Bank of Canada statement — Feb 28, 2023

Summary#

This notice publishes the Bank of Canada’s unaudited statement of financial position as at February 28, 2023. It shows total assets of $393,686 million, total liabilities of $394,766 million, and a net deficiency of $(1,080) million. The statement was signed on March 21, 2023 by Coralia Bulhoes (Chief Financial Officer) and Tiff Macklem (Governor).

What it does#

• Presents the Bank’s balance sheet (assets, liabilities and deficiency) for the month ending February 28, 2023.
• Lists major asset items, including:
  • cash and foreign deposits $28 million;
  • Government of Canada bonds — amortized cost $105,024 million and fair value $225,727 million;
  • total investments $361,871 million;
  • derivatives / indemnity agreements with the Government of Canada $30,640 million;
  • capital assets $664 million; and
  • other assets $481 million.
• Lists major liability items, including:
  • bank notes in circulation $115,018 million;
  • deposits (government, Payments Canada members, other) totaling $267,824 million;
  • securities sold under repurchase agreements $11,607 million.
• Shows reserves and equity items, including an accumulated deficit of $2,085 million and a total deficiency of $(1,080) million.
• Records the required declarations under the Bank of Canada Act by the CFO and the Governor.

Who's affected#

• Economists, market analysts and journalists who track central‑bank finances.
• Financial markets and institutional investors who follow central‑bank balance sheets.
• Federal officials and Parliamentarians who oversee public financial institutions.
• The general public and taxpayers, because the Bank reports on assets and liabilities that relate to public money and banknotes in circulation.
• If unclear from the notice: it does not propose any policy change — it is a published financial statement, not a new rule.

Why it matters#

• It gives a current snapshot of the central bank’s financial position and holdings.
• The statement supports transparency and public accountability for the Bank of Canada.
• The numbers (for example the reported $(1,080) million deficiency) may be used by analysts to gauge the Bank’s balance‑sheet trends, which can inform commentary about monetary policy, risk exposure or fiscal interactions.
• This is an unaudited monthly statement, so it is a routine reporting item rather than a final audited annual report.