2024–25 Departmental Results Report

Contents

• At a glance
• From the Chair
• Results – what we achieved
  • Core responsibility 1: Independent safety investigations and communications of risks in the transportation system
  • Internal services
• Spending and human resources
  • Spending
  • Funding
  • Financial statement highlights
  • Human resources
• Supplementary information tables
• Federal tax expenditures
• Corporate information
• Definitions

At a glance

This departmental results report details the Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s (TSB) actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results outlined in its 2024–25 Departmental Plan.

• Vision, mission, raison d’être and operating context

Key priorities

The TSB identified the following key priorities for 2024–25:

• Conducting independent investigations into selected transportation occurrences to identify the causes and contributing factors and the safety deficiencies evidenced by these occurrences.

• Making recommendations to reduce or eliminate any such safety deficiencies and reporting publicly on its investigations.

• Following up with stakeholders to ensure that safety actions are taken to reduce risks and improve safety.

Highlights for the TSB in 2024–25

• Total actual spending (including internal services): $42,977,085
• Total full-time equivalent staff (including internal services): 233

For complete information on the TSB’s total spending and human resources, read the Spending and human resources section of its full departmental results report.

Summary of results

The following provides a summary of the results the department achieved in 2024–25 under its main areas of activity, termed “core responsibilities.”

Core responsibility 1: Independent safety investigations and communications of risks in the transportation system

Actual spending: $29,947,826

Actual full-time equivalent staff: 179

Departmental results achieved

• In 2024, the TSB assessed and classified 3,222 reported occurrences across Canada in the air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation sectors. This is 4% lower than the 3,356 occurrences reported in 2023.

• The total number of accidents reported across all transportation modes in 2024 decreased by 3% compared to 2023 and was 14% below the 10-year average.

• Fatalities in the transportation sector increased by 8% in 2024 when compared to the previous year, 2023. This represents a 12% increase relative to the 10-year average.

• In the 2024–25 fiscal year, the TSB initiated 43 new investigations, completed 55 investigations, and had 75 investigations in progress at year-end.

• The Board reassessed nine outstanding recommendations as Fully Satisfactory and issued three new recommendations in 2024–25, which resulted in an overall total of 84% of responses to TSB recommendations being categorized as "Fully Satisfactory."

• During the 2024–25 fiscal year, the TSB completed and released the final reports and recommendations for several significant investigations including the following: the 2021 occurrence involving the container vessel ZIM Kingston; the 2022 collision involving the Sam McBride passenger ferry in Toronto, Ontario; the 2023 near-collision between a Canadian National Railway Company freight train and a VIA Rail passenger train near Cornwall, Ontario; and the 2021 fatal helicopter incident in Jervis Inlet, British Columbia. The final reports are publicly available on the TSB website.

For more information on the TSB’s Independent safety investigations and communications of risks in the transportation system read the Results – what we achieved section of its departmental results report.

From the Chair

The end of the fiscal year marked an important milestone for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB): 35 years of working towards making transportation safer in Canada. Since the TSB’s inception in 1990, the Board has made 637 recommendations in all four sectors of transportation. By the end of the last exercise, it rated the responses of 84% of these as Fully Satisfactory, showcasing the TSB’s tangible contributions to enhancing safety.

Over the course of the last year, we launched 43 investigations, deployed to 60 occurrence sites and completed 55 investigation reports, two of which resulted in three recommendations and two safety concerns aimed at improving safety in the marine industry.

Last summer, we released the investigation report (M21P0297) into the 2021 occurrence involving the container vessel ZIM Kingston, which experienced parametric rolling, resulting in the loss of 109 containers overboard and a subsequent fire that broke out in a damaged container that held dangerous goods. The Board issued two safety concerns regarding the need for comprehensive guidance for managing the risk of parametric rolling, and gaps in Canada’s preparedness for marine emergencies that exceed the response capacity of a vessel’s crew.

We also released our report (M22C0231) into the 2022 occurrence where the passenger ferry Sam McBride struck the dock at the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal in Toronto, Ontario, resulting in approximately 20 passengers being injured. The Board issued three recommendations in regard to passenger safety management and emergency preparedness to Transport Canada, more specifically on the importance of having crew members complete appropriate training in passenger safety management (M24-01), ensuring a formal validation and approval process for passenger vessel evacuation procedures (M24-02), and implementing a process to keep an accurate count of all passengers, including a separate count of the number of children and infants on all voyages (M24-03).

Additionally, our communications efforts allowed us to highlight the significance of our investigations while fostering meaningful connections with industry leaders, transportation personnel, and the public. Last year, the TSB took part in 29 media interviews and participated in more than 60 industry events. Last fall, in preparation for the upcoming edition of the TSB Watchlist, we conducted a series of industry consultations to assess progress and challenges in addressing Watchlist issues, and to identify new and emerging safety issues that must be addressed to make the transportation system even safer in Canada.

Over the past year, our organization has undergone several changes in senior leadership. These include the arrival of a new Chief Operating Officer, a new Director of Investigations, Air and a new Director General of Corporate Services. We also welcomed Louise Smolska as a new Board member, bringing over 30 years of experience in rail safety, operations, and government affairs to our organization. I’d like to also note the retirement of former Chair Kathy Fox, who left the organization in August 2024 after serving on the Board for 17 years, including 10 years as Chair.

We take great pride in reflecting on the work accomplished by the TSB over the past year. A review of these efforts clearly demonstrates the unwavering commitment of our team to advancing transportation safety, both in Canada and internationally.

Yoan Marier
TSB Chair

Results – what we achieved

Core responsibilities and internal services

• Core responsibility 1: Independent safety investigations and communication of risks in the transportation system
• Internal services

Core responsibility 1: Independent safety investigations and communication of risks in the transportation system

In this section

• Description
• Quality of life impacts
• Progress on results
• Details on results
• Key risks
• Resources required to achieve results
• Related government priorities
• Program inventory

Description

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s sole objective is to advance air, marine, rail and pipeline transportation safety. This mandate is fulfilled by conducting independent investigations into selected transportation occurrences to identify the causes and contributing factors, and the safety deficiencies evidenced by these occurrences. The TSB makes recommendations to reduce or eliminate any such safety deficiencies and reports publicly on its investigations. The TSB then follows up with stakeholders to ensure that safety actions are taken to reduce risks and improve safety.

Quality of life impacts

This core responsibility contributes to the “Good Governance” domain of the Quality of Life Framework for Canada and, more specifically, “Confidence in institutions,” through all of the activities mentioned in the core responsibility description.

Progress on results

This section details the department’s performance against its targets for each departmental result under Core responsibility 1: independent safety investigations and communication of risks in the transportation system.

Table 1: Transportation system is safer

Table 2: Regulators and the transportation industry respond to identified safety deficiencies

Table 3: Occurrence investigations are efficient

The Results section of the Infographic for the TSB on GC Infobase page provides additional information on results and performance related to its program inventory.

Details on results

The following section describes the results for independent safety investigations and communication of risks in the transportation system in 2024–25 compared with the planned results set out in the TSB’s departmental plan for the year.

Transportation system is safer

This performance indicator as shown in table 1 tracks the number of accidents across all modes of transportation over a 10-year period to assess long-term trends in safety. A reduction in accident rates over time signals progress toward a safer transportation system.

While this indicator provides a high-level view of system-wide safety, results are influenced by a range of external factors, that can influence results. Moreover, transportation safety is a shared responsibility involving federal, provincial, and territorial governments, industry stakeholders, and the public. As such, improvements cannot be directly attributed to the actions of any single organization.

Despite these limitations, recent data shows a consistent decline in both accident and fatality rates over the long term, indicating measurable and sustained improvements in overall transportation safety. However, the fatality rate for this year increased, highlighting the need for continued vigilance and targeted safety efforts.

Results achieved 

Number of accidents over 10-year period

• Actual result: 1,303
• Target: reduction in number of accidents (lower than 1,507)
• Outcome: Met

Regulators and the transportation industry respond to identified safety deficiencies

This departmental result as shown in table 2 is measured using three indicators: the average time safety recommendations remain outstanding (active recommendations), the percentage of responses to recommendations assessed as Fully Satisfactory since the TSB’s creation, and the percentage of safety advisories on which safety actions have been taken.

The TSB does not have direct control in making changes in transportation safety.  Instead, the TSB uses its influence to deliver clear, data-driven findings to influence key decision-makers—referred to as “agents of change” such as federal regulators like Transport Canada—to take corrective action in response to identified safety deficiencies. The nature, timeliness, and effectiveness of these responses are central to evaluating the TSB’s impact on transportation safety.

Recognizing that each federally regulated transportation sector faces distinct challenges and operates from different safety baselines, the TSB sets sector-specific performance targets. These indicators are then consolidated to provide a comprehensive assessment of departmental outcomes and progress across the full scope of the TSB’s mandate.

Results achieved 

• Average time recommendations have been outstanding (active recommendations):

  • Actual result: 9.6 years

  • Target: 8 years or less

  • Outcome: Not Met

• Percentage of responses to recommendations assessed as Fully Satisfactory (since TSB’s creation)

  • Actual result: 84%

  • Target: 1.5% increase from previous fiscal year result of 83% (equal or greater than 84.5%)

  • Outcome: Not Met

• Percentage of safety advisories on which safety actions have been taken

  • Actual result: 56%

  • Target: At least 60%

  • Outcome: Not Met

Occurrence investigations are efficient

The TSB measures this departmental result as indicated in table 3 by the timeliness of its investigation reports. The average completion time, based on the report’s classification under the TSB’s Policy on Occurrence Classification, serves as an efficiency indicator. The time to complete an investigation can vary significantly depending on many factors, including the complexity of the investigation and the workload of the teams working on the investigation. The TSB prioritizes the high quality and integrity of its investigations over the speed of completion. However, investigation completion timeliness remains a key challenge that the TSB is working to address. 

Results achieved 

• Average time to complete a class 1 safety issue investigation

  • Actual result: 1,528 days

  • Target: Equal to or under 730 days

  • Outcome: Not met

  • There were no class 1 safety issue investigations completed in 2022–23 or 2023–24

• Average time to complete a class 2 complex investigation

  • Actual result: 925 days

  • Target: Equal to or under 600 days

  • Outcome: Not met

• Average time to complete a class 3 detailed investigation

  • Actual result: 683 days

  • Target: Equal to or under 450 days

  • Outcome: Not met

• Average time to complete a class 4 limited-scope investigation

  • Actual result: 305 days

  • Target: Equal to or under 220 days

  • Outcome: Not met

• Average time to complete a class 5 data-gathering investigation

  • Actual result: 43 days

  • Target: Equal to or under 60 days

  • Outcome: Met

• Percentage of class 1-4 investigations that were completed within the target time

  • Actual result: 13%

  • Target: At least 60%

  • Outcome: Not Met

Key risks

The TSB places strategic emphasis on agency-wide integrated risk management to ensure effective operations, the achievement of its mandate and strategic outcomes, and compliance with central agency expectations. A key component of this framework is the annual update of the Corporate Risk Profile (CRP).

For fiscal year 2024–25, six strategic risks were identified as posing significant threats (or opportunities) to the department. These risks require continuous monitoring and proactive management across all levels of the organization to safeguard departmental objectives and support informed decision-making.

Keeping up with technological advances/changes in the industry

The TSB’s credibility and operational effectiveness could be impacted if it fails to keep pace with the technological advances/changes in the transportation industry and if it does not adapt to ensure new data sources are properly exploited, optimally managed, and fully analyzed.

New advances in engineering, designs, and operational systems occur at times faster than our organization can adapt. Some examples of technological change that could pose challenges to the TSB’s work are increased automation in some transportation sectors and remotely piloted vehicles being integrated into existing transportation systems, increased use of composite materials for which we have limited expertise, as well as the electrification of vehicles and equipment, and the proliferation of specialized software used by industry to manage and support vehicle operations. The TSB maintains eyes on the leading edge of technology and what advances our technical experts must build into their knowledge base and skillset. The organization supports learning efforts in these areas and prioritizes funding towards training.

Data management is also an evolving issue, and to be able to properly access public and private data for investigations, additional efforts will be required for TSB employees to maintain or acquire the requisite expertise. In addition, employees also require access to the equipment and training necessary to use and analyze all available data to conduct transportation occurrence investigations in the future.

Accordingly, this year, the TSB established a dedicated Data Insights team to advance the management and analysis of key transportation data to support investigations.  The department is also actively working with industry and federal partners to keep abreast of advances in Artificial Intelligence and how they may be applied to support investigations going forward.

Keeping up with workplace technology

There is a risk that TSB employees do not have access to current workplace technology tools, systems, and applications to ensure they can deliver their work in an efficient and effective manner. As a world-class investigative organization, it is important that employees are equipped with and leverage the latest technology to be able to interact efficiently with government departments, stakeholders, other investigation organizations and industry.

Particularly evident with the prevalence of remote work, there is a strong need to ensure that these tools are not subject to business disruptions. The TSB makes all efforts to modernize and move to newer and more efficient systems and processes with necessary redundancies whenever possible. This includes following a life-cycle renewal plan for its systems and components.

This year marked a significant milestone for advancing technology support for TSB staff with the launch of the new Safety Analysis System—a core investigative tool designed to establish the sequence of events surrounding an accident or incident and as much as possible, standardize the investigation process. It enables investigators to document events as they occurred, either as a hierarchical list or through visual components using the Safety Analysis Diagram.  Essentially, the department has built a digital road map for investigations to help with efficiency and continuity.

The Safety Analysis Diagram, similar to a flowchart, maps out all relevant events and conditions. It is supported by specific rules and self-guided forms to ensure accurate and comprehensive data capture. These forms, based on the Integrated Safety Investigation Methodology (ISIM), help investigators identify safety-significant events, contributing conditions, and underlying factors that require further analysis for risk assessment and defensive measures. This process supports the determination of whether a safety deficiency exists.

The new Safety Analysis System was built on a modernized cloud-based platform and replaced the existing system developed over 20 years ago. This upgrade not only addressed end-of-life concerns but also significantly improved the user interface, reduced frustration during data entry, and enhanced overall data quality.

Employee safety and wellbeing

There is a need to be vigilant with respect to managing employee physical and mental wellbeing and maintaining a work environment that is supportive, respectful, inclusive, diverse, and free of harassment.  Further, and different from most other government departments, due to the nature of the work performed by the TSB, employees may be exposed to a number of physical and psychological hazards as part of the accident investigations.

To address this and support a healthy environment, the TSB continued to be proactive in engaging with staff about the importance of creating a respectful and safe environment.  The TSB utilized town halls for learning and discussion, as well as the Beacon, a monthly newsletter distributed to all staff to communicate articles, references and events.  The department also connected with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to advance a service to provide Ombuds representation for all TSB employees.  This was confirmed and the Ombuds program will be advanced and launched in 2025–26.

Operational responsiveness

There is a risk that the TSB may not be able to deploy to an accident in a timely manner, and to sustain investigative operations, in certain remote regions due to the limited availability of transportation services and support infrastructure. There is also a risk that investigation deployment plans will not be robust enough and sufficiently practiced to ensure a proper state of readiness. This risk is also evident in regions impacted by seasonal availability of transportation services and support infrastructure due to tourism or other factors. Availability of sufficient personnel, including both investigation and support functions, during and outside of core hours, compounds this risk.

As a mitigative measure, the TSB maintains standby investigators in each transportation mode to ensure that it is ready to deploy at any given time. However, due to the nature of the TSB’s investigations and the vastness of the country, deploying into remote regions without services will always be a challenge that poses a risk to investigations. The TSB manages this through extensive preparation and logistical planning efforts to ensure that it is able to deploy its investigators when and where an occurrence takes place.  A key initiative has been the development of the Multimodal Major Deployment Checklist (MMDC) to support best practices in effective deployments.  Examples of these practices are maintaining awareness of available standing offers for charter flights to remote locations and connecting with other government agencies to share resources such as lodging or vehicles.  This risk will be an ongoing challenge and as a result the TSB must continue to plan and develop processes and tools to mitigate.

Legal challenges

Organizations and individuals are more frequently challenging TSB business processes, as well as the application of the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act (CTAISB Act). This puts the TSB at risk that some court rulings could negatively impact the way the TSB conducts its business.

In 2024–25, the TSB General Counsel continued to uphold the TSB’s legal position pursuant to the CTAISB Act in court proceedings throughout the year to preserve the TSB’s investigative integrity.

Lack of resources

The TSB’s investigative and support function capacity remain challenged in meeting investigation report publication targets in a way that meets industry and public expectations. Increased time to publish investigation results risks diminishing their impact and the opportunity to improve transportation safety in a timely manner. The development of investigation reports is a key area for improvement and the TSB is reviewing both the general process for efficiencies and opportunities to advance AI tools and technologies to accelerate the work.

In regard to funding, the TSB received new funding from Budget 2023 starting in 2023–24 to assist with improving backup capacity and resilience, although this was partly offset by reductions through the Budget 2023 Refocusing Government Spending exercise. Through 2023–24 and 2024–25, the TSB engaged in staffing processes, mainly for investigators and technical positions, and was able to hire some additional resources. The long-term benefits will be known at a future date once the new employees are fully trained and have gained sufficient field experience. Other notable factors affecting this risk include ongoing Government of Canada budget reduction exercises, such as the Refocusing Government Spending initiative, which call upon departments to find savings and efficiencies within the department. This has been a challenge for the TSB given the already low resource levels, however, the department has been able to find savings through employee attrition and reductions in travel but has also had to limit staffing of certain investigation and engineering positions.  The TSB will continue to adapt and reassess its plans as the Government of Canada’s direction on budget-saving initiatives evolves, but potential future reductions do pose a real risk to operations.

Resources required to achieve results

Table 4: Snapshot of resources required for independent safety investigations and communications of risks in the transportation system

The Finance section of the Infographic for the TSB on the GC Infobase page and the People section of the Infographic for the TSB’s on GC Infobase page provide complete financial and human resources information related to its program inventory.

Related government priorities

More information on the TSB’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

Program inventory

Independent safety investigations and communications of risks in the transportation system is supported by the following programs:

• Aviation occurrence investigations
• Marine occurrence investigations
• Pipeline occurrence investigations
• Rail occurrence investigations

Additional information related to the program inventory for independent safety investigations and communication of risks in the transportation system is available on the Results page on GC InfoBase.

Internal services

In this section

• Description
• Progress on results
• Resources required to achieve results
• Contracts awarded to Indigenous business

Description

Internal services refer to the activities and resources that support a department in its work to meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. The 10 categories of internal services are:

• Management and Oversight Services
• Communications Services
• Legal Services
• Human Resources Management
• Financial Management
• Information Management
• Information Technology
• Real Property
• Materiel
• Acquisitions

Progress on results

This section presents details on how the department performed to achieve results and meet targets for internal services.

The Internal Services program advanced the use of digital tools and systems, ensuring that the TSB was well supported in a digital-first, hybrid work environment, while continuing to build on these efforts to further improve organizational efficiency and adaptability. Areas of Corporate Services including Finance, HR and Procurement also streamlined internal processes to provide better support to clients. Progress was also made in migrating core IT systems to a cloud environment, in alignment with the latest Government of Canada cloud strategy, and work will continue to strengthen efficiency and resilience.

Internal Services personnel advanced initiatives across the TSB supporting employee well-being by responding to the annual Public Service Employee Survey, promoting mental health tools, and providing guidance on values and ethics. Particular attention was given to activities that foster diversity and inclusion, and efforts in these areas will continue to be strengthened.

Progress was made on the modernization of office and laboratory facilities and equipment, in collaboration with Laboratories Canada and Public Services and Procurement Canada, to create a renewed and highly functional work environment that supports efficiency, scientific collaboration, and innovation. As this initiative requires investments and ongoing maintenance beyond current appropriations, continued collaboration with central agencies remains critical. Funding was secured through Budget 2024, and a Request for Proposals for construction management services was released, with contract award expected early in the new fiscal year.

In response to the Government of Canada’s Budget 2023 Refocusing Government Spending initiative, the TSB realigned its plans and implemented measures to manage the resulting budget reductions. Internal Services is coordinating these adjustments in close collaboration with program managers to minimize operational impacts. Reductions have been allocated across all programs and Internal Services to prevent major effects on any single program. As these cumulative reductions will increase progressively until 2026–27, the TSB is closely monitoring their impact to ensure the organization continues to meet its mandate effectively.

Resources required to achieve results

Table 5: Resources required to achieve results for internal services this year

The Finance section of the Infographic for the TSB on GC Infobase and the People section of the Infographic for the TSB on GC Infobase provide complete financial and human resources information related to its program inventory.

Contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

Government of Canada departments are required to award at least 5% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses every year.

The TSB’s results for 2024–25:

Table 6: Total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses¹

In support of understanding how to manage the Indigenous procurement process, all employees in the procurement group previously completed two essential courses offered by the Canada School of Public Service.

• Indigenous Considerations in Procurement (COR409)
• Procurement in the Nunavut Settlement Area (COR410)

Further, the internal awareness campaign to promote purchasing from Indigenous businesses continued in 2024–25, and considerations regarding Indigenous businesses and a direct link to the Indigenous Business Directory continue to be highlighted in the request form that guides clients through the contract planning process.

In its 2025–26 Departmental Plan, the TSB estimated that it would award 11.75% of the total value of its contracts to Indigenous businesses by the end of 2024–25, however certain contracts did not advance as expected resulting in a slightly lower actual amount of 10.7%.

Spending and human resources

In this section

• Spending
• Funding
• Financial statement highlights
• Human resources

Spending

This section presents an overview of the department's actual and planned expenditures from 2022–23 to 2027–28.

Refocusing Government Spending

In Budget 2023, the government committed to reducing spending by $14.1 billion over five years, starting in 2023–24, and by $4.1 billion annually after that.

As part of meeting this commitment, the TSB identified the following spending reductions.

• 2024–25: $ 277,000
• 2025–26: $ 889,033
• 2026–27 and after: $ 889,033

During 2024–25, the TSB worked to realize these reductions through the following measures:

• travel reductions
• position reductions through attrition
• not staffing vacant positions

These reductions have reduced capacity and have added an operational risk for the TSB and the high volume of incidents has stretched departmental resources. The department continues to do all it can to operate efficiently and fulfill its mandate.

Budgetary performance summary

Table 7: Actual three-year spending on core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

Analysis of the past three years of spending

Expenditures for 2022–23 and 2023–24 reflect actual results, as published in the Public Accounts of Canada. The increase from 2022–23 to 2023–24 stems largely from the Budget 2023 operational integrity on-going funding provided to the TSB in 2023–24. However, a portion of the Budget 2023 funding was one-year only funding for 2023–24 for strategic investments in upgrading or replacing critical laboratory equipment, which expired and caused the decrease from 2023–24 to 2024–25. The migration of applications to a cloud environment and the in-year decision to advance other key modernization efforts led to the increased spending tied to Internal Services in 2024–25.

The significant $3.1 million increase between the 2024–25 Main Estimates and total authorities available for use is attributed to additional funding received throughout the fiscal year, including:

• $1.8 million increase for collective bargaining salary increases and funding to cover accumulated mandatory cash-outs for vacation and compensatory leave as well as paylist requirements
• $1.2 million increase from the operating budget carry-forward from 2023–24

The remaining $0.1 million is mainly due to the annual employee benefit plan (EBP) rate adjustment set by Treasury Board Secretariat.

The Finance section of the Infographic for the TSB on GC Infobase offers more financial information from previous years.

Table 8: Planned three-year spending on core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

Analysis of the next three years of spending

In accordance with the definition of planned spending, the amounts for 2025–26 and future fiscal years include only the Main Estimates and Annual Reference Level Update (ARLU) amounts. These figures do not include any additional or exceptional funding that may be received through supplementary estimates or other one-time adjustments. Based on current forecasts, anticipated spending is expected to remain stable over the coming years, with no significant changes projected in funding levels unless directed by future government decisions.

It should be noted that the savings from Budget 2023’s Refocusing Government Spending (RGS) initiative are incorporated in the Main Estimates and ARLU amounts and are therefore reflected in the table. However, there remains uncertainty regarding the potential impact of future budget reduction initiatives proposed by the government. Any future budget measures have not yet been confirmed and are not reflected in the current planned spending figures.

The Finance section of the Infographic for the TSB on GC Infobase offers more detailed financial information related to future years.

Funding

This section provides an overview of the department's voted and statutory funding for its core responsibilities and for internal services. Consult the Government of Canada budgets and expenditures for further information on funding authorities.

Image

Analysis of statutory and voted funding over a six-year period

The departmental spending trend graph shows actual spending from 2022–23 to 2024–25 and planned spending from 2025–26 to 2027–28. Variations in statutory amounts reflect Employee Benefit Plan allocations associated with salaries. The significant increase in voted authorities between 2022–23 and 2023–24 was driven by funding for retroactive and in-year salary increases, and Budget 2023 funding for critical operating requirements, including some one-time funding for the investments in technical equipment. The decrease in 2024–25 primarily reflects the initial impact of the Refocusing Government Spending (RGS) reductions as well as the expiry of the one-time funding from 2023–24.

Planned funding from 2025–26 onward includes only amounts reflected in the Main Estimates and the Annual Reference Level Update.

Consult the Public Accounts of Canada for further information on the TSB’s departmental voted and statutory expenditures.

Financial statement highlights

The TSB’s Financial Statements (Unaudited) for the Year Ended March 31, 2025

Table 9: Condensed Statement of Operations (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2025 (thousands of dollars)

Analysis of expenses and revenues for 2024–25

Planned results for the 2024–25 fiscal year were based on estimates available at the time of preparing the Future-Oriented Financial Statements, an integral component of the 2024–25 Departmental Plan. The planned expenditure of $44.7 million compared with actual spending of $45.4 million, resulting in a variance of $0.7 million, or 1.6%, which aligns closely with the original estimate.

The 2024–25 planned results information is provided in the TSB’s Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2024–25.

Table 10: Condensed Statement of Operations (unaudited) for 2023–24 and 2024–25 (thousands of dollars)

Analysis of differences in expenses and revenues between 2023–24 and 2024–25

The TSB’s total operating expenses for 2024–25 was $45.4 million, up $1.5 million from the previous year. The increase was mainly due to higher salary costs and additional IT-related professional services, partially offset by lower machinery and equipment acquisitions.

The TSB’s revenues are incidental, primarily arising from the rebates received from its supplier for the use of TSB acquisition cards in 2024–25.

Table 11 Condensed Statement of Financial Position (unaudited) as at March 31, 2025 (thousands of dollars) .

Analysis of department’s liabilities and assets since last fiscal year

As illustrated in table 11, the TSB’s departmental net financial position increased by $2.5 million compared to previous year. This is a result of several factors: an increase in total non-financial assets which consist mainly of tangible capital assets ($2.3 million), a decrease in total net liabilities primarily due to lower year-end accounts payable ($1.7 million), offset by a decrease in total net financial assets which include accounts receivable, advances, and amounts due from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) (1.5 million).

Human resources

This section presents an overview of the department’s actual and planned human resources from 2022–23 to 2027–28.

Table 12: Actual human resources for core responsibilities and internal services

Analysis of human resources for the last three years

The actual full-time equivalents (FTEs) were 227 for both 2022–23 and 2023–24. For 2022–23, this matched the planned target of 227 FTEs. In 2023–24, the TSB had anticipated an increase in FTEs following the approval of new funding under Budget 2023, which provided additional resources for critical operating requirements. However, delays in confirming the funding, establishing new positions, and completing staffing processes prevented the organization from increasing staffing levels by year-end. In 2024–25, FTEs increased as many staffing processes launched in the previous year were finalized. Nevertheless, cost-efficiency measures implemented through the Refocusing Government Spending (RGS) exercise resulted in a variance from the levels originally planned in the 2024–25 Departmental Plan.

Table 13: Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services

Analysis of human resources for the next three years

For fiscal year 2025–26 and beyond, the TSB plans to maintain a stable number of full-time equivalents (FTEs). The anticipated increase from the 2024–25 actuals and planned levels reflects the additional positions approved through the integrity funding provided in Budget 2023. However, uncertainty regarding future budget reductions is prompting a prudent approach to staffing the positions required to meet operational needs, which may influence the actual number of FTEs in subsequent years.

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information table is available on the TSB’s website:

• Gender‑based Analysis Plus

Federal tax expenditures

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs as well as evaluations and GBA Plus of tax expenditures.

Corporate information

Departmental profile

Appropriate minister(s): The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., K.C., M.P.

Institutional head: Yoan Marier

Ministerial portfolio: Privy Council

Enabling instrument(s): Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act, S.C. 1989, c. 3

Year of incorporation / commencement: 1990

Departmental contact information

Mailing address:

Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Place du Centre, 4th floor
200 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 1K8

Telephone: 1-800-387-3557

Email: communications@tsb-bst.gc.ca

Website(s): www.tsb.gc.ca

Definitions

appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, departments or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

core responsibility(responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role of a department. The departmental results listed for a core responsibility reflect the outcomes that the department seeks to influence or achieve.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A report that outlines the anticipated activities and expected performance of an appropriated department over a 3-year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament in spring.

departmental priority (priorité)

A plan, project or activity that a department focuses and reports on during a specific planning period. Priorities represent the most important things to be done or those to be addressed first to help achieve the desired departmental results.

departmental result (résultat ministériel)

A high-level outcome related to the core responsibilities of a department.

departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A quantitative or qualitative measure that assesses progress toward a departmental result.

departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

A framework that connects the department’s core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report outlining a department’s accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

Full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

Measures the person years in a departmental budget.  An employee's scheduled hours per week divided by the employer's hours for a full-time workweek calculates a full-time equivalent. For example, an employee who works 20 hours in a 40-hour standard workweek represents a 0.5 full-time equivalent.

Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])

An analytical tool that helps to understand the ways diverse individuals experience policies, programs and other initiatives. Applying GBA Plus to policies, programs and other initiatives helps to identify the different needs of the people affected, the ways to be more responsive and inclusive, and the methods to anticipate and mitigate potential barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

government priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2024–25 Departmental Results Report, government priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda as announced in the 2021 Speech from the Throne.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

A program, project or other initiative where two or more federal departments receive funding to work collaboratively on a shared outcome usually linked to a government priority, and where the ministers involved agree to designate it as horizontal. Specific reporting requirements apply, including that the lead department must report on combined expenditures and results.

Indigenous business (entreprise autochtones)

For the purposes of a Departmental Result Report, this includes any entity that meets the Indigenous Services Canada’s criteria of being owned and operated by Elders, band and tribal councils, registered in the Indigenous Business Directory or registered on a modern treaty beneficiary business list.

non‑budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

performance (rendement)

What a department did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the department intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative measure that assesses progress toward a departmental-level or program-level result, or the expected outputs or outcomes of a program, policy or initiative.

plan (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how a department intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to the amounts presented in Main Estimates. Departments must determine their planned spending and be able to defend the financial numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

program (programme)

An Individual, group, or combination of services and activities managed together within a department and focused on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

program inventory (répertoire des programmes)

A listing that identifies all the department’s programs and the resources that contribute to delivering on the department’s core responsibilities and achieving its results.

result (résultat)

An outcome or output related to the activities of a department, policy, program or initiative.

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Spending approved through legislation passed in Parliament, other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose and the terms and conditions of the expenditures.

target (cible)

A quantitative or qualitative, measurable goal that a department, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period.

voted expenditures(dépenses votées)

Spending approved annually through an appropriation act passed in Parliament. The vote also outlines the conditions that govern the spending.