National Security
National security threats are understood and reduced.
Cyber Security Implementation of the National Cyber Security Strategy
Cyber security remains a rapidly evolving and expanding field, with both emerging security challenges and economic opportunities. To protect Canadians and Canadian businesses from cyber threats, Public Safety Canada will continue to play a leadership role in advancing national cyber security in Canada via the National Cyber Security Strategy, which focuses on: (1) achieving more secure and resilient Canadian cyber systems; (2) developing an innovative and adaptive approach to cyber systems, and (3) delivering effective leadership, governance and collaborating on cyber security across Canada by leveraging partnerships with the public sector, the private sector, and academia. In 2020?21, the Department will continue leading the coordination and advancement of the following goals of the Strategy:
Community Safety
Community safety practices are strengthened; Canadian communities are safe; Crime is prevented and addressed in populations/ communities most at-risk.
Emergency Management
Canada can effectively mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from all-hazards events
Internal Services
Management and Oversight, Communications, Legal, Human Resources Management, Financial Management, Information Management, Information Technology, Real Property Management, Materiel Management, and Acquisition ManagementFor more information on Public Safety Canada’s plans, priorities and planned results, see the “Planned results and resources” section of this report.
Planning highlights
- In 2020-21, Public Safety Canada will seek to achieve emergency management results through the following activities.
1. Emergency Prevention/Mitigation Flood Mapping
Public Safety Canada works with federal partners (Natural Resources Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada) and provinces, territories and Indigenous organizations, to improve the understanding of flood risks and support the development of up-to-date flood maps for Canada. These efforts will ultimately protect lives and property, and build resilience to the impacts of flooding over the long term. In 2020-21, the Department will explore engagement opportunities with Provincial/Territorial governments and Indigenous communities to identify gaps and priorities moving forward.
Residential Flood Insurance
Public Safety Canada will work with the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation to create a new low-cost national flood insurance program to protect homeowners at high risk of flooding and without adequate insurance protection, as well as to develop a national action plan to assist homeowners with potential relocation for those at the highest risk of repeat flooding.
2. Emergency Preparedness Emergency Management Strategy for Canada
In January 2019, Federal/Provincial/Territorial (FPT) Ministers approved the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada, which charts a course towards a more resilient future for Canadian society by 2030 across five priority areas of activity. In 2020-21, FPT Governments will present the following deliverables to FPT Ministers via the Senior Officials Responsible for Emergency Management (SOREM) forum:
- A Capability-Based Planning approach to the FPT Emergency Management Action Plan that will help identify challenges and opportunities in the emergency management system;
- Progress to date on the FPT Emergency Management Action Plan; and
- Joint FPT priorities to collectively improve the emergency management system in Canada.
3. Emergency Response/Recovery Post-Traumatic Stress Injury
- Public Safety Canada will continue to advance Canada’s first ever National Action Plan on Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries for first responders. In 2020-21, the Internet-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (ICBT) pilot will be launched as a means of providing greater access to care and treatment for public safety officers. In addition, all Canadian Institutes of Health Research-funded (CIHR) researchers and the public safety personnel stakeholder community will participate in a second in-person Symposium to exchange knowledge and disseminate preliminary results. Finally, Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR) resiliency training sessions will be delivered, with the intent to hold at least one session in each province and territory over the next two years.
Expanding the Memorial Grant Program to Correctional Workers
- By the end of 2020, Public Safety Canada will expand the Memorial Grant Program to include correctional workers, and continue to consult with other public safety workers to further broaden the program as appropriate. The Memorial Grant Program was launched in April 2018 and provides a lump-sum, tax-free payment of up to $300,000 to family members of first responders who have died as a result of their duties.
Government Operations Centre
- Public Safety Canada’s Government Operations Centre (GOC) will continue to advance whole-of-government emergency preparedness to ensure that the Government of Canada is ready at all times to respond to all-hazards events of national scope and keep Canadians safe.
