Program directory · Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Hydrographic Services, Data and Science
- Department
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada
- Program code
- BTG08 (FO)
- Core responsibility
- Aquatic Ecosystems
- In Departmental Plans
- 2026-27 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan
What it does
The safe use of Canadian waterways requires knowledge of the physical limitations to navigation. The Canadian Hydrographic Service contributes to safety on Canadian waterways by undertaking hydrographic surveys from primarily Canadian Coast Guard vessels to measure, describe, and chart the physical features of Canada's oceans and navigable inland waters. As Canada's hydrographic authority, the Canadian Hydrographic Service uses these data to produce up-to-date, timely and accurate nautical charts and publications in support of domestic and international marine transportation in accordance with the requirements of the Canada Shipping Act 2001 and the International Maritime Organization's Safety of Life at Sea Convention. In addition to supporting Safe and Secure Waters strategic objectives, hydrographic information is used in a number of research and development applications in engineering, ocean research, maritime security, marine navigation, ocean management, ecosystem science and the renewable and non-renewable energy sector.
Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.
History and lineage
First appears in the Departmental Plans in 2026-27. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrographic Services, Data and Science | Earlier program (name match, high confidence) | 2018-19 – 2027-28 | $328M |
| Hydrographic Services, Data and Science | This program | 2026-27 – 2028-29 | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Appears to replace Hydrographic Services, Data and Science | Canada Spends name match across plans (an inference) |
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
No results reported yet.
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | ≥ 80% | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | $51.8M | — |
| 2027-28 | $43M* | — |
| 2028-29 | $40.8M* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | 287 | — |
| 2027-28 | 255* | — |
| 2028-29 | 241* | — |
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 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 plan | $51,808,020 | $42,966,314 | $40,765,986 |
| Actual |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
