in its custodial care—the Battlefields Park. Other initiatives planned for 2026-2027 will help people learn about the park’s history and discover its heritage and treasures, such as the initiative to showcase the temporary citadel, dating from the 18th century, and the initiative to host the NBC’s collections on its web portal, thereby making them more accessible to the public.
Planned spending: $3,273,116
Planned human resources: 20
You will find more information on Promotion of Heritage in the complete plan.
For exhaustive information on the planned total amounts for spending and human resources of the National Battlefields Commission, go to the section Planned Spending and Human Resources of the complete plan.
From the Minister
The Honourable
Marc Miller
C.P, M.P.
Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture
and
Minister responsible for Official Languages
The organizations in the Canadian Heritage portfolio, including the National Battlefields Commission (NBC), play a major role in the lives of Canadians. Together, they help preserve and showcase our heritage, in order to encourage innovation, promote diversity and advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Over the coming year, these organizations will focus their efforts on fulfilling their mandate amid constant change, marked by new challenges and numerous possibilities.
Founded in 1908, the NBC manages Canada’s very first historic park: the Battlefields Park. It takes care to preserve, conserve, and showcase the unique heritage of this must-see site, which is valued by visitors from here and elsewhere. In 2026-2027, the NBC will define its new 3-year strategic priorities with a view to establishing its future policy aims. Beginning in June 2026, its range of museum activities will be enriched with an innovative exhibition, Natura & Historia, which combines natural sciences, art, and history. Meanwhile, the NBC will continue the actions and investments it requires to ensure the integrity of the natural and built heritage in its custodial care, to encourage discovery and appreciation by the Canadian population and foreign tourists.
As Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, I’m pleased to invite you to peruse the pages of the 2026-2027 Ministerial Plan for the National Battlefields Commission. This document illustrates its role in meeting the priorities of the Government and Canada and strengthening our collective national identity.
Happy reading!
Plans to deliver on core responsibilities and internal services
Core responsibilities and internal services
Core responsibility 1: Conservation
Image 1 – As Canada’s first national historic park and as a prestigious urban park, the Plains of Abraham are an oasis of greenery in downtown Quebec City
Description
Ensure the conservation and protection of the natural, cultural and heritage assets of the National Battlefields Park through the maintenance and upkeep of the grounds and infrastructure. Ensure safe public access to the Park.
Quality of life impacts
The domains and indicators from the Quality of Life Framework for Canada that most closely relate to the Conservation are the following:
Area |
Indicator |
Targeted part of essential responsibility |
|---|---|---|
Health |
Physical activity |
Land and infrastructure rehabilitation |
Society |
Sense of pride/belonging to Canada |
|
Participation in cultural, recreation or sport |
||
Sense of belonging to a local community |
||
Accessible environments |
||
Environment |
Air quality |
Conservation and protection of natural assets |
Satisfaction with local environment |
Restoration of land and infrastructure |
|
Walkable neighborhood |
||
Greenhouse gas emissions |
Conservation and protection of natural assets |
|
Good governance |
Personal safety |
Ensuring safe access to the park |
Indicators, results and targets
This section presents details on the department’s indicators, the actual results from the three most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and target dates for Conservation. Details are presented by departmental result.
Table 1: The Battlefields Park is a safe, well-maintained site
Table 1 provides a summary of the planned spending and full-time equivalents required to achieve results under the Conservation.
Departmental Result Indicators |
Actual Results |
2026–27 Target |
Date to achieve target |
|---|---|---|---|
Percentage of visitors that are ‘’satisfied’’ with the park’s condition |
2022-23: Not available* 2023-24: Not available* 2024-25: Not available* |
80 % |
March 31, 2027 |
Percentage of visitors who say they feel safe in the park |
2022-23: Not available* 2023-24: Not available* 2024-25: Not available* |
80 % |
March 31, 2027 |
* The actual result is unavailable because the NBC collected an insufficient amount of data.
Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for the National Battlefields Commission’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Plans to achieve results
The following section describes the planned results for the National Battlefields Commission in 2026-27.
Departmental result 1: The Battlefields Park is a safe, well-maintained site
The vast grounds of the Battlefields Park (98 hectares) include a road network of 12.5 kilometres, much woodland, several heritage buildings—including the three Martello towers—and numerous features and infrastructures : terraces, jogging paths, comfort stations, a service building with a café, a bandstand, monuments, busts, works of art, commemorative plaques, commemorative sites, a fountain, trails, stairs, collections of objects (including cannons), archival collections, archaeological remains, an old well, a greenhouse, a museum, offices, workshops and a security station, a heritage home, and so on. The maintenance, restoration, upgrading, and security of this diverse range of attractions requires sustained investments so that the NBC may diligently carry out the operations needed to maintain its assets. Surveillance of park grounds will continue to be provided primarily through a community-based approach by security personnel.
Results that we plan to achieve
- Continue to replace the copper roof on the Plains of Abraham Museum (a federal heritage building built in 1938-1939), replace the copper roof on the building at 390, De Bernières Avenue, and conduct studies on restoration of the Grey Terrace, which dates to 1912-1913. These three projects have the aims of conservation, long-term survival, and compliance with heritage preservation standards;
- Continue actions and interventions to raise awareness of security personnel in strategic sectors of the park, maintain security perimeters at major events, install bollards on De Laune Avenue to slow down traffic, and carry out path improvements and maintenance— notably for the nature trail and the sports track—to ensure a secure environment for all park users;
- Undertake preparatory work to develop a site in the eastern sector of the Plains of Abraham (Cove Fields) to limit the setup time for NBC-hosted events, do targeted work on certain sections of the park’s road network and, finally, make repairs to the mechanical system (ventilation, heating, and air conditioning) of the Plains of Abraham Museum to improve infrastructure serviceability, security, and performance;
- Continue efforts to preserve, conserve, and showcase the park’s natural and built heritage, including restoration of historical artillery, to manage and maintain the forest canopy—with emphasis on preventing pests and diseases and maintaining tree health—and to carry out various development projects, such as improving urban furniture, restoring the park’s emblematic lampposts, beautifying those sectors that offer striking landscapes, felling and treating trees where necessary, the restoration of viewpoints, and updating forest inventories.
Gender-based Analysis Plus
In all of its projects, the NBC takes care to integrate the considerations needed to maintain secure and well-maintained park grounds that are accessible to all park users, whatever their age or condition. In addition, and whenever possible, it favours an approach of universal accessibility when repairing or restoring, to ensure an inclusive and sustainable experience for the entire community.
Planned resources to achieve results
Table 2: Planned resources to achieve results for Conservation.
Table 2 provides a summary of the planned spending and full-time equivalents required to achieve results.
Resource |
Planned |
|---|---|
Spending |
$12,386,101 |
Full-time equivalents |
20 |
Complete financial and human resources information for the National Battlefields Commission’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Program inventory
The Conservation is supported by the following programs:
- Maintenance of infrastructure and security
Additional information related to the program inventory for the Conservation is available on the Results page on InfoBase.
Core responsibility 2: Promotion of Heritage
Image 2 – The exhibitions at the Plains of Abraham Museum give visitors an opportunity to discover the history of the Battlefields Park.
Description
Showcase the history of the National Battlefields Park and enable the discovery of its heritage and natural resources by organizing, through the visitor centre of the Plains of Abraham Museum, exhibitions, educational and recreational activities, and guided tours.
Quality of life impacts
The domains and indicators from the Quality of Life Framework for Canada that most closely relate to the Promotion of Heritage are the following:
Area |
Indicator |
Targeted part of essential responsibility |
|---|---|---|
Health |
Physical activity |
Promoting knowledge and discovery of the heritage and riches of the Battlefields Park |
Society |
Sense of pride/belonging to Canada |
|
Participation in cultural, recreation or sport |
||
Sense of belonging to a local community |
||
Environment |
Satisfaction with local environment |
|
Walkable neighborhood |
Indicators, results and targets
This section presents details on the department’s indicators, the actual results from the three most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and target dates for the Promotion of Heritage. Details are presented by departmental result.
Table 3: People visit the National Battlefields Park
Table 3 provides a summary of the objective and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under Promotion of Heritage.
Departmental Result Indicators |
Actual Results |
Target |
Date to achieve target |
|---|---|---|---|
Number of visitors |
4,000,000 |
4,000,000 |
March 31, 2027 |
Table 4: Visitors benefit from a heritage and educational experience
Table 4 provides a summary of the objective and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under Promotion of Heritage.
Departmental Result Indicators |
Actual Results |
Target |
Date to achieve target |
|---|---|---|---|
Percentage of visitors satisfied with the reception and services offered |
2022-23: 97 % 2023-24 : Not available* 2024-25 : Not available* |
80 % |
March 31, 2027 |
Number of cultural educational and heritage events offered by the NBC |
2022-23 : 56 2023-24 : 48 2024-25 : 54 |
Between 40 and 60 |
March 31, 2027 |
*The actual result is unavailable because the NBC collected an insufficient amount of data.
Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for the National Battlefields Commission’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Plans to achieve results
The following section describes the planned results for the Promotion of Heritage in 2026–27.
Departmental result 1: People visit the National Battlefields Park
With its recently developed transactional website, the NBC will continue to promote the Battlefields Park while making activity-booking easier for visitors. By offering a range of cultural and educational activities under its mandate, and by pursuing its accessibility initiatives, it will help stimulate park use while improving visitor reception and experience. The free summer cultural program at the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand will attract both local people and tourists. The presence of an on-site food service enriches the visitor experience. In addition, the facilities for the practise of winter activities—including cross-country skiing, ice skating, and downhill sledding—makes the site even more attractive and accessible all-year-long. Finally, while respecting the balance between its purposes as a historic site and as an urban park, which make for the uniqueness of the park grounds, the NBC will continue to host certain events on the Plains of Abraham—a very popular site.
Results that we plan to achieve
- Publicize and promote NBC activities and services and disseminate information about the park grounds through its website;
- Rigorously supervise the holding of major events in compliance with park regulations and the Policy for Using the Grounds;
- Make it possible to practise athletic activities in all seasons, notably by providing and maintaining cross-country ski trails, walking trails, and downhill sledding areas during the winter season.
Departmental result 2: Visitors benefit from a heritage and educational experience
The NBC intends to increase the quality and accessibility of its cultural and educational services while doing more to integrate Indigenous perspectives into its activities and contents. It is also continuing its efforts to preserve the material heritage under its responsibility and make it more broadly known by improving its collection management practices. It will also continue to showcase the points of interest on park grounds to improve understanding of history and offer visitors an experience even more complete and welcoming. For a second summer, visitors may enter by showing the Canada Strong Pass.
Results that we plan to achieve
- Maintain the quality of NBC’s museum services and its range of interesting exhibits, notably by presenting its new temporary exhibition Natura & Historia, while making targeted improvements to the museum furniture and the mediation techniques, and integrating accessibility considerations to offer all visitors an inclusive experience;
- Continue cataloguing and preventive conservation of NBC collections to ensure their longterm preservation and to facilitate access to information and heritage documentation. Make them available on the web portal;
- Continually seek to introduce the public to the heritage and treasures of the Battlefields Park, such as by showcasing sites like the temporary citadel.
Gender-based Analysis Plus
The NBC will pursue its efforts to provide a diverse range of park users with broader access to its cultural, heritage, and historical resources through inclusive programs and contents. In this regard, other history-related features will be added to the website to make these assets more available to all park users. In addition, through a new collection management tool, heritage items from NBC collections will become more available to the public. Finally, the NBC offers its staff the training courses and awareness-raising programs they need on an ongoing basis.
Planned resources to achieve results
Table 5: Planned resources to achieve results for the Promotion of Heritage
Table 5 provides a summary of the planned spending and full-time equivalents required to achieve results.
Resource |
Planned |
|---|---|
Spending |
$3,273,116 |
Full-time equivalents |
20 |
Complete financial and human resources information for the National Battlefields Commission’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase
Program inventory
The Promotion of Heritage is supported by the following programs:
- Educational, cultural and heritage activities
Additional information related to the program inventory for the Conservation is available on the Results page on InfoBase.
Internal services
Description
Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:
- acquisition management services
- communications 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
Plans to achieve results
This section presents the plans prepared by the Department to achieve results and targets for internal services.
The General Management plans to prepare a new 3-year strategic plan that will take the context of spending cuts into account and focus the organization’s actions on its mandate to preserve, conserve, and develop the Battlefields Park.
For human resources management, the NBC plans to update the process of communicated expectations and its biannual employee performance appraisal.
To optimize its planning, the NBC will continue to develop its maintenance software and follow the Asset Maintenance Plan for easier project prioritizing.
Finally, to maintain consistency in park management in line with the objectives of conservation, preservation, and park user access, the NBC will continue to review its Policy for Using the Grounds and its Sustainable Development Policy. These policies will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, so as to adapt to changing contexts and needs.
Planned resources to achieve results
Table 6: Planned resources to achieve results for internal services this year
Table 6 provides a summary of the planned spending and full-time equivalents required to achieve results.
Resource |
Planned |
|---|---|
Spending |
$6,109,471 |
Full-time equivalents |
18 |
Complete financial and human resources information for the National Battlefields Commission’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Planning for contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses
For the supply of goods, services, and technological equipment, NBC's procurement staff uses the Indigenous Business Directory to identify opportunities for contracting. Staff also reach out to Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses by contacting them directly when awarding contracts for repairs, maintenance, construction, or other organizational needs.
Table 7: Percentage of contracts planned and awarded to Indigenous businesses
Table 7 presents the current, actual results with forecasted and planned results for the total percentage of contracts the department awarded to Indigenous businesses.
5 % Reporting Field |
2024-25 Actual Result |
2025-26 Forecasted Result |
2026-27 Planned Result |
|---|---|---|---|
Total percentage of contracts with Indigenous businesses |
7.7 % |
5 % |
5 % |
Department-wide considerations
-
In this section
Related government priorities
United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals
The NBC will continue to implement the plans for its Sustainable Development Strategy, notably the use of alternative, non-vehicular modes of transport for the security service patrol, thereby contributing to Goal 12: “reduce waste and transition to zero-emission vehicles” of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the “2030 Agenda” UN program.
In line with Goal 10 of the SDGs, “advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and take action to reduce inequality,” the NBC will showcase Indigenous history and art by collaborating with the Atikamekw artist Nehirowisiw and by using Indigenous historical reviewers to guarantee the accuracy of the historical content. At the activity Battlefields, the NBC will again work with Indigenous re-enactors to portray and explain, to the average person, the reality of the First Nations during the battles of 1759-1760. Finally, the NBC will continue its partnerships with the HuronWendat Museum and Tourisme autochtone Québec to make these cultures more accessible and better known, in addition to creating business opportunities with Indigenous businesses.
More information on the contribution of the National Battlefields Commission to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in its Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.
Artificial Intelligence
Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is still at a preliminary stage at the National Battlefields Commission. In 2026-2027, the Artificial Intelligence Internal Committee will:
- thoroughly inventory the various uses of generative AI in the organization;
- prepare and distribute a directive with guidelines on use of generative AI, which will set forth, among other things, the approved AI tools and uses, the precautions for data security, and the importance of transparency when using AI;
- adopt a staff training plan, including sections on good practices;
- appoint superusers to guide coworkers in the use of generative artificial intelligence;
- assess the development potential of AI uses to increase organizational efficiency.
In 2026-2027, the NBC intends to pursue and develop the following main uses of generative AI:
- translating documents from French to English;
- assisting the writing of various documents (emails, letters, etc.);
- providing ad hoc consultation for brainstorming or research on a given subject;
- preparing the minutes of meetings (forthcoming).
Each use will go through a stage where a human systematically validates the sources and contents.
Key risks
Risk Category |
Risk Description |
Mitigation Measures |
|---|---|---|
Funding |
Precarious funding, especially for multiyear projects. |
- Maintain good relations with the stakeholders in the budgetary process - Properly prioritize the needs and plan the work in advance. |
Project Costs |
Risks of cost overruns due to project complexity or market volatility. |
- Prioritize the work in line with financial capabilities and organizational priorities; - Show creativity and flexibility when adapting the supply of services to the context. |
Condition of Assets |
Discovery of a worsened condition of an asset, and consequent reallocation of priorities. |
- Always keep an eye on the condition of buildings, heritage properties, and natural assets; - Document the procedures; - Prioritize the interventions in line with the most pressing needs. |
Human Resources |
Staff turnover, labour shortage, loss of expertise. |
- Maintain a work environment and working conditions that are conducive to employee retention; - Plan hirings and prioritize manpower requirements in line with strategic priorities; - Train staff; - Document the procedures and offer employees appropriate training. |
External Suppliers |
Dependence on availability of private or government suppliers to carry out mandates. |
- Prioritize the projects in line withorganizational capabilities; - Adapt the schedules when required and maintain operational flexibility. |
External Events |
Disasters, public health crises, or other events of force majeure. |
- Plan the activities in advance and provide adaptation strategies; - Show flexibility when adjusting the supply of services to the context. |
Climate change |
Weather disturbances affecting operations and the health of natural assets (e.g., forest canopy). |
- Keep an eye on the condition of natural assets; - Prioritize the interventions and adapt the scheduling of work. |
Museum Services |
Limited availability of specialized human resources for museum projects. |
- Strengthen and broaden the network of partners; - Document the needs and do upstream planning of the interventions. |
Planned spending and human resources
This section provides an overview of the National Battlefields Commission’s planned spending and human resources for the next three fiscal years and of planned spending for 2026-27 with actual spending from previous years.
Spending
This section presents an overview of the department's planned expenditures from 2023-24 to 2028-29.
Budgetary performance summary
Table 8: Three-year spending summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)
Table 8 presents the National Battlefields Commission’s spending over the past three years to carry out its core responsibilities and for internal services. Amounts for the 2025–26 fiscal year are forecasted based on spending to date.
Core responsibilities and Internal services |
2026-27 Planned Spending |
2027-28 Planned Spending |
2028-29 Planned Spending |
|---|---|---|---|
Conservation |
$9,974,128 |
$8,907,505 |
$13,826,866 |
Promotion of Heritage |
$2,784,381 |
$3,059,710 |
$3,587,188 |
Subtotal |
$12,758,509 |
$11,967,215 |
$17,414,054 |
Internal services |
$7,385,520 |
$6,961,165 |
$6,335,375 |
Total |
$20,144,029 |
$18,928,380 |
$23,749,429 |
Analysis of the next three years of spending
In the last few fiscal years, the NBC has been granted temporary spending authority for critical needs, notably for payments in lieu of taxes recorded in Internal Services, which stand at $3 M in 2025-2026, and for the maintenance of its assets—heritage properties in its custodial care.
As part of its responsibility for conservation, the NBC has thus been able to undertake major projects to maintain and rehabilitate infrastructures and buildings, as well as ensuring repairs to several monuments. In 2023-2024, the NBC undertook major work on the cliff running alongside the grounds under its responsibility for $3 M. In 2024-25, a new space with two works of public art by Indigenous artists was dedicated at a cost of $1.3 M. In 2025-26, $3 M was allocated for the complete rebuilding of the greenhouse, and $2.6 M was spent to begin replacement of the copper roof on the Plains of Abraham Museum.
As part of its responsibility to promote heritage, in the last three fiscal years, the NBC has been providing more activities for historical, cultural, and recreational mediation for users of its sites and for visitors to the Plains of Abraham Museum. It has also renewed its brand image, both on the park grounds and in its digital tools.
More financial information from previous years is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase.
Table 9: Planned three-year spending on core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)
Table 9 presents the National Battlefields Commission’s planned spending over the next three years by core responsibilities and for internal services.
Core responsibilities and Internal services |
2026-27 Planned Spending |
2027-28 Planned Spending |
2028-29 Planned Spending |
|---|---|---|---|
Conservation |
$12,386,101 |
$3,761,357 |
$3,717,368 |
Promotion of Heritage |
$3,273,116 |
$3,109,460 |
$2,953,987 |
Subtotal |
$15,659,217 |
$6,870,817 |
$6,671,355 |
Internal services |
$6,109,471 |
$5,498,524 |
$5,223,598 |
Total |
$21,768,688 |
$12,369,341 |
$11,894,953 |
Analysis of the next three years of spending
The NBC has joined the expenditure review exercise, a process with the aim of modernizing government, improving its efficiency, and guaranteeing that investments are strategic and judicious. It will continue to deploy the following measures:
- Careful tracking of operational spending for all the services;
- Ongoing reassessment of its Asset Maintenance Plan;
- Optimization of resource use.
The NBC will ensure the proper conservation of those assets in its custodial care. With this in mind, and with the funding for 2026-27, it will finalize replacement of the copper roof on the Plains of Abraham Museum and modernize its air conditioning and heating systems. In addition, it will begin replacing the copper roof on the building at 390, De Bernières Avenue.
For 2027-28 and 2028-29, no funding has to date been authorized for its Asset Maintenance Plan or for its payments in lieu of taxes (PILT).
More detailed financial information on planned spending is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase.
Funding
This section provides an overview of the department's voted and statutory funding for its core responsibilities and for internal services. For further information on funding authorities, consult the Government of Canada budgets and expenditures.
Graph 1 summarizes the department's approved voted and statutory funding from 2023-24 to 2028-29.
Text description of graph 1
| Fiscal year | Total | Voted | Statutory |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | $20,144,029 | $16,849,105 | $3,294,924 |
| 2024-25 | $18,928,380 | $15,227,847 | $3,700,533 |
| 2025-26 | $23,749,429 | $20,096,167 | $3,653,262 |
| 2026-27 | $21,768,688 | $17,982,873 | $3,785,815 |
| 2027-28 | $12,369,341 | $8,583,526 | $3,785,815 |
| 2028-29 | $11,894,953 | $8,109,138 | $3,785,815 |
Analysis of statutory and voted funding over a six-year period
For further information on the National Battlefields Commission’s departmental appropriations, consult the 2026-27 Main Estimates.
Future-oriented condensed statement of operations
The future-oriented condensed statement of operations provides an overview of the National Battlefields Commission’s operations for 2025-26 to 2026-27.
Table 10: Future-oriented condensed statement of operations for the year ended March 31, 2027 (dollars)
Table 10 summarizes the expenses and revenues which net to the cost of operations before government funding and transfers for 2025-26 to 2026-27. The forecast and planned amounts in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The forecast and planned amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan were prepared on an expenditure basis. Amounts may therefore differ.
Financial information |
2025-26 Forecast results |
2026-27 Planned results |
Difference (Planned results minus forecasted) |
|---|---|---|---|
Total expenses |
$19,647,728 |
$19,808,956 |
$161,228 |
Total revenues |
($2,892,000) |
($3,024,000) |
($132,000) |
Excess of income over trust fund expenditures* |
($49,925) |
($46,540) |
$3,385 |
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers |
$16,705,803 |
$16,738,416 |
$32,613 |
*The NBC has had a trust fund since 1984 for receiving donations from individuals, municipal corporations, and provincial and other governments. The fund is managed according to the provisions of section 9.1 of the An Act respecting the National Battlefields at Quebec.
Analysis of forecasted and planned results
Expenses differ between the two fiscal years because of the schedules of major projects for the NBC’s Asset Maintenance Plan and the depreciation of these assets.
Revenues differ because future revenues are projected from historical experience, with allowance for uncertainty in visitor attendance and service fee increases.
The excess of income over trust fund expenditures also fluctuates in line with the contributions and occasional donations received.
A more detailed Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and associated Notes for 2026-27, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations with the requested authorities, is available on the National Battlefields Commission’s website.
Human resources
This section presents an overview of the department’s actual and planned human resources from 2023-24 to 2028-29.
Table 11: Actual human resources for core responsibilities and internal services
Table 11 shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents, for the National Battlefields Commission’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years. Human resources for the 2025–26 fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date.
Core responsibilities and internal services |
2023-24 Actual fulltime equivalents |
2024-25 Actual fulltime equivalents |
2025-26 Forecasted full-time equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|
Conservation |
21 |
22 |
22 |
Promotion of Heritage |
20 |
22 |
22 |
Subtotal |
41 |
44 |
44 |
Internal services |
19 |
19 |
19 |
Total |
60 |
63 |
63 |
Analysis of human resources over the last three years
Over the last three fiscal years, the total number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) in the organization has fluctuated slightly, rising from 60 in 2023-24 to 63 in 2024-25 and 2025-26. No major difference was observed during the period.
Table 12: Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services
Table 12 shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents, for each of the National Battlefields Commission’s core responsibilities and for its internal services planned for the next three years.
Core responsibilities and internal services |
2026-27 Planned fulltime equivalents |
2027-28 Planned fulltime equivalents |
2028-29 Planned full-time equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|
Conservation |
20 |
20 |
19 |
Promotion of Heritage |
20 |
20 |
19 |
Subtotal |
40 |
40 |
38 |
Internal services |
18 |
17 |
16 |
Total |
58 |
57 |
54 |
Analysis of human resources for the next three years
Over the next three fiscal years, full-time equivalents (FTEs) will follow a trend in line with the objective of cuts to spending while ensuring maintenance of essential services.
Supplementary information tables
Des renseignements sur la stratégie de développement durable de la Commission des champs de bataille nationaux sont disponibles sur le site Web de la Commission de champs de bataille nationaux.
Federal tax expenditures
The National Battlefields Commission’s Departmental Plan does not include information on 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 of tax expenditures.
Corporate information
Departmental profile
Appropriate minister:
The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages
Institutional head:
Lise Moreau, Secretary
Ministerial portfolio:
Canadian Heritage
Enabling instrument:
Year of incorporation / commencement:
1908
Departmental contact information
Mailing address:
835, Wilfrid-Laurier Avenue, Québec (Québec) G1R 2L3
Telephone:
418 649-6172
Email:
Website:
Definitions
List of terms
- 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, departments 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 3year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring. 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.
- 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])
Is an analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs, and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.
Using GBA Plus involves taking a gender- and diversity-sensitive approach to our work. Considering all intersecting identity factors as part of GBA Plus, not only sex and gender, is a Government of Canada commitment.
- government priorities (priorités gouvernementales)
- For the purpose of the 2026-27 Departmental Plan, government priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2025 Speech from the Throne.
- horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)
- An initiative where two or more federal departments are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.
- Indigenous business (entreprise autochtones)
- Requirements for verifying Indigenous businesses for the purposes of the departmental result report are available through the Indigenous Services Canada Mandatory minimum 5% Indigenous procurement target website.
- non-budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)
- Non-budgetary authorities that comprise assets and liabilities transactions for loans, investments and advances, or specified purpose accounts, that have been established under specific statutes or under non-statutory authorities in the Estimates and elsewhere. Non-budgetary transactions are those expenditures and receipts related to the government's financial claims on, and obligations to, outside parties. These consist of transactions in loans, investments and advances; in cash and accounts receivable; in public money received or collected for specified purposes; and in all other assets and liabilities. Other assets and liabilities, not specifically defined in G to P authority codes are to be recorded to an R authority code, which is the residual authority code for all other assets and liabilities.
- performance (rendement)
- What a department did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the department 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 a department, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.
- plan (plan)
- The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how a department 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 a department, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single department, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the department’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 a department, 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.