$1.4B of federal grants spent on research about Trudeau’s speeches, dancefloors, and more: CTF

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsCanada $1.4B of federal grants spent on research about Trudeau's speeches, dancefloors, and more: CTF A Canadian Taxpayers Federation analysis found $78,623 was granted for research on 'the state of the dancefloor in Canada,' $43,693 to study former prime minister Justin Trudeau's speeches and $30,987 on ancient temple brewers Author of the article: By Ellie Hutchings Published Sep 16, 2026 Last updated 41 minutes ago 3 minute read Join the conversation Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. PHOTO BY HYUNGCHEOL PARK /Postmedia Article content The federal government’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) will cost taxpayers $1.4 billion this year, according to the 2026–27 Main Estimates. Article content And an analysis of federal grant data by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) reveals this money is being spent on ancient temple brewers, Arctic climate comics, low-carbon videogames and Justin Trudeau’s speeches, to name a few of the research topics the government is funding. Article content Article content Article content The SSHRC is a federal agency that promotes and supports research in the humanities and social sciences through its funding opportunities, and the government says SSHRC-funded research provides “insights on the issues that matter most to Canadians.” Article content NP Posted Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content However, CTF questions how many of the funded topics resonate with Canadians. “Studies about climate comics and the state of Canadian dancefloors don’t sound like studies that matter most to Canadians like the government claims,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF federal director. Article content “A government that can find $30,987 for temple brewers in ancient Mesopotamia can find savings for Canadian taxpayers,” he adds. Article content Terrazzano is referring to a study on “struggling temple brewers in sixth century BCE Mesopotamia” by a researcher at University of Toronto and was awarded the sum by the federal government in a February 2026 competition. Article content Among the other projects mentioned are a Quebec-based study on the…