Review of 2021-22 Departmental Plans and Main Estimates

The following provides details of the recently released Departmental Plans and Main Estimates (funding approvals) of relevant Canadian Departments and Agencies in the public safety and security sectors with regards to the newly arrived 2021-22 Fiscal Year. Awareness of this internal future looking information can be very helpful in assessing what’s to be expected… and what has been committed to… in these important areas.

The Main Estimates were filed in Parliament, as required, by 1 March 2021, and because the Budget was only filed weeks later, they do not include spending details specifically related to planned actions included in the Budget. That Budget analysis has been previously provided and is attached separately to ensure FrontLine readers have a comprehensive awareness of relevant details. 

More spending details that include Budget 2021 announcements should be included in the Supplementary Estimates which have now been filed and recently posted.

https://security.frontline.online/blogs/1114-Scott-Newark/16900-Budget-2021-for-Public-Safety-&-Security-Sectors

The Notes below provide the operational goals listed in the Departmental Plans, as well as HR and allocations planned for each area, the changes from the previous Fiscal Year, and anticipated spending for the following year. Federal Budget and Fall Economic Update reviews also included.

1. Public Safety Canada
2. Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
3. Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
4. Correctional Services Canada (CSC)
5. Department of Justice
6. Canadian Coast Guard (CCG)
7. Department of Indigenous Services
8. Department of Women and Gender Equality
9. Global Affairs Canada (GAC) / International Development
10. Transport Canada (TC)
11. Department of National Defence (DND)

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1. Public Safety Canada - Departmental Plan and Main Estimates

• Introduce a new framework to protect Canada’s critical cyber systems and support a range of innovative cyber security projects and initiatives through the Cyber Security Cooperation Program;
• Continue to support the secure introduction of 5G technology;
• Coordinate the implementation of the National Security Transparency Commitment;
• Work with the security and intelligence community to counter threats related to hostile activities by state actors, and monitor and respond to Canadian extremist travellers; and
• Launch the Financial Crimes Coordination Centre (FC3).

Community safety practices are strengthened

• Continue to support places of worship, schools and community centres that are at risk of being victimized by hate-motivated crime by supplementing the cost of security infrastructure improvements; and
• Starting in 2021-22, work with partners to provide $250 million over five years to municipalities and Indigenous communities to support anti-gang programming and prevention programs for at-risk youth.

Canadian communities are safe

• Continue to advance initiatives to strengthen Canada’s gun control framework and protect Canadians from firearms-related harm, and support the coming into force of the remaining provisions under Bill C-71 An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms;
• Continue work with provinces and territories to combat gun and gang violence by advancing the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence;
• Launch a Call for Applications for the Community Resilience Fund, to support projects addressing radicalization to violence;
• Continue to work with law enforcement and domestic and international partners to combat the trafficking of illicit substances, as well as the illicit sale of cannabis;
• Alongside key stakeholders, continue to deliver initiatives that further protect children from online sexual exploitation and implement measures under the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking 2019-2024; and
• Support the introduction of legislation to enhance civilian oversight of Canada’s law enforcement agencies, including the Canada Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Crime is prevented and addressed in populations/communities most at-risk

• Support the co-development of a legislative framework for First Nations Policing and work to expand the number of communities served by the First Nations Policing Program;
• Work with identified Indigenous and Northern communities to implement culturally-sensitive crime prevention practices and reduce criminal behaviours among at-risk youth and high-risk offenders;
• Continue to work with provinces and territories to identify policing facilities in Indigenous communities with urgent needs for improvements and upgrades;
• Continue to implement projects from the 2018 National Crime Prevention Strategy Call for Applications; and
• Develop and implement new projects under the Crime Prevention Action Fund.x

Canada can effectively mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from all hazards events

• Begin implementation of the federal, provincial and territorial Emergency Management Action Plan;
• Continue to advance Canada’s first ever National Action Plan on Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries for public safety personnel;
• Lead the development of a Federal Risk Assessment Strategy, in collaboration with other federal departments;
• Create an interdisciplinary Task Force on Flood Insurance and Relocation; and
• Support the advancement of a Public Safety Broadband Network in Canada and enhance the National Public Alerting System.xiv

Project Specifics

National Security Sector

Transparency in National Security

Public Safety Canada will continue to enhance transparency and trust in the national security community. The National Security Transparency Commitment (NSTC) seeks to foster robust and open engagement between the Government of Canada and Canadians on national security issues. In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada will coordinate and advance the implementation of the NSTC by producing tools and public documents that encourage the sharing of information and perspectives with Canadians on national security issues, as well as information regarding the work of Canada’s national security organizations.

Passenger Protect Program and Supporting Initiatives

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada will continue supporting air transportation security through the ongoing administration of the Passenger Protect Program (PPP). [NoFly]. Following the successful launch of Canada's centralized, government-controlled screening system and the Canadian Travel Number (CTN), Public Safety Canada will continue to support safe and secure air travel, while also protecting the rights and freedoms of travellers. The Department will continue to work with the Canada Border Services Agency, Transport Canada, and Shared Services Canada on enhancements to the PPP, with a view to fully operationalizing centralized passenger screening by November 2022. During this period, Public Safety Canada will also continue to process CTN applications to help prevent delays at airports for travellers who have the same, or similar, name as someone on the SATA list. Public Safety Canada will also continue to work with the security and intelligence community to ensure that the Government can monitor and respond to Canadian extremist travellers.

Financial Crimes Coordination Centre

In 2021-22, the Department will launch the Financial Crime Coordination Centre (FC3) (formerly known as the Anti-Money Laundering Action, Coordination and Enforcement Team or ACE), whose operations will focus on coordinating support for anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing operational partners.

Economic-Based Threats to National Security

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada will lead an interdepartmental effort to develop a comprehensive policy framework which aims to further counter economic threats to Canada’s national security, such as the loss of valuable intellectual property, military and dual-use technology, sensitive personal information, and compromised critical infrastructure. Simultaneously, the Department will seek to maintain a positive climate for innovation, investment and the promotion of economic resilience.

Public Safety Canada will also continue to work with partners on assessing foreign investments under the national security provisions of the Investment Canada Act. The Department will also continue to enhance outreach and engagement activities with key stakeholders to raise awareness regarding the broad range of risks surrounding economic-based security threats.

Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) will continue to be a key policy and planning consideration in the National Security Review of Investment Regulations.

Delivery of Critical Infrastructure Programs

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada will focus on providing critical infrastructure owners and operators with concrete tools and actionable information to strengthen resilience through:

The Regional Resilience Assessment Program (RRAP) – Working with owners and operators to conduct all-hazards vulnerability assessments and propose mitigation measures;

Through collaborative work with public and private sector partners, and stemming from an earlier examination of the National Strategy for Critical Infrastructure, the Department will focus on the identification of potential initiatives and approaches that could further strengthen critical infrastructure protection in Canada.

Critical Cyber Systems

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada will continue to support development of a new critical cyber systems framework which aims to protect Canada's critical cyber systems in the finance, telecommunications, energy and transportation sectors. This initiative will also support the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security by providing advice and guidance to critical infrastructure owners and operators on how to better prevent and address cyber incidents.

International Partnerships

Recognizing the global nature of security challenges and solutions, Public Safety Canada will continue to advance key priorities through bilateral and multilateral engagements with key international partners such as the United States and other Five Eyes countries, and through multilateral fora including the G7 and the United Nations.

PSC Planned HR and Spending in FY 2021-22:

NatSec sector (178 positions and $24.2M)

Community Safety Sector

Human Trafficking

Public Safety Canada will continue working with federal partners, provinces, territories and other stakeholders to implement measures under the whole-of-government National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking 2019-2024

Border Policy

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada will continue to collaborate with other federal departments and Portfolio agencies to support the introduction of legislation to enhance civilian oversight of Canada’s law enforcement agencies, including the Canada Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. This initiative will improve transparency, combat systemic discrimination, and reassure the public that Canada’s law enforcement system is being held to a high degree of accountability.

Pre-clearance

The Department will continue to work with partners to expand pre-clearance operations for international travellers and cargo in order to bolster trade, increase border security and enable faster travel.

Reducing the Supply of Illicit Drugs

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada will continue to collaborate with domestic and international law and border enforcement partners to combat illicit drug trafficking, including opioids, by supporting supply reduction efforts.

Specifically, the Department will work to:

• Address online drug trafficking through the domestic mail system;
• Reduce the availability of equipment used to illegally manufacture controlled substances; and
• Combat organized crime involvement in the synthetic drug market.

The Department will also continue to engage with international partners through bilateral and multilateral fora, to advance policy responses to various drug threats, including the flow of illegal drugs and their precursor chemicals from source and transit countries.

National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS)

Through the NCPS, the Department plans to continue the development and implementation of new projects under the Crime Prevention Action Fund, in order to support the enhancement of targeted crime prevention interventions.

More specifically, these interventions will provide additional support to Black Canadian, Indigenous and vulnerable youth, and particularly those who have been exposed to family or domestic violence.

These preventative interventions will incorporate a multi-sectoral partnership approach which aims to enhance protective factors and reduce risk among vulnerable populations.

In alignment with Canada’s Gender-Based Violence Strategy and the development of a National Action Plan led by the Department of Women and Gender Equality, the NCPS will support gender-based violence prevention initiatives to test and implement promising practices which aim to meet the needs of identified groups.

Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund

Through federal funding of $214 million over five years under the Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund, provinces and territories have developed tailored strategies and approaches to address jurisdictional gun and gang crime priorities with their partners, while simultaneously contributing to the development of a national understanding of the scope of gun and gang violence. Starting in 2021-22, Public Safety Canada will also work with key partners to deliver on the Government’s commitment to provide $250 million over five years to municipalities and Indigenous communities, to support anti-gang programming and prevention programs for at-risk youth.

Note – Only 4% of Canadians think that crime in their neighbourhood has decreased.

National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence

The Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence will further its work with partners to advance the objectives and priorities of the National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence. Through the launch of an open Call for Applications planned for 2021, the Community Resilience Fundvi will continue to support the development and implementation of projects to assist youth and local organizations with research projects and events which aim to prevent radicalization to violence.

PSC Planned HR and Spending in FY 2021-22:

Community Safety Sector (296 positions and $417.5M)

Emergency Management

In 2021-22, Public Safety Canada will continue to advance Canada’s first-ever National Action Plan on Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries (PTSI) for public safety personnel. This includes continued support for the National Research Consortium on PTSI among public safety personnel.

The Department will also support a $10 million pilot focused on the delivery of Internet-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for public safety personnel in Saskatchewan and Québec.

Owing to the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of public safety personnel and frontline workers, in 2020-21 Public Safety Canada supported development of a COVID Readiness Resource portal specifically for public safety personnel. This portal will continue to be made available throughout 2021-22 to provide self-assessment tools, coping strategies, family supports and strategies for public safety leadership, and on specific COVID-19 challenges (e.g. moral injury, risk and resilience, and preserving the well-being of public safety personnel and their families).

Search and Rescue

Public Safety Canada will also continue to lead Canada's engagement with the International COSPAS-SARSAT Programme Agreement,li which is a satellite-based search and rescue system that allows for a more efficient and effective use of Canada's search and rescue assets. In accordance with Canada's treaty obligations, the Department will continue coordinating the efforts of federal partners to oversee the smooth operation of the Programme and the approval of a new system architecture and technology.

PSC Planned HR ad Spending in FY 2021-2022:

Total PSC Operational Spending (increased by $190M from 2020-21)

Internal Services Sector (477 positions and $64M)

Total planned PSC Spending in 2021-22- $1B: 

(+$129M – to decrease by $394M in 22-23)

Total PSC personnel for operational issues:

(23 positions, minus 10 from 20-21)

Note: The Report also provides (p.50) defined performance ‘success’ metrics which can be cited to target its operational decision making.

Public Safety Canada – Main Estimates 2021-2022:

+$197M (including increases in grants/contributions in community safety and emergency management)

Public Safety Canada – Supplementary A Estimates 2021-22:

+84.1M

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2. RCMP Departmental Plan 2021-22

The RCMP received $98.9 million over five years (2020-21 to 2024-25) and $20.0 million ongoing towards enhanced Federal Policing capacity and the modernization of its investigative capabilities to better address the most serious threats to the safety of Canadians. Federal Policing will focus on supporting and advancing investigations related particularly to: terrorist activities; foreign interference; transnational and serious organized crime, including money laundering and proceeds of crime; as well as cyber-enabled criminal activities and foreign-influenced cybercrime.

Planned human and financial resources for Federal Policing 2021‑22:

(5,139 positions and $861M)

National Police Services

Through National Police Services, the RCMP provides specialized and technical services to all Canadian law enforcement agencies, including: advanced training; national criminal data repositories; firearms regulation and licensing; and investigative tools and services in a variety of fields such as forensics, identification, firearms, and online child exploitation. Internally, the RCMP provides a diverse range of technical services to advance operations and investigations, such as the collection of digital evidence and cybercrime intelligence, the delivery of policing information technology tools, and the implementation of departmental and personnel security standards.

RCMP Operational Information Management and Information Technology Services

Canadian Police College

Criminal Intelligence Service Canada

Canadian Firearms Program

Canadian Firearms Investigative and Enforcement Services

Firearms Investigative and Enforcement Services will partner with Public Safety Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency as a member of the Oversight Committee for the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence and provide direction on its activities and review progress.

Forensic Science & Identification Services

RCMP Departmental Security

RCMP Specialized Technical Investigative Services

National Cybercrime Coordination Unit

Sensitive and Specialized Investigative Services

Planned human and financial resources for National Police Services 2021-22:

(4,008 positions and $498M)

Contract and Indigenous Policing

Contract policing is provided through Police Service Agreements which are negotiated between the federal government and provinces, territories, and municipalities. The RCMP currently provides contract policing services to all provinces (except Ontario and Québec), the three territories, and more than 150 municipalities across Canada. The RCMP also provides professional and dedicated service to First Nations and Inuit communities under the terms of the First Nations Policing Program (FNPP). Contract policing services include the general administration of justice, the preservation of peace, prevention of crime, and fulfilment of all duties as outlined under the laws of Canada or the laws of respective provinces and territories.

Provincial/Territorial and Municipal Policing

Rural Crime

Drug-Impaired Driving

Police Intervention and De-escalation

Body-Worn Cameras

Indigenous Policing and Engagement with Indigenous Communities

To support improved relationships and outcomes for victims/survivors and communities across the country, the RCMP is engaging with local partners to increase pre-charge restorative justice referrals to community and Indigenous (traditional) justice programs.

Planned budgetary human and financial resources for Contract and Indigenous Policing 2021‑22:

(18,483 positions and $1.5B)

Internal Services

Public Complaints

The RCMP and the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP (CRCC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in December 2019 that included several service standards, including one of six months to respond to interim reports received from the CRCC. A plan is in place to eliminate delays in responses and to clear the backlog within 12 months. The RCMP will work to quickly implement any upcoming legislative changes that enhance oversight and ensure that complaints and reports are responded to promptly.

Planned budgetary human and financial resources for Internal Services 2021-22:

(3,932 positions and $580M)

Total spending comparison 2021-22: $4B – down by $730M

Total HR for 2021-22: estimated at 30,943 – down by 176 positions

Main Estimates 2021-22:

$3.4B (–$400M) total

Federal Policing: $861M

National Policing: $498M

Contract and Indigenous Policing: $1.5B

Internal Services: $580M

Supplementary Estimates 2021-22: +$230M

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3. Canada Border Services Agency Departmental Plan 2021-22

Extracts from the Minister

Over the coming fiscal year, the CBSA will maintain efficient border operations and keep working closely with federal partners to ensure a cooperative and effective response to the pandemic. The Agency will keep ensuring that safety measures are in place at the front line, while also collecting mandatory information from all travellers seeking entry into Canada such as biographical, flight and contact information.

The CBSA will also pursue the modernization of its processes and infrastructure in 2021–22, including the deployment of enhanced wireless handheld devices at ports of entry to enable low-touch/no-touch processing of travellers and conveyances. To further streamline border processing, the Agency will maintain and strengthen its Trusted Traveller and Trader programs, including the ongoing operation of the Secure Corridor lane at the Ambassador Bridge. To further improve its commercial examination capacity, the Agency will advance plans for a new Marine Container Examination Facility to be located in Burrard Inlet, British Columbia.

To enhance the integrity of Canada’s asylum system, the CBSA will sustain its efforts under the Border Enforcement Strategy to increase capacity for the processing of asylum claimants and the removal of inadmissible persons. To interdict the movement of illicit drugs through the postal stream, the Agency is implementing commitments under the federal opioids initiative, including additional detection tools and enhanced safety measures for examinations. To combat the illegal importation of firearms, the Agency will advance joint efforts with law enforcement partners through strengthened intelligence sharing and risk assessment capabilities, while continuing the use of specialized detector dogs and enhanced detection technology.

Highlights

In response to reduced traveller volumes and in order to support the movement of commercial goods in all modes, the Agency will continue to mobilize its regional workforce by deploying border services officers (BSOs) from traveller operations to commercial processing, thereby minimizing disruption to cross-border trade and reducing the economic impact of the pandemic. Additionally, the Agency will continue to prioritize frontline operations affected by the pandemic, with particular focus on maintaining the integrity of Canada’s immigration system.

The CBSA will keep working closely with federal partners to implement frontline precautions to ensure the safety of its workforce as well as the public. In particular, the CBSA will continue joint efforts with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to monitor and enforce compliance of mandatory quarantine requirements by collecting basic information from all travellers arriving in Canada. The CBSA has leveraged the ArriveCAN application for travellers to quickly and securely provide mandatory information, and has implemented a desktop application to assist PHAC in tracking all travellers entering the country by land, while continuing to ensure that the privacy rights of travellers are respected in accordance with established legislation. Additionally, the Agency will ensure coordinated efforts with US counterparts on implications for our shared border, while continuing to plan for the effective management of the easing of border restrictions once permissible based on the evolving circumstances of the pandemic.

These efforts will help move towards the Agency’s vision of a more touchless border to facilitate the cross-border flow of legitimate travel and trade, better enabling the Agency to focus its resources on cases of higher or unknown risk, while simultaneously reducing the need for physical interactions and the potential for viral spread. The Agency will also advance efforts to modernize its policies and regulations related to immigration enforcement and inadmissibility in order to streamline its operations and adopt a more risk-based, client-centric approach.

From a workforce perspective, the Agency will continue to support the wellbeing of its employees through its Caring for Employees during COVID-19 Strategy in order to promote resilience among its workforce and further strengthen its workplace culture.

Border Management ($1.38B – Main Estimates)

Combatting the opioid crisis: Continue enhancing capacity to identify and intercept illegal substances at POEs through additional tools for risk assessment, detection and enforcement activities, while also enhancing safety measures in examination areas and regional screening facilities.

Combatting gun and gang violence: Advance joint efforts with law enforcement partners to combat the illegal importation of firearms through strengthened intelligence sharing, targeting capabilities and enforcement activities, while continuing the use of specialized detector dogs and enhanced detection technology at POEs.

Combatting human trafficking

Streamlining traveller processing

Ensuring traveller compliance

Streamlining commercial processing

Ensuring trade compliance

Enhancing processing for trusted travellers and traders

Strengthening the CBSA’s workforce and infrastructure

Advancing Reconciliation efforts: Continue partnering with the Mohawks of Akwesasne First Nation to implement recommendations co-developed through the Border Collaboration Initiative

Planned budgetary human and financial resources for Border Management:

(10,753 positions and $1.38B)

Border Enforcement  ($290M Main Estimates)

Supporting the immigration enforcement continuum: Continue the Agency’s multi-year review and modernization of policies and regulations related to immigration enforcement and inadmissibility to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and integrity of its immigration activities.

• Conducting effective immigration investigations: Continue focusing investigative resources on cases of highest risk, with criminality and national security being the highest priority, while also working with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to improve operational coordination with respect to irregular migration and the in-Canada refugee determination system.
   
• Improving the immigration detention system: Support the continued use of Alternatives to Detention, enabling the release into the community of individuals whose risk can be appropriately mitigated, while also working to complete and operationalize a new Immigration Holding Centre (IHC) in Laval, Quebec.
   
• Ensuring removals of inadmissible persons: Address the findings of the Auditor General’s Spring 2020 Report on Immigration Removalsi through improvements to the overall number and timeliness of removals, while also strengthening data integrity and leveraging technology and partnerships in support of more effective removals. For example, the CBSA will develop a data literacy training course to improve the quality of removal data, leverage high-quality data to more quickly identify and action removal-ready cases, and implement a pilot project to encourage more voluntary compliance with removal orders.

The CBSA will continue to implement commitments to take action against gun and gang violence. In particular, the Agency will continue the use of specialized detector dogs and enhanced detection technology, as well as increased intelligence analysis and targeting capacity. Additionally, the Agency will advance joint efforts with domestic and international law enforcement partners, as appropriate, to combat the illegal importation of firearms through strengthened intelligence sharing, risk assessment and targeting capabilities, and enforcement activities.

The Agency will also enhance intelligence support for security screening through the Security Screening Automation Project, which will automate the processing of low-risk cases for the national security screening program, thereby enabling CBSA screening officers to better manage increasing volumes by focusing attention on more complex immigration cases involving persons who may pose a national security risk.

To combat human trafficking, the CBSA will continue to enhance intelligence collection and analysis, as well as information sharing with key partners, for the purposes of identifying vulnerable persons and leads for criminal investigations. The Agency will also continue to assess immigration enforcement processes to ensure that adequate safeguards are in place for victims of human trafficking and gender-based violence, and to establish a dedicated group of experts to develop enhanced strategies to combat human trafficking.

Recognizing the international nature of border management challenges and solutions, the CBSA will continue to advance its priorities through engagement with key international partners such as the US and other Five Eyes countries, and through multilateral fora such as the World Customs Organization.

To strengthen targeting capacity in the air mode, the CBSA will continue working towards the conclusion of a legally and operationally acceptable Passenger Name Record (PNR) agreement between Canada and the European Union (EU) in order to ensure that commercial air carriers based in the EU continue to provide PNR data to the CBSA. Additionally, the Agency will expand the IT-enabled centralized screening solution for the Passenger Protect Program, with the goal of transforming the delivery of the national and aviation security program in partnership with Public Safety Canada and Transport Canada.

The CBSA will continue to expand the Air Exit Program, strengthening the Agency’s ability to identify high-risk travellers and effectively administer traveller compliance regimes. The Agency will also continue efforts to operationalize Canadian pre-clearance in the US, including the establishment of a traveller pre-clearance pilot and the ongoing development of a regulatory framework to support Canadian pre-clearance operations in the US.

The Agency will advance the Postal Modernization Initiative by introducing technological advances to renew IT systems that will strengthen pre-arrival risk assessment by automating the processing of international mail as well as the collection of duties and taxes. Additionally, the Agency will pursue the expansion of infrastructure and detection technology for postal operations at the Montréal and Toronto mail centres to complement those already implemented in Vancouver.

The Agency will also pursue cargo pre-clearance through proofs of concept in the air courier stream and the rail mode, the results of which will inform strategic planning for the potential expansion of US-based pre-clearance operations. Once funding is secured, implementation will proceed for these proofs of concept. To further streamline commercial processing, the Agency will continue to implement the Electronic Longroom, an email and digital stamping service offered at some CBSA offices that provides an alternative way to submit certain documentation to the CBSA. This initiative automates and expedites the process for commercial clients to declare goods and pay applicable duties and taxes.

Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) for Border Enforcement

The CBSA will continue refining its internal GBA+ governance and data collection practices, applying the GBA+ lens where feasible to inform policy and program decisions impacting service delivery. The Agency is working to improve its capacity for data collection, processing and analysis, while also maturing its organizational data literacy, in order to facilitate improved GBA+ going forward. The Agency will also continue to implement the Government of Canada’s Policy Direction to Modernize the Government of Canada’s Sex and Gender Information Practices to ensure that its services are designed and delivered to be inclusive of all genders.

Experimentation for Border Enforcement

Under its core responsibility of Border Enforcement, the CBSA will pursue solutions involving innovation and experimentation in the following areas:

• Over the last two years, in support of its ATD program, the Agency has conducted an Electronic Monitoring pilot in the Greater Toronto Area. The pilot supports the release of individuals where detention may be mitigated through effective community support and electronic monitoring. In 2021–22, the Agency will review the results of the pilot to determine the future direction.
   
• The Agency will also assess options for the potential expansion of Voice Reporting by leveraging enhanced biometric technology. The Voice Reporting system has been piloted to allow clients to report to the CBSA by telephone using voice recognition and geolocation to confirm their identity and location.

  In support of digitizing its business processes, the Agency will seek to expand the use of virtual immigration hearings to enhance the efficiency of program delivery and resource utilization across the country. For example, leveraging technologies such as videoconferencing, hearings officers can conduct hearings from different parts of the country as needed.
   

• Together with IRCC, the Agency will continue to pilot the Integrated Claims Analysis Centre in Toronto to support modernized and efficient processing of asylum cases.

Planned budgetary human and financial resources for Border Enforcement:

(1841 positions and $290M)

Internal Services  ($377M Main Estimates)

Supporting a healthy and diverse workforce: Continue implementing the Agency’s Mental Health Strategy, Physical Wellness Program, Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, and Organizational Culture and Change Management Framework, while also advancing the Agency’s Respectful Workplace Framework and Anti-racism Strategy to ensure a workplace where all employees feel safe and are treated fairly in a climate of understanding and mutual respect for equality, dignity and human rights.

• Advancing the CBSA’s transformation agenda: Continue advancing the Agency’s renewal agenda to ensure a strong management foundation and sustainable vision for the future, while also supporting continued productivity in the digital workplace through new tools and processes for increased connectivity and collaboration in a virtual environment.

Planned budgetary human and financial resources for Internal Services:

(2,338 positions and $377.5M)

Note: On page 34, the Report provides a comparative budget analysis which shows a decrease ($151M in 2021-22) from the previous year and expected decrease of $71m in 2022-23 and a further decrease of $67M the year after.

It also shows expected HR numbers at 14,932 for 2021-22 (an increase of 187 positions the previous fiscal year) followed by a decrease of 66 positions in 2022-23 and a further decrease of 286 positions the year after.

Main Estimates $2.05B (–$16M)

Supplementary A Estimates (+$8.6M)

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4. Correctional Services of Canada (CSC)

Key Highlights-Care and Custody

In support of its preventive security and intelligence functions, CSC will implement the preventive security and intelligence strategic plan and revise it as necessary. CSC will also assess and implement technologies to support the preventive security and intelligence functions, enhancing capacity to respond to and prevent threats and risks that exist in operational settings.

Correctional Interventions

CSC will implement and monitor technological upgrades and/or innovations to help coordinate and manage release planning for Indigenous offenders, including the Path Home reminder system, and the Section 84 module in CSC’s Offender Management System (OMS). It will continue exploring the establishment of additional Section 81 Healing Lodges and review existing Section 81 agreements in order to identify and eliminate any barriers to increase the participation of Indigenous communities in the process.

Community Supervision

CSC is exploring ways to implement new technology to help ensure staff safety in the community, and will monitor the effectiveness of its initiatives. CSC staff ensure that all supervision strategies are sound, appropriate, consistent with legislation and policies, and serve to protect public safety.

Planned budgetary financial resources for Community Supervision

$172M ($5M for capital expenditures)

Note:  Main Estimates show a decrease in planned total allocation of $158M for 2021-22. Supplementary Estimates A show no increase.

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5. Department of Justice

Key actions

Implement criminal justice system reform to address the overrepresentation in the system of Indigenous people and Black and marginalized populations, including Canadians suffering from substance abuse or with mental health issues.

Develop innovative approaches to Indigenous justice systems, including leading negotiations on administration-of-justice agreements with Indigenous partners and collaborative work with interested Indigenous organizations and with provinces and territories

In addition, to support the Government’s renewed commitments on firearms control, including strengthening measures to control the flow of illegal guns into Canada and giving municipalities the ability to further restrict or ban handguns, the Department will provide legal advice to PSC, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and the Canada Border Services Agency.

The Department provides justice system support to realize key results for Canadians:

1. Laws and policies abide by the rule of law and promote respect for rights and a fair, accessible and relevant legal framework in Canada.

2. The criminal justice system supports alternative ways of responding to the causes and consequences of offending.

Sentencing policies that have limited judicial discretion through an increased use of mandatory minimum penalties and restricted conditional sentence orders9 have negatively impacted the criminal justice system, as well as public confidence in the system. In order to address this, the Department will pursue criminal law reforms that address the harmful impacts caused by the broad reduction of judicial discretion in sentencing, while ensuring public safety and offender accountability in a manner that reflects the seriousness of the offence and the degree of responsibility of the offender.

Furthermore, the Department will continue to support efforts to combat all forms of gender-based violence. Aligned with the commitments presented in the Speech from the Throne, the Department will also support Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) in the development and implementation of a National Action Plan under Canada’s Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence. This National Action Plan will focus on ensuring that anyone facing gender-based violence has reliable and timely access to protection and services.

The Criminal Justice System Supports Alternative Ways of Responding to the Causes and Consequences of Offending

The Department will continue to provide funding support to provinces, territories and non-governmental organizations for the delivery of services and programs through the Youth Justice Services Funding Program, the Youth Justice Fund, the Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision Program, the Drug Treatment Court Funding Program, and the Indigenous Justice Program.

More specifically, through the Indigenous Justice Program, the Department will keep delivering financial support to Indigenous community-based justice programs that offer culturally relevant restorative justice alternatives to mainstream processes in appropriate circumstances. These programs are community-led and designed to reflect the cultures, values and specific justice needs of the communities they serve. This initiative contributes to the Government’s commitment to renew its relationship with Indigenous peoples as well as to address the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system.

Funding provided through the Drug Treatment Court Funding Program will help to address crime committed in relation to drug dependency by promoting and strengthening the use of alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders who meet specified criteria. The program provides court-monitored treatment and community service support for qualifying non-violent offenders motivated by drug addictions.

Note: The 2021-22 Main Estimates (p.90) show funding in Grants and Contributions of over $150M to programs potentially relevant for the use of EM. Supplementary Estimates A show no increase.

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6. The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG)

Highlights

As part of the establishment of the new Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area in the High Arctic, the Government of Canada and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) announced in August 2019 that four new harbours will be constructed by the Federal Government in Nunavut, two of which are to be built by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in Clyde River and Arctic Bay. Construction on these two new harbours will begin in 2021-22 and the harbours are expected to be completed by 2025-26. New harbour facilities in these communities will provide safe access to the land and sea which will support local economic development as well as the potential development of additional fisheries in the area. Additionally, it will ensure that the existing and emerging fisheries can continue in a safer and more secure fashion.

The Minister has been mandated to lead the development of a federal Blue Economy Strategy to continue to “grow Canada’s ocean economy to create opportunities for fishers and coastal communities, while advancing reconciliation and conservation objectives.” The government launched a public engagement process early in 2021 to begin the process to develop a comprehensive Blue Economy Strategy to help guide future government actions and investments that will enable Canada to grow its ocean economy to create good middle-class jobs and opportunities for Indigenous and other coastal communities that also advance our conservation objectives.

The Department is working with Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Parks Canada Agency to introduce a new ambitious plan to conserve 25% of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30% by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge, and local perspectives. Canada is also implementing new protection standards which prohibit oil and gas activities, mining, dumping, and bottom trawling in all new federal marine protected areas (MPAs) and considers the risk posed by human activities to biodiversity when determining conservation approaches in marine Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs).

As outlined in the recent Speech from the Throne, the Government continues to prioritize protecting Canada’s coasts, creating opportunities for coastal communities, and advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Currently in its fourth year of implementation, the $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan (OPP) has been a key contributor to these priorities. In collaboration with OPP federal partners (Transport Canada, Environment & Climate Change Canada, and Natural Resources Canada), DFO and the Coast Guard will continue to advance these priorities throughout 2021-22 as the lead department for OPP delivery, with a portfolio comprising more than 60 projects across all coasts.

DFO and the Coast Guard are responsible for ensuring that Canada’s waters are safe and navigable for mariners. This includes the charting and managing of waterways, as well as the management of Marine Communications and Traffic Services (MCTS), aids to navigation, and icebreaking services. Key initiatives for 2021-22 include: continuing the rollout of new and experimental lighted buoys and the expansion and modernization of the radar network and vessel information management systems.

In 2020-21, the Coast Guard posted a tender for Ice Hazard Detection Radar units for its vessels to assist with icebreaking duties. These new radar units will facilitate icebreaking operations by enabling early recognition of dangerous ice formations and detecting the proximity of multiple types of ice, some of which are hazardous to vessel hulls, such as glacial ice. The installation of these units is expected to completed in 2021-22 at which time approximately half of all icebreaking vessels will be equipped with these new units.

The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) is in the process of replacing its Aids to Navigation Program Information System with a modernized information technology system that will meet current and future program requirements, and international maritime data standards. This initiative will support the Coast Guard’s Marine Navigation program as well as the Department’s major partners and clients, facilitating improved access to accurate and up-to-date data, improved security, support for data exchanges, and will also meet requirements for the cataloguing and tracking of electronic/digital/e-navigation components.

In line with the National Security Policy and the Oceans Act, the Coast Guard will continue to work with the defence and security community to build timely and relevant maritime domain awareness and provide ships, aircraft, and other marine services in support of other federal departments, boards, and agencies responsible for national security. These efforts position the Coast Guard as a credible and reliable partner in the inter-agency maritime security domain, and are key enablers towards the exercise of Canada’s national security efforts. As maritime security continues to evolve internationally, the Coast Guard has expanded its reach to include capacity-building operations abroad in support of Canadian foreign policy and international development priorities.

Note: The Report identifies $1.8B in spending on Marine Navigations/Operations and Response in 2021-22.

The Main Estimates notes an increase in funding for F&O of approximately $270M and potentially relevant Grants & Contributions in the amount of $3.5M. Supplementary Estimates A show no increase in funding.

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7. Department of Indigenous Services

By providing operational funding to 46 emergency shelters in First Nations communities and supporting family violence prevention programming, the FVPP assists Indigenous women and children escaping violence. In May 2020, the Government of Canada announced $44.8 million over five years to build 10 new shelters in First Nations communities and two in the territories to help protect Indigenous women and children fleeing domestic violence. Additionally, the 2020 Fall Economic Statement announced $724.1 million to launch a comprehensive Violence Prevention Strategy to expand access to a continuum of culturally relevant supports for Indigenous women, children and LGBTQ and two-spirit people facing gender based violence.

This strategy will support new shelters and transition housing for First Nations, Inuit and Métis across the country, including on reserve, and in the North and in urban areas. On 26 January 2021, the Government of Canada committed to fund the construction and operations of shelters for Inuit women and children across Inuit Nunangat as well as in urban centres through this initiative.

Indigenous Self-Determined Services

These services are designed and delivered by Indigenous Peoples for Indigenous Peoples. They include services for which the control, authority and/or jurisdiction has been formally transferred to Indigenous communities or organizations, as supported through departmental funding.

Note: Total Planned spending 2021-22- $13.5B ($3B for community development services including increases for child and family support services)

Main Estimates shows $11.2B in ‘Grants and Contributions’ with $1.2B specifically for child and family support, $69M to support indigenous people in urban programs and $65M to improve the safety and security of Indigenous women, children and families.

Supplementary Estimates A show an additional $5.4B for 2021-22.

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8. Department of Women and Gender Equality

Extract from Minister’s statement

More than ever, there is a strong need to prevent and address gender-based violence in our country. Through 2020-2021, work was underway on the creation on a national action plan to address and prevent gender-based violence, building on It’s Time: Canada’s Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence.

Using the Joint Declaration for a Canada free of Gender-based violence as a framework, the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women will continue to work together to ensure anyone in need has access to appropriate and timely services no matter where they live. This is the first time in the more than 35 years that this group of ministers has endorsed such a declaration. Recognizing that Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people are at an increased risk of gender-based violence, this work must align with and reinforce the ongoing work on the National Action Plan on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Plan Highlights

• Rapid provision of emergency investments to shelters, sexual assault centres and organizations providing services to individuals experiencing GBV during the COVID-19 pandemic;
   
• Introduction of a National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking;
   
• Progress towards the development of the first National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, including engagement with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous leaders, and other stakeholders; and
   
• Support the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girl’s Calls for Justice in Partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples.

The Government of Canada provided $100 million in emergency funding to women's shelters, sexual assault centres and other organizations providing GBV services to ensure continuity of supports during the pandemic. Women's Shelters Canada and the Canadian Women's Foundation were key partners in ensuring this funding quickly got to shelters and sexual assault centres and other organizations providing GBV services across Canada, except for the province of Québec, to meet their immediate needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. A Canada-Québec agreement was also negotiated with the Government of Québec to transfer funds to the province of Québec for distribution to organizations across the province.

Over 1,000 organizations across the country received much-needed funding that helped ensure they could continue to support victims and survivors and keep their doors open to those experiencing GBV. Organizations used this funding to enhance cleaning and safety procedures, hire additional staff to manage additional workload, and purchase equipment to help them deliver their services remotely.

In order to strengthen knowledge of GBV, the Department will continue to prioritize the funding of research activities, particularly as it affects underserved populations. Since 2018-2019, WAGE has signed 12 contracts to procure research and studies that address gender equality and GBV, totalling $5.2 million. The first results from these projects are expected to be available in 2021-22. In 2021–22, WAGE will work with Statistics Canada and other partners to further analyze the results of three national surveys implemented with funding from the federal GBV Strategy, including the release of seven research papers and other data products. This research will be critical to supporting the development and implementation of policies, programs and other initiatives to address GBV.

In addition, through the GBV Program, WAGE will continue to support organizations working in the GBV sector to develop and implement promising practices to address gaps in supports for Indigenous and other at-risk groups of victims and survivors in Canada. In 2021-22, WAGE will deliver funding to 67 projects under this program, with total planned spending during this period estimated at over $11 million

WAGE will also continue to support federal partners in law enforcement and the criminal justice system, to ensure that barriers to gender equality and systemic inequities in the justice system are addressed appropriately. In recognition of disproportionate impacts on groups including Indigenous Peoples and Black Canadians, WAGE will support Justice Canada in the introduction of legislation and other actions to address systemic inequities in the criminal justice system.

Note: Main Estimates show an allocation of $125.5M, $75.5M of which is for Grants and Contributions and $13.5M of which is for protection against domestic violence.

Supplementary Estimates A show an additional $103M for 2021-22.

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9. Department of Global Affairs Canada and International Development

Plan Highlights

Global Affairs Canada will also build on Government of Canada efforts to strengthen Canadian leadership in the Arctic and support a rules-based international system. The department will work to implement Canada’s international Arctic policy as reflected in the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework, in close cooperation with domestic and international partners, including territorial and provincial governments and Indigenous Peoples. Canada’s leadership will centre on key Arctic and Northern issues, such as Arctic science and research, environmental protection and sustainable socio-economic cultural development.

Anti-Crime and Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building programs

Canada will work to strengthen resilience and support effective responses to international crime and terrorism, and by so doing, contribute to improving Canada’s national security and the security of Canadians abroad. The department will engage with trusted and new partners, including in the Middle East, East and West Africa, the Americas, and South and Southeast Asia. In support of global efforts to counter terrorism and in alignment with its commitment to the 2019 G7 Dinard declaration on the partnership for a comprehensive and sustainable strategy to combat illicit trafficking in the Sahel region, Canada continues to support ongoing projects in the Sahel, aiming to counter weapon supplies to terrorist and armed groups through cross-border monitoring and capacity-building assistance.

Planned budgetary financial resources for Development, Peace and Security Programming 2021-22: $4B

Note:  Main Estimates show an allocation of $4.2B for Grants and Contributions which is a decrease of $2.6B from the previous year and of that, approximately $80M appears relevant to global safety, security and Arctic issues which would benefit from the deployment of specialized technology.

Supplementary Estimates A show an additional $95.4M for 2021-22.

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10. Transport Canada

Extracts from the Minister

Transport Canada’s top priority remains ensuring the safety and security of the travelling public and the transportation system. Economic recovery, resilience, sustainability, and reliability will be at the forefront of our minds as we step boldly into this new fiscal year.

Transport Canada will continue working to improve trade corridors, and to advance the Oceans Protection Plan. We will continue working toward zero-emission vehicles targets, and taking steps to modernize laws, regulations, and departmental operations. We will continue to see what new and exciting opportunities develop with innovative and emerging technologies, as well as the challenges they may present

Plan Highlights

Complete the Ports Modernization Review with the goal of updating governance mechanisms to promote investment in Canadian ports and help make Canada’s major ports among the most efficient in the world.

Progress in modernizing the governance of the St. Lawrence Seaway, focusing on a signed agreement by 2023.

Work with partners to carry out the Oceans Protection Plan in order to:

• improve our marine safety system and prevent marine incidents
• improve our ability to respond to marine incidents

Continue to refine and put in place measures to protect whales from the negative effects of vessel traffic on Canada’s coasts by:

• setting both voluntary and mandatory vessel speed restrictions and exclusion zones
• monitoring shipping zones and alerting mariners to the presence of whales

Support trade and transportation infrastructure in northern communities and the Arctic by:

• making sure that an Arctic and northern lens is used to guide the way Transport Canada develops policies, programs and regulations
• completing the National Trade Corridor Fund’s Arctic and Northern call for proposals and carrying out funding decisions for chosen projects

Make more marine and surface inspectors available in the North.

Focus on aviation safety by improving aviation safety surveillance.

As a pilot project, purchase a specialized drone to increase the reach of the National Aerial Surveillance Program in the Arctic.

Create strategies to speed-up the use of new technologies in the transportation sector.

Improve emergency monitoring, coordination and response capacity through emergency management training. Develop digital tools, like the "CORE" system, to support decision-making, manage emergency surge personnel and provide geospatial situational awareness.

Provide timely intelligence on threats to the transportation system.

Focus on drone activities, including regulations for safe operations, pilot projects and guidance to operators for increasingly complex operations.

Address the security risks posed by malicious drone use by:

• working with industry and other government departments to develop roles and responsibilities for drone detection and tracking, and to define the standards for future changes to regulations;
   
• running pilot projects and initiatives to test and evaluate counter measures in and around airports;
   
• working with stakeholders to provide direction on regulatory matters, including modernizing the CARs through innovative and collaborative activities that will incentivize, facilitate, and evaluate the development and use of new technologies and innovative practices.

Improve aviation safety surveillance, including:

• taking a more strategic approach to quality assurance with regular reviews of sample, completed surveillance activities;
   
• updating our safety and risk-based surveillance methods to allow for targeted inspections, proportionate resource use and a focus on areas of greater safety concern or need;
   
• strengthening the learning and training requirements for Marine Security Inspectors to better reflect the needs and challenges of the modern marine transportation system.

Update the Safety Management System Regulations to require more companies and vessels to develop and put in place safety management systems. This will help reduce the number of shipping-related deaths and injuries and help us adapt to evolving technologies in the marine industry.

Increase security for vessels and Canadian marine facilities and ports, and ensure that Canada meets its international marine security obligations through harmonized regulatory requirements:

• maintain a leadership role in national and international working groups to ensure consistent approach to marine security across Canada and with our allies;
• strengthen the reliability of the Ship Security Alert System (SSAS) to ensure that Transport Canada continues to meet its international obligations through transformation initiatives.

Build world-leading marine corridors that are competitive, safe and environmentally sustainable, and improve transportation infrastructure in the North.

Through the Marine Training Program, fund organizations to provide marine industry training to underrepresented groups like Inuit, other Indigenous peoples and women

Make health and safety related capital investments at Transport Canada’s airports, ports and ferry terminals and in Transport Canada owned ferry vessels

Invest in trade corridors that will allow Canadians to compete in key global markets, including by carrying out the projects funded through the National Trade Corridors Fund.

Complete the National Trade Corridors Fund Arctic and northern call for proposals. Begin to carry out funding decisions for projects chosen under that call and continue to carry out funding decisions for all projects selected under the fund. Carry out funding decisions for the northern call for proposals as well as the continuous call for proposals for trade diversification projects under the fund.

Note: Main Estimates show an allocation of $444M for the Safe and Secure Transportation Division of which $41M is available under Grants and Contributions.

Supplementary Estimates A show an additional $377M for 2021-22.

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11. Department of National Defence

Highlights

Search and Rescue: Provide aeronautical SAR; coordinate the aeronautical and maritime SAR system; as well as assist with ground SAR efforts which may include Canadian Rangers and Primary Reserve members.

Operation LIMPID: Detect threats to Canada through awareness of air, maritime, land, space and cyber domains.

Operation CARIBBE: Fight illicit trafficking by transnational organized crime in the Caribbean Basin, the Eastern Pacific Ocean and the coastal waters of Central America by working with partners in the multinational campaign (Enhanced Counter-Narcotics Operations).

Operation ARTEMIS: Contribute to Combined Task Force 150. This naval coalition of 33 nations, led by the United States Combined Maritime Forces, promotes security and stability in Middle Eastern and East African waters. Combined Task Force 150’s mission is to disrupt criminal and terrorist organizations and their related illicit activities in the maritime domain.

Operation NEON: Support the implementation of United Nations Security Council sanctions imposed against North Korea.

Operation ACKEE: Collaborate with Global Affairs Canada in order to mentor, enable and create opportunities for the Jamaica Defence Force to grow as a Special Operations Forces leader and more effectively combat trans-regional threats in the Caribbean Basin. Other regional partners include Belize, the Bahamas, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana.

Operation PROJECTION: Enhance relationships with Canada’s allies and partners in maritime environments around the world by conducting training, exercises and engagements with foreign navies and other international security partners. It also supports NATO Maritime Command, United States Naval Forces and other allied operations to make the world more secure.

Operation NANOOK, which will continue through FY 2021-22, While this is strategically a demonstration of ability and resolve, tactically it is a training opportunity for all those involved. Op NANOOK activities for FY 2021-22 will include:

• Conducting an inter-agency exercise in Nunavut and the eastern entrance to the Northwest Passage in response to a simulated major maritime incident;
• Conducting a multinational maritime live exercise safety and security activity;
• Exercising domain presence, surveillance and awareness over Canada’s northernmost regions supported by Canadian Rangers.

Operation NANOOK-NUNAKPUT 21: Integration of regional other government departments and agencies in a series of presence activities along the Northwest Passage in Joint Task Force North’s Area of Operations, supported by the CA, Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and, where applicable, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), designed to develop domain awareness, foster greater interoperability and increase overall readiness.

Operation NANOOK-TUUGAALIK 21: Multinational maritime cooperative LIVEX safety and security activities employing the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel HMCS Harry DeWolf and one Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel. Participants may include other governments’ vessels and allied nations such as the United States, France and Denmark.

Exercise ARCTIC EDGE: A biennial Arctic warfare exercise led by United States Alaska Command in the Alaskan training areas to practice and refine Arctic Warfare tactics and procedures, as well as foster interoperability among Arctic allies. Exercise objectives include: Canada and the United States Arctic Interoperability, Command and Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR).

Exercise JOINTEX: In terms of conducting operations in the pan-domain environment, JOINTEX 21 will consist of Joint Capability Development and Professional Military Education activities to investigate how the CAF, and the broader Canadian National Security Team, needs to adapt to more effectively meet Government of Canada security demands and defend Canadian national interests. A key component will be the Joint Operations Symposium 22, to be held in February 2022.

Exercise TRADEWINDS: An annual United States Southern Command exercise intended to promote regional security cooperation in the Caribbean region by involving security forces and disaster response agencies in order to focus on countering threats and on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.

Exercise TALISMAN SABRE: A biennial United States/Australia exercise, hosted by the Australian Defence Force, designed to strengthen regional defence relationships, enhance interoperability, and practice warfighting in the Indo-Asian Pacific region.

Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship: Following the acceptance and delivery of HMCS Harry DeWolf in July 2020, the second Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, the future HMCS Margaret Brooke, is anticipated to be delivered to the RCN in the fall of 2021. These six ships will allow the RCN to conduct sovereignty and surveillance operations in Canada’s waters, including in the Arctic, as well as to conduct a wide variety of operations abroad.

Remotely Piloted Aircraft System: The project consists in delivering a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System capability providing Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance information and delivering precision strike effects to CAF commanders. The project is currently in the Definition Phase and the Request for Proposal relative to the project is expected to be released in spring 2021.

Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program was designed to complement DND internal research programs in order to resolve defence and security challenges. It will provide $1.6 billion in financial and human resources over a 20-year period. IDEaS fosters creativity and ingenuity in Canada by bringing together networks of experts, providing support and opportunities to innovators and facilitating the integration and adoption of new capabilities for the CAF and public safety and security communities.

In FY 2021-22, DND/CAF will:

• Conduct research focusing on the application of Command, Control and Intelligence (C2I) Artificial Intelligence to military problems. This includes video and big data analysis, automated text analysis, interpretation and anticipation of adversary intent, and enhanced intelligence tools to reduce analysts’ workload.
   
• Improve situational awareness, the means to acquire it, and position ourselves to face constantly evolving threats and crises. We will develop and expand our intelligence networks abroad to ensure rapid and timely exchanges of information and intelligence with our forces and our allies and partners. Further, we will continue to develop Joint Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance through the newly established CAF Joint Operations Fusion Lab. The Lab, located at the Canadian Joint Warfare Centre, is a venue for experimentation and evaluation focusing on Command and Control, Targeting, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance data and networks and emerging concepts. It also serves as an innovation test bed for new ideas and technology.
   
• Expand pan-domain awareness in the Arctic in support of continental defence and NORAD missions through innovative options for Northern Approaches Surveillance. This includes, but is not limited to, the modernization of the North Warning System and carrying out the All Domain Situational Awareness Executive Group mandate.
   
• Work with other authorities and agencies in support of Law Enforcement and National Security. Ongoing operations include support for the RCMP and other counter-drug operations and support for Parks Canada for avalanche control (Operation PALACI). In addition, during FY 2021-22, we will collaborate with the RCMP, NAVCANADA and Transport Canada in the development of Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems, policy and procedures.
   
• Provide and coordinate the aeronautical and maritime SAR system. The CAF remains focused on the responsibilities of providing highly trained SAR crews on standby – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
   
• Conduct training and maintain a year-round presence in Canada’s North. The CAF conducts operations to improve mobility, reach and footprint and enhance surveillance capabilities in Canada’s North, thus demonstrating the ability to project and sustain land, maritime and air forces in the region. In support of this, the activities conducted as part of the Arctic Campaign Plan will strengthen domain awareness, enhance Canadian presence and ensure the defence, security and safety of Canada’s Arctic and Northern regions.
   
• Improve surveillance and control in the Arctic. We will expand pan-domain awareness in the Arctic in support of continental defence and NORAD missions through innovative options for Northern Approaches Surveillance. This includes, but is not limited to, the renewal of the North Warning System and delivering on the All Domain Situational Awareness Executive Group mandate to deliver on advance means of ensuring Canadian awareness of the Arctic and maritime approaches to Canada. DND/CAF will continue to collaborate with the United States to develop new technologies and capabilities that will provide surveillance and detection capabilities against pan-domain threats at a range that allows decision-makers to operate at the speed of relevance;
   
• Increase situational awareness. The CAF will continue to develop and expand the intelligence networks abroad in order to ensure rapid and timely exchanges of information and intelligence with our forces, allies, and partners. Also in conjunction with our NATO partners and Five Eyes allies, we will continue to work in leveraging new and emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, as well as provide meaningful data in order to enable timely and effective decision-making. We will continue to share credible and timely intelligence with our Five Eyes allies and our NATO Partners and maintain current commitments in the processing, utilization, and dissemination domain at home and abroad.
   
• Engage with member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to foster cooperation and mutual respect between nations, as well as strengthen regional security.
   
• Enhance preparedness of the CAF by assessing technology trends, threats and opportunities and by exploiting emerging technologies to include virtual Air, Maritime, Space, Cyber and Information warfare environments for the CAF, NORAD and coalition combat training, testing and experimentation towards Multi-Domain C2/Operations;

DND will sustain Defence and Security Science and Technology activities to understand the opportunities, costs, and risks of Artificial Intelligence (AI), AI-enabled and autonomous systems that emulate thinking processes to perform force development, generation, employment and business analytics.

• First, research and development efforts will be aimed at reducing workloads on CAF members by experimenting with algorithms to detect and track objects of interest in still images and videos.
   
• Second, AI research and development will continue to explore the limits of integrating AI and automated data analysis to support operators and analysts in determining activities of interest such as smuggling and illegal fishing. With partners from other government departments, the Centre for Security Science has conducted development of techniques for space surveillance of dark vessels, including image processing and feature recognition for ship detection. This work is intended to enhance maritime domain awareness, in particular detection of non-emitting vessels in support of Canadian commitments to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated activities.

DND/CAF will exploit the results of the All Domain Situational Awareness S&T program and the bi-national Northern Approaches Surveillance Analysis of Alternatives to inform force development decisions and investments in the development of new long-range radar, maritime and space-based sensors that will be required to strengthen surveillance of the North.

For more information on these and other projects, consult the Investing in Equipment and Current Projects webpage.  Defence equipment purchases and upgrades - Canada.ca

DND will deliver full operational capability or commence the following projects and initiatives in FY 2021-22: ($4.7B)

• Search and Rescue Mission Management System Replacement;
• Design and produce a common Command and Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) backbone;

Note: Main Estimates show an allocation of $5.695B for Capital Expenditures in 2021‑22 which is a reduction of $113M from the previous year. Operations related allocations are approximately $14B.

Supplementary Estimates A show no additional funding for DND for 2021‑22.

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Budget 2021 for Public Safety & Security Sectors (26 Apr 2021):
https://security.frontline.online/blogs/1114-Scott-Newark/16900-Budget-2021-for-Public-Safety-&-Security-Sectors

Economic Update Synopsis (3 Dec 2020):
https://security.frontline.online/blogs/1114-Scott-Newark/15393-Synopsis-of-Govt-Economic-Statement

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FrontLine Advisor Scott Newark is a former Alberta Crown Prosecutor who has also served as Executive Officer of the Canadian Police Association, Vice Chair of the Ontario Office for Victims of Crime, Director of Operations for Investigative Project on Terrorism and as a Security Policy Advisor to the governments of Ontario and Canada.