Public Health Agency Spent Over $2.5 Million on ArriveCan App Promotion: Document

A smartphone set to the opening screen of the ArriveCan app is seen in a file photo. (The Canadian Press/Giordano Ciampini)

The federal public health agency spent over $2.5 million on contracts related to advertising, public relations, and other types of promotions for the ArriveCan app, according to newly released figures.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) awarded contracts totaling $2.54 million for various promotional projects related to the app between 2020 and 2022, according to an Inquiry of Ministry tabled in the House of Commons on Jan. 30.

The figures were requested by Conservative MP Michael Cooper, who posed questions about the costs in the Inquiry dated Nov. 18, 2022.

“What are the total expenditures paid by the government related to advertising, public relations or other types of promotion for the ArriveCAN application,” Cooper asked in the Inquiry.

The majority of the contracts were awarded to Quebec-based company Cossette Media. Ottawa-based Lowe-Martin Company Inc. was also listed as a vendor.

The largest of 12 contracts was worth over $1.4 million and was paid to Cossette in April and May 2020 for media services such as search engine, programmatic, and digital marketing.

PHAC notes in the inquiry that the contracts paid to Cossette and Lowe-Martin also covered media services other than ArriveCan campaigns, such as advertisements for public health measures and the vaccine roll-out.

Other contracts awarded to Cossette included an $877,820 deal for marketing services between July and November 2020, which included “print magazine” and “out-of-home” advertising.

Another contract to the company, worth $763,038, paid for services including social media marketing between July and October 2021.

Lowe-Martin received two sole-sourced contracts, which totaled just over $1,000 and were for services described by PHAC as “printing of ArriveCAN factsheet.”

Other Costs

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) also responded in the inquiry to Cooper’s questions, saying it “did not issue any promotions contracts related to the ArriveCAN application,” but did issue three contracts on Health Canada’s behalf that were “related, but not necessarily solely related, to the ArriveCan application.”

All three of the contracts from PSPC were awarded to Cossette Media, the first being worth over $21 million and issued in February 2021 through March 2022.

The contract was described as a “task authorization in support of Health Canada to plan the media and place the advertisements in paid media” related to health measures during the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out.

PSPC awarded Cossette another contract in May 2020, worth over $19 million to date, to “develop strategy and create marketing and advertising assets required to support Health Canada.” The contract is ongoing through March 31, 2023.

Another contract worth over $254,000 was issued to Cossette for services between April 2022 through March 31, 2023.

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates is currently studying all federal contracts and development costs associated with ArriveCan, which the Canada Border Services Agency previously confirmed were worth over $54 million in total.