Annual Report on Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures, 2017-18

Polar Knowledge Canada

As required by the Treasury Board Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures, this report provides information on travel, hospitality and conference expenditures for Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018, except for information withheld under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act.

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

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

Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR) was created pursuant to the Canadian High Arctic Research Station Act and came into force on June 1, 2015. The purpose of POLAR is to advance knowledge of the Canadian Arctic to improve economic opportunities, environmental stewardship and the quality of life of its residents and all other Canadians; promote the development and dissemination of knowledge of the other circumpolar regions, including the Antarctic; strengthen Canada’s leadership on Arctic issues, and establish a hub for scientific research in the Canadian Arctic.

Further details on POLAR’s mandate, program activities and legislation may be found in the Departmental Plans and the Departmental Results Reports https://www.canada.ca/en/polar-knowledge/reports.html.

Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures
Polar Knowledge Canada
Year ended March 31, 2018
(in thousands $)

Expenditure Category	Expenditures for the year ended March 31, 2018	Expenditures for the year ended March 31, 2017	Variance
	(a)	(b)	(a-b)
Travel
Operational Activities	536	454	82
Key Stakeholders	104	41	63
Internal Governance	32	1	31
Training	17	3	14
Other	37	23	14
Total Travel	726	522	204
Hospitality	10	27	(9)
Conference Fees	18	27	(9)
TOTAL	754	576	178

Significant variances compared with previous fiscal year

Travel:

Compared with fiscal year 2016-17, departmental travel expenditures increased mainly due to the growth of the organization to meet expanded operations in the field as well as additional employees moving and/or travelling to Cambridge Bay, Nunavut to prepare for the opening of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS) campus and for the establishment of POLAR’s headquarters at the Campus. Travel expenditures also increased due to the appointment of additional Board of Director members who traveled to attend meetings.

Hospitality:

Compared to fiscal year 2016-17, hospitality expenditures for 2017-2018 has decreased. Additional hosting of workshops for outreach purposes as well as the organizational meetings for the Antarctica portion of our mandate explained the higher hospitality costs in 2016-17.

Conference Fees:

Conference Fees expenditures in fiscal year 2017-18 are comparable to fiscal year 2016-17.

Approved, in accordance with the Treasury Board Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures:

 

 

• _____________________________
  David J. Scott, Ph.D.
  President & CEO
• _____________________________
  Martin Turpin
  Chief Financial Officer