Annual Report on Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures, 2019-2020

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 (POLAR) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020, except for information withheld under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act.

Travel, hospitality and conference expenditures incurred by a federal department or agency relate to activities that support the department's or agency's mandate and the government's priorities.

POLAR's travel, hospitality and conference expenditures support the delivery of the following core programs and services to Canadians:

Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR) was created pursuant to the Canadian High Arctic Research Station Act and came into force on June 1, 2015. The purpose of POLAR 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, and establish a hub for scientific research in the Canadian Arctic.

Further details on POLAR's 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.

Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures, year ended March 31, 2020

Significant variances compared with previous fiscal year

Travel

Compared with fiscal year 2018-19, total travel expenses did not vary significantly however, as the organization continued to mature, there was a shift in expenditures by category particularly with respect to travel for operational activities which decreased since the official opening of the campus in August 2019.

Hospitality

Compared to fiscal year 2018-19, hospitality expenditures for 2019-2020 have had no significant variance.

Conference Fees

Compared to 2018-2019, conference fees expenditures in fiscal year 2019-20 have increased since POLAR has been actively participating in several workshops and conferences in order to share knowledge of circumpolar regions.