Program directory · Polar Knowledge Canada
Science and Technology
- Department
- Polar Knowledge Canada
- Program code
- BWX01 (CPCC)
- Core responsibility
- Polar Science and Knowledge
- In Departmental Plans
- 2018-19 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan
What it does
This program aims to anchor a strong research presence in Canada's Arctic. It focuses on science, monitoring, and technology development and transfer. By partnering with key stakeholders and through its internal science and technology capacity, POLAR will acquire the wide range of information needed to pursue effective solutions to polar issues, policy and program development, and advance Canada's position as a leading Arctic nation. This program will create an environment in which both Indigenous Knowledge and polar science contribute to addressing challenges in the Arctic.
Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.
History and lineage
First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2018-19. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).
| Program | Relation | Years with data | Actual spending over those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Science and Technology | This program | 2018-19 – 2028-29 | $104M |
No earlier or later program in the same department has a similar name.
Significant changes in scope and budget
Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.
| Year | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Spending $24.2M, against $13.8M in 2022-23 (+75%). | Actual spending (GC InfoBase) |
| 2025-26 | Planned spending $13.6M, against $24.6M in 2024-25 (−45%). | Latest Departmental Plan |
| 2026-27 | Indicators added: Number of reports, publications, or technical summaries that are made publicly available | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2026-27 | Indicators dropped: Number of POLAR-led or supported materials which communicate or synthesize research results for the public | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
Success criteria
The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.
Historical: targets against results
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≥ 100 | 2020 | 113 | Met |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 100 | 2021 | 127 | Met |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 100 | 2021 | 190 The difference between POLAR’s established targets and the 2021-22 actual results can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. This pandemic resulted in travel restrictions, which limited the organization from fully completing its planned commitments and prevented visiting researchers from conducting in-person research activities, such as field sampling and surveys. | Met |
| 2022-23 | ≥ 100 | 2021 | 188 | Met |
| 2024-25 | ≥ 100 | 2025 | 82 In 2024-25, Polar Knowledge Canada undertook a strategic reprioritization of its research programs. As a result, while new projects were launched, there was a decrease in the development of products to communicate or synthesize research results. | Not met |
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 15 | 2027 | — | Planned |
Future goals: targets due after 2026-27
No targets with a later due date.
Spending and employees: planned against actual
Spending
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | $14.8M | $12.1M |
| 2019-20 | $11.1M | $11.1M |
| 2020-21 | $11.9M | $7.3M |
| 2021-22 | $13.3M | $11.4M |
| 2022-23 | $14.3M | $13.8M |
| 2023-24 | $14.3M | $24.2M |
| 2024-25 | $22.9M | $24.6M |
| 2025-26 | $13.6M | — |
| 2026-27 | $13.3M | — |
| 2027-28 | $13.2M* | — |
| 2028-29 | $13.1M* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 24 | 22 |
| 2019-20 | 18 | 25 |
| 2020-21 | 29 | 23 |
| 2021-22 | 24 | 18 |
| 2022-23 | 26 | 31 |
| 2023-24 | 30 | 41 |
| 2024-25 | 41 | 42 |
| 2025-26 | 25 | — |
| 2026-27 | 26 | — |
| 2027-28 | 26* | — |
| 2028-29 | 26* | — |
Planned spending, plan by plan
Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans
| Plan | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 plan | $14,820,405 | $14,624,321 | $14,624,321 | ||||||||
| 2019-20 plan | $11,144,219 | $11,144,219 | $11,144,219 | ||||||||
| 2020-21 plan | $11,882,870 | $11,882,870 | $11,882,870 | ||||||||
| 2021-22 plan | $13,259,497 | $13,567,497 | $13,598,763 | ||||||||
| 2022-23 plan | $14,302,615 | $14,302,615 | $14,302,615 | ||||||||
| 2023-24 plan | $14,278,594 | $14,278,594 | $14,278,594 | ||||||||
| 2024-25 plan | $22,934,689 | $22,102,669 | $22,842,076 | ||||||||
| 2025-26 plan | $13,582,593 | $13,562,267 | $13,641,543 | ||||||||
| 2026-27 plan | $13,293,204 | $13,188,536 | $13,114,136 | ||||||||
| Actual | $12,055,193 | $11,054,911 | $7,339,868 | $11,413,896 | $13,822,042 | $24,163,381 | $24,594,939 |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
