Government

The article discusses ongoing labour negotiations between the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Treasury Board for the TC (Translation) group. More than 13,000 PSAC members have received notices that they could lose their jobs due to restructuring and workforce reductions across the federal public service.

The Bureau of Pension Advocates, a Veterans Affairs bureau that provides free legal advice to veterans and RCMP members denied disability benefits, is eliminating almost 100 temporary positions including 24 lawyers. This represents a 44 per cent workforce reduction that unions and MPs warn could negatively impact services for veterans.

The Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre will experience staff layoffs and reduced capacity due to Nova Scotia provincial budget cuts that did not restore funding to youth outreach, family resource, and after-school programs. The centre's critical preventative supports for Indigenous youth and families, including justice system navigation and domestic violence prevention services, remain at risk following the partial reversal of the provincial government's controversial budget cuts.

Correctional Service Canada plans to cut over 400 positions across federal penitentiaries as part of budget cuts requiring $132 million in savings over three years, including the elimination of approximately 50 library technician and employment co-ordinator positions. Critics warn the cuts could negatively impact inmate recidivism and reintegration, describing it as 'the hollowing out of a core rehabilitative service.'

The federal government's plan to reduce the public service by 15 per cent over three years will result in more than 800 positions being cut at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The cuts threaten Canada's Arctic science research capabilities, including long-term monitoring of toxins and contaminants that inform international environmental treaties and policies.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police will cut 76 positions at its national headquarters in Ottawa as the national police force looks to find billions of dollars in savings in its budget.

The Canada Border Services Agency is reducing its workforce by 348 employees and has sent notices of potential layoffs to 708 people, with cuts exclusively affecting national headquarters branches. The job cuts are in response to a 2% budget reduction of approximately $52 million and are part of the federal government's broader effort to reduce its workforce by 16,000 full-time equivalent positions over the next three years.

The Department of Justice is cutting approximately 73 employees from its Indigenous rights and relations unit, representing more than one-fifth of the 328 at-risk positions across the entire department. The Treasury Board's latest numbers show the Justice Department plans to cut 197 employees and 37 executives.

The Nova Scotia government's 2026 budget includes more than $300 million in cuts affecting approximately 1,000 full-time equivalent jobs across the civil service and broader public sector. The cuts target management and administration roles rather than front-line services, with job reductions to be achieved by January 2027, with the Justice and Social Development departments expected to take the biggest hit.

Nova Scotia's Department of Natural Resources laid off 7 non-unionized staff members as part of a restructuring to prioritize economic development and resource-based growth. The layoffs included senior wildlife division positions such as the manager of biodiversity, manager of ecosystems and habitats, and director of wildlife, prompting concerns from conservation groups about the impact on environmental protection in the province.

The Parole Board of Canada will eliminate 37 positions.

For departments outside the core public service, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has told CTV News Ottawa 587 positions will be cut in its department.

Library and Archives Canada announced the elimination of 56 positions. The cuts were reported on February 16, 2026.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is planning to cut over 500 jobs as part of the federal government's larger workforce reduction strategy. The Public Service Alliance of Canada, another union speaking for CFIA workers, has said 1,371 employees at the agency have received workforce adjustment notices. The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada staged a demonstration in downtown Ottawa to protest the cuts, warning of impacts on disease surveillance and emergency response.

The National Research Council facility in Winnipeg is laying off 12 employees as part of a federal government plan to reduce public service employee numbers. The layoffs were confirmed on February 13, 2026.

7 employees from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights have been laid off as part of federal government belt-tightening measures. The layoffs are part of a broader federal cost-cutting program.

Agriculture department officials are addressing research cuts. 27 research scientists will not stay in their current location or be offered an equivalent position elsewhere.

Premier David Eby announced that 2,000 public service jobs have been eliminated as part of an expenditure management and efficiency review, with more cuts expected in the 2026 budget. The province is targeting administrative positions that do not support front-line service delivery while facing an $11.2 billion deficit.

Transport Canada is cutting 439 employee positions and 27 executive positions as part of a broader federal government spending reduction plan targeting $60 billion in cuts over five years. The Union of Canadian Transportation Employees warns that reductions in inspection services and dangerous goods oversight could create public safety risks for Canadians.

Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal government is cutting 840 positions (approximately 10% of workforce) at Environment and Climate Change Canada as part of a broader federal public service reduction of 16,000 full-time equivalent positions over three years. On Jan. 27, an email went out to ECCC’s Science and Technology Branch (STB) staff from assistant deputy minister Marc D’Iorio, warning that 120 full-time roles would be cut over the next year, starting in April. Scientists and labour leaders warn the cuts could significantly impact environmental monitoring, weather forecasting, emergency alerts, and public safety services for Canadians.