Some federal Crown corporations are charging taxpayers thousands of dollars for lavish meals, while other boards manage to keep costs modest, according to 2025 expense records reviewed by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.“Some of these Crown corporation boards seem to think it’s fine to expense big bills from fancy restaurants because they think everyone’s doing it, but that’s out of touch and irresponsible,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “Even their counterparts at other Crowns are puncturing that culture of entitlement. The average Canadian family can buy groceries for a year for less money than some of these boards pay for food at a few meetings, so it’s time for these Crown boards to stop wasting money.”Expense disclosures show wide variations in spending. The Canadian Grain Commission board spent just $2,349 on meals for quarterly meetings in 2025, including $63 for “coffee and donuts” from Tim Hortons, supplemented by budget meals from Sobeys and local delis.By contrast, the Royal Canadian Mint billed taxpayers $12,334 for meals, including $2,429 at a Winnipeg steakhouse for 15 people. The Canada Foundation for Innovation expensed $26,529 for board meals, including $4,218 for a reception at the Vancouver Hyatt and $4,205 for another at the Toronto Hyatt. Its President and CEO, Sylvain Charbonneau, also charged $3,881 for a working dinner, lunch and refreshments for 20 attendees at the Metcalf Hotel in Ottawa.Other boards with high dining bills included the Business Development Bank of Canada at $20,864, the National Gallery of Canada at $18,262, and the National Capital Commission at $12,566, with directors frequenting upscale restaurants in Ottawa, Gatineau, Vancouver, and Toronto..Meanwhile, some boards kept meal spending modest. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights spent $7,548, averaging $50 per person per meal. Telefilm Canada spent $4,062. VIA Rail billed $357, the Canada Council for the Arts $257, and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation $237.The extravagant dining bills persist even as the federal government spends over $1 billion per week on interest for a national debt exceeding $1 trillion. Prime Minister Mark Carney has called on Crown corporations to propose spending reductions of up to 15% by 2028.“Carney said he’s looking for ways to save money, and these records show he doesn’t need Millhouse-sized glasses to find waste at Crown corporations,” Terrazzano said. “The government is broke, Canadians are struggling, and Carney needs to crack down on these extravagant taxpayer-funded expenses.”For context, the average Canadian family spends $17,570 on groceries each year, according to Canada’s Food Price Report.
