The Department of Canadian Heritage, or simply Canadian Heritage (), is the department of the Government of Canada that has roles and responsibilities related to initiatives that promote and support "Canadian identity and values, cultural development, and heritage."

The department is administered by the Deputy Minister, currently Francis Bilodeau, who is appointed by the Governor in Council, and it reports directly to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, who is currently Marc Miller.

Under its current mandate, the jurisdiction of Canadian Heritage encompasses, but is not limited to, jurisdiction over: the promotion of human rights, fundamental freedoms and related values; multiculturalism; the arts; cultural heritage and industries, including performing arts, visual and audio-visual arts, publishing, sound recording, film, video, and literature; national battlefields; the encouragement, promotion, and development of sport; the advancement of official bilingualism; state ceremonial and Canadian symbols; broadcasting, except in regards to spectrum management and the technical aspects of broadcasting; the development of cultural policy, including such policy as it relates to foreign investment and copyright; the conservation, exportation and importation of cultural property; the organization, sponsorship, and promotion of public activities and events, in the National Capital Region, that will "enrich the cultural and social fabric of Canada;" and national museums, archives and libraries. the Department of Canadian Heritage was initially created by Kim Campbell from parts of several other federal departments, combining responsibility for official languages, arts and culture, broadcasting, parks, and historic sites, as well as programs in the areas of multiculturalism, citizenship, state ceremonial, amateur sport and the National Capital Commission. In 1994, the Department of Canadian Heritage inherited Parks Canada from Environment Canada, as well as activities that formerly belonged to the Departments of Communications, of Multiculturalism and Citizenship, and of Fitness and Amateur Sport, and the Secretary of State. Since then, Canadian Heritage has gone through several structural and portfolio changes.

In 2003, Canadian Heritage added the Public Service Staff Relations Board (PSRB) to its portfolio, while Parks Canada was returned to the jurisdiction of Environment Canada. Eleven years later, in 2014, the PSRB was removed from the portfolio upon the enactment of the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board Act, which established the PSRB as a quasi-judicial tribunal that operates at arm's length from the government.

In late 2008, the multiculturalism section of Canadian Heritage was transferred to the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, then transferred back again in November, 2015.

In 2018, the Status of Women secretariat moved out from the umbrella of Canadian Heritage to become its own department.

In 2020, Canadian Heritage introduced established the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat as part of its national Anti-Racism Strategy.

Department

right|275px|thumb|[[Terrasses de la Chaudière, home of the head office of the Department of Canadian Heritage]]

The Department of Canadian Heritage is headquartered in the Jules Léger Building (South) () in Terrasses de la Chaudière, Gatineau, Quebec, across the Ottawa River from the Canadian capital of Ottawa.

The department is an umbrella organization that has one of the largest portfolios in the Canadian federal government, and the organizations in the portfolio support the department in the pursuit of its priorities while also striving to achieve their individual mandates.

The departmental framework (as of 2019–20) is:

  • Creativity, arts and culture
  • Arts
  • Cultural marketplace framework
  • Cultural industries support and development
  • Heritage and celebration
  • National celebrations, commemorations and symbols
  • Community engagement and heritage
  • Preservation of and access to heritage
  • Learning about Canadian history
  • Sport
  • Sport development and high performance
  • Diversity and inclusion
  • Multiculturalism
  • Human rights
  • Indigenous languages and cultures
  • Youth engagement
  • Official languages

In addition to coordinating with the organizations in its portfolio, the department also partners with provincial and territorial governments to organize and oversee visits from the King of Canada and other members of the royal family.

Structure

Canadian Heritage is administered by the Deputy Minister, currently Francis Bilodeau, who is appointed by the Governor in Council.

Activities at the department are overseen by several senior officials, and diversity, inclusion and youth activities report to the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Youth, who is currently Bardish Chagger.

  • Sport, Major Events, Commemorations and Portfolio Affairs — administered by the Assistant Deputy Minister
  • Community and Identity — administered by Assistant Deputy Minister
  • Cultural Affairs — led by Senior Assistant Deputy Minister
  • Strategic policy, Planning and Corporate Affairs — administered by Assistant Deputy Minister
  • Official Languages, Heritage and Regions — administered by Assistant Deputy Minister

Portfolio

Organizations

All organizations of the Canadian Heritage portfolio report to Parliament through the same Minister. , the portfolio consists of:

  • 2 special operating agencies:
  • the Canadian Conservation Institute
  • the Canadian Heritage Information Network
  • 2 administrative tribunals:
  • Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board
  • Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
  • 3 departmental agencies:
  • Library and Archives Canada (LAC)
  • National Battlefields Commission
  • National Film Board of Canada. (NFBC)
  • 12 Crown corporations:
  • Canada Council for the Arts
  • Canada Science and Technology Museum
  • Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
  • Canadian Museum for Human Rights
  • Canadian Museum of History
  • Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
  • Canadian Museum of Nature
  • Canadian Race Relations Foundation
  • National Arts Centre
  • National Gallery of Canada
  • Telefilm Canada

Legislation

The following statutes are administered, in whole or in part, by the portfolio of Canadian Heritage:

  • Department of Canadian Heritage Act
  • Investment Canada Act (cultural foreign investment)
  • Laurier House Act (for certain powers)
  • Lieutenant-Governors Superannuation Act (in part)
  • Library and Archives of Canada Act
  • Museums Act
  • National Anthem Act
  • National Arts Centre Act
  • National Battlefields at Quebec Act
  • National Film Act
  • National Horse of Canada Act
  • National Sports of Canada Act
  • National Symbol of Canada Act
  • Official Languages Act (Part VII)
  • Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act
  • Physical Activity and Sport Act (in respect of sport)
  • Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act
  • Public Service Employment Act (report to Parliament)
  • Public Service Labour Relations Act
  • Salaries Act (Lieutenant-Governors)
  • Sir John A. Macdonald Day and the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Day Act
  • Status of the Artist Act (Part I)
  • Telefilm Canada Act
  • Trade-marks Act (use of national symbols)

Programs and budget

In 2020, the department had a budget of CA$3.89 billion—this is an increase from the $3.66 billion of the previous year, but a minimal decrease from the $3.9 billion budget of 2018.

In the 2019‒20 fiscal year, the total actual spending of Canadian Heritage amounted to $1.55 billion and its total actual full-time equivalents were 1,843.3. available for programs that contribute to the objectives of the department. These departmental objectives include those that relate to supporting culture, history, heritage, sport and Canada's official languages.

In 2019, it was reported that Canadian Heritage provided over $130,000 in public grant money to organizations with ties to the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department, which published ads critical of the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests.

The department requires that application forms be submitted by the deadlines that are specified under the application guidelines of the particular funding program in order to be considered for financial support. A confirmation notice is sent by the department within two weeks of getting an application, and a decision on whether funding will be granted or not is made within thirteen to thirty weeks, depending on the funding program. The first payment is made on or before the fourth week after the Department of Canadian Heritage has sent out a written notice that an application has been approved.