The Daily. Wednesday, January 24, 2001
After-tax profits of local government enterprises reached $403.4 million in 1998, down $110.3 million or 21.5% from 1997. All four industries - electricity, transit systems, gas distribution and telephone - saw lower profits.
Local power utilities, with a net income of $301.1 million, accounted for most of the overall profit in 1998. In comparison, this profit is six times smaller than the $1.9 billion net income of provincial electric utilities before restructuring costs.
Income and expenses of local government enterprises by industry
| 1998 | 1997 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income | Expenses | Net income | Net income | |
| $ million | ||||
| Total | 11,971.4 | 11,567.9 | 403.4 | 513.8 |
| Electricity | 9,108.9 | 8,807.8 | 301.1 | 392.8 |
| Transit systems | 2,625.3 | 2,571.5 | 53.8 | 60.8 |
| Gas distribution | 152.8 | 125.9 | 26.9 | 36.7 |
| Telephone | 84.3 | 62.7 | 21.6 | 23.5 |
| Note: | Totals may not add due to rounding. |
Total income for all industries reached $12.0 billion in 1998, of which $1.2 billion was subsidies to public transit systems. When removing subsidies from income, only two provinces, Saskatchewan ($5.8 million) and Prince Edward Island ($0.2 million) generated profits.
Data are drawn from Statistics Canada surveys, provincial departments of municipal affairs, financial statements of local enterprises, provincial statistical agencies and other government agencies. They cover all local government entities operating in the public transit, power utilities, telephone and gas distribution industries. Local governments are also involved in other commercial activities such as campgrounds and golf courses. The consolidation of these data with those of the municipalities prevents identifying them separately.
Income and expenses of local government enterprises by province and territory
| 1998 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | Expenses | Net income | |
| $ million | |||
| Canada | 11,971.4 | 11,567.9 | 403.4 |
| Newfoundland | 7.6 | 7.6 | 0.0 |
| Prince Edward Island | 9.8 | 9.6 | 0.2 |
| Nova Scotia | 25.3 | 25.2 | 0.0 |
| New Brunswick | 95.0 | 89.4 | 5.6 |
| Quebec | 1,141.4 | 1,100.2 | 41.2 |
| Ontario | 8,402.8 | 8,234.0 | 168.7 |
| Manitoba | 211.1 | 184.2 | 26.9 |
| Saskatchewan | 124.4 | 103.2 | 21.2 |
| Alberta | 1,855.4 | 1,718.1 | 137.3 |
| British Columbia | 96.8 | 94.6 | 2.2 |
| Yukon | 1.8 | 1.7 | 0.0 |
| Northwest Territories | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Note: | Totals may not add due to rounding. |
Available on CANSIM: matrices 3271 and 3272.
Data are available through custom and special tabulation. They are presented by province and territory and by industry at the Canada total for the period 1995 to 1998. For more information, or general inquiries on the products or services of the Public Institutions Division, contact Lisa McCambley (613-951-0767; lisa.mccambley@statcan.gc.ca).
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Jean-Marc de Beaumont (613-951-1829; debejea@statcan.gc.ca) or Jean Émard (613-951-1847; emarjea@statcan.gc.ca) Public Institutions Division.