About

About The Project

An Open Look at Canadian Federal Government Travel Expenses.

Our Mission

OnOurDime was created to provide an accessible and user-friendly tool for exploring Canadian federal government travel expenses. Often, this type of data is published in spreadsheets or on less accessible government websites. Our aim is to transform this public data into clear, interactive visualizations.

We believe that government investments, made with taxpayer money on behalf of citizens, should be understandable and accessible. By presenting this travel expense data clearly, we hope to promote greater public interest in government spending and contribute to a more informed civic discourse on accountability. This platform is intended as a resource for citizens, journalists, and researchers alike.

Data Source

All visualizations on this platform are based on data from the official Proactive Disclosure of Travel Expenses dataset published by the Government of Canada on its Open Data Portal. This is publicly available information.

The data typically includes details on the traveler, department, purpose of travel, destination, dates, and costs broken down by categories like airfare, accommodation, meals, and other expenses.

Last checked for updates: May 13, 2025. Data itself reflects the period covered by the government's publications.

Data Processing & Cleaning

To enhance usability and consistency for analysis, the raw data undergoes some automated processing:

  • Text Normalization: Fields like department names, traveler titles, and names are standardized (e.g., trimming whitespace, consistent casing) to improve aggregation and filtering. For example, "Minister of X" and "MINISTER OF X" would be treated as the same title.
  • Name Cleaning: Traveler names are processed to improve consistency. This may involve removing honorifics for grouping or attempting to standardize formats. The original disclosed name is always the ultimate reference.
  • Destination Parsing: Destination information, often provided as free text (e.g., "Paris, France" or "Paris (France)"), is parsed to identify cities and countries for geographical mapping.
    • Due to variations and potential spelling errors in the source data, not all destinations can be parsed with 100% accuracy.
    • When a destination cannot be reliably geocoded, it will not appear on the map. The original destination text from the source data is retained and can be seen in detailed views where applicable for full transparency.

Our processing aims to make the data more explorable while striving to maintain the integrity of the original information.

Interpreting the Information

This dashboard is a tool for exploration. When viewing the data, remember:

  • Travel is a necessary function of government. Expenses should be viewed in the context of a department's mandate or an official's responsibilities.
  • Use the provided filters (dates, departments, etc.) to focus your analysis.
  • Compare trends over time rather than isolated figures where possible.

For more questions, please see our FAQ below.

Data Limitations

While we strive for accuracy, the visualizations reflect the data as published by the Government of Canada. Users should be aware of:

  • Source Data Accuracy: Any errors or omissions in the original dataset will be reflected here.
  • Reporting Timeliness: There can be a lag between when travel occurs and when it's publicly disclosed.
  • Data Granularity & Amendments: The level of detail can vary, and the source data may be amended over time. This dashboard is updated periodically from the source.
  • Currency: All monetary values are in Canadian Dollars (CAD).

OnOurDime is an independent project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Government of Canada.

Frequently Asked Questions

OnOurDime is an interactive platform designed to make Canadian federal government expenses data more accessible, understandable, and engaging. Our goal is to visualize publicly available information to help citizens, researchers, and journalists explore how public funds are utilized.

This site was started to provide an easy-to-use tool for exploring government expenses that are often found in complex spreadsheets buried on obscure government websites. Our goal is to promote public interest in government spending and foster a better understanding of how taxpayer money is invested on behalf of citizens.

No, the primary aim of OnOurDime is not to criticize but to provide transparency and foster understanding. We believe that when citizens can easily access and explore this data, they can form their own informed opinions and knowledgably engage in public discourse. It's about empowering the public with information for civic engagement and government accountability.

All data is sourced from the Government of Canada's official Open Data Portal. This is public information provided by the government itself.

To improve consistency for analysis and visualization, the raw data undergoes some automated processing. This includes standardizing text for department names, traveler titles, and names (e.g., consistent casing, trimming whitespace). Destination information is parsed to identify cities and countries for mapping, though this can have limitations due to variations or errors in the original free-text entries.

Destination data is often entered as free text in the source files, which can lead to spelling variations, different formatting, or incomplete information. While we attempt to parse these into standardized locations for mapping, not all entries can be geocoded with perfect accuracy. In cases of ambiguity or unparseable entries, they may not appear on the map or might be grouped under a broader region or country. The original destination text is retained in the source data for transparency.

It's important to consider context. Government travel is often necessary for officials and public servants to perform their duties. Factors like an individual's role, a department's mandate, the purpose of the travel (e.g., international G7 meeting vs. domestic site visit), and the location all influence costs. This tool provides the data; forming conclusions requires considering these contextual factors.

Government departments have a reporting cycle for disclosing expenses. It's common for there to be a delay between the end of a reporting period and when the full data appears in the public dataset.

No, this is an independent project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Government of Canada.