Canada’s $200M COVID fund shows millions misspent with zero oversight

A federal audit reveals that the Public Health Agency of Canada gave out more than $200 million in grants with minimal oversight, untrained staff, and virtually no accountability as part of their pandemic spending spree.

Tamara Ugolini
  |   August 29, 2025   |   News Analysis   |   Be the first to comment

 

The Public Health Agency of Canada spent more than $200 million on a pandemic program with little oversight, according to an internal report exposed by Blacklock’s Reporter.

It reveals that PHAC disbursed $206.3 million through the “Safe Restart Agreement Contribution Program,” a subsidy initiative aimed at funding local authorities for COVID-19 research, testing, tracing, and distribution of test kits. Yet instead of rigorous accountability, millions in grants were essentially rubber-stamped, according to the program's evaluation.

“The program was established at a time when there was limited knowledge about the duration of the pandemic and the nature of the associated federal response,” it stated. “This uncertainty and the needs of the response which evolved as the pandemic unfolded left limited capacity for robust oversight and reporting mechanisms.”

Designed to expedite funding, the program supported 28 projects via 34 agreements with 25 non-provincial recipients, while also allocating resources to all provinces and territories for 24 initiatives. Auditors noted its ‘flexibility’ allowed for rapid disbursement — $31.7 million was allocated within just six weeks.

Recipients included the University of British Columbia ($384,626), Greater Toronto Airports Authority ($457,745), Manitoba Métis Federation ($1 million), University of Regina ($1.2 million), and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce ($9.4 million). Yet, oversight was sorely lacking, with auditors relying heavily on grant recipients to self-report wise use of funds.

The evaluation faulted PHAC for deploying untrained staff amid high turnover. “The lack of measurable assessment criteria challenged the proposal review process, while staff capacity challenges including frequent turnover, as well a lack of standardized reporting instruments and structured report review process limited performance monitoring,” it furthered.

By the third year, most original staff had departed, replaced by novices inexperienced in administering large-scale grants. This led to “inconsistent reporting on key deliverables and outputs, ultimately limiting the ability to assess the Program’s achievement of outcomes,” the report concluded.

Additional shortcomings included a lack of defined proposal assessment criteria, an absence of an overarching performance measurement framework, and a lack of expertise in grant administration — all of which stem from the program's hasty setup.

While the initiative was deemed “successful” in speed, its limitations highlight yet another example of federal mismanagement during the COVID-19 response.

Then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hailed the program as a reward for Canadians “doing their part.”

“As we continue to deal with the impacts of the virus, we are committed to working with the provinces and territories to provide the support they need to help Canadians make it through this crisis,” he said at program inception. “Together, our priority is to keep Canadians safe and healthy, while building a stronger, more resilient Canada for everyone.”

As the mental and economic scars of the pandemic linger, questions about accountability remain unanswered.

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Tamara Ugolini

Senior Editor

Tamara Ugolini is an informed choice advocate turned journalist whose journey into motherhood sparked her passion for parental rights and the importance of true informed consent. She critically examines the shortcomings of "Big Policy" and its impact on individuals, while challenging mainstream narratives to empower others in their decision-making.

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