Some Crown corporations are dining on fine cuisine and sending taxpayers bills that are particularly shocking in contrast to other boards that are content to grab food from Timmies, 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 some Crown corporations kept refreshment bills to a few thousand dollars or less for their board meetings in 2025. Meanwhile, others couldn’t get through an agenda without going to an expensive steakhouse in town for lunch.

For example, the Canadian Grain Commission’s board spent just $2,349 on meals for its quarterly meetings. Their meals included $63 for “coffee and donuts” from Tim Hortons. Its board members also managed to sustain themselves on budget meals from Sobeys and the local deli. 

In contrast, the Royal Canadian Mint’s board spent $12,334 in 2025, including $2,429 at a steakhouse in Winnipeg for 15 people.

While technically a “non-governmental organization,” the Canada Foundation for Innovation expensed taxpayers $26,529 on meals during its board meetings in 2025, according to the federal government’s proactive disclosure website. Costs to taxpayers included a “reception” at the Vancouver Hyatt that cost $4,218 and another “reception” at the Toronto Hyatt that cost taxpayers $4,205.

Its President and CEO, Sylvain Charbonneau, also expensed $3,881 for a board meeting “working dinner, lunch and refreshments” at the Metcalf hotel in Ottawa with 20 attendees.

The Business Development Bank’s board of directors billed taxpayers $20,864 for meals in 2025. It bought its meals almost exclusively from the upscale caterer, Robert Alexis Traiteur.

The National Gallery of Canada’s board members spent $18,262 on meals in 2025, including a $3,769 bill for “breakfast, refreshments and lunch” at the prestigious River Lounge.

The National Capital Commission’s board members spent $12,566 in 2025 and dined at Ottawa and Gatineau’s upscale restaurants, like the Cocotte Bistro, Luxe Bistro, Starling and Les Flavoureux.

Meanwhile, the boards of other Crown corporations spent much less on meals in 2025, showing that it is indeed physically possible for government bureaucrats to spend less.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights spent $7,548 on meals for board members in 2025. Board members usually went downstairs to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights’ own restaurant. The board spent $50 per person per meal on average.

Telefilm Canada’s board spent $4,062 on meals, including at local restaurants and at grocery stores like Fresco. They spent about $50 per person on average.

The VIA Rail board only spent $357 on meals in 2025, according to the reported spending in the expense records. The Canada Council for the Arts board spent $257, and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation board spent $237.

The luxurious dining bills from some Crown corporations keep coming even though the federal government is paying more than a billion dollars a week on interest charges for the national debt that is more than $1 trillion and climbing.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is requiring Crown corporations to propose savings of up to 15 per cent of their spending by 2028, according to media reports.

“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.”

The average Canadian family spends $17,570 on groceries per year, according to Canada's Food Price Report.