Under its current mandate, the jurisdiction of Canadian Heritage encompasses, but is not limited to, jurisdiction over: the promotion of human rights, fundamental freedoms and related values; multiculturalism; the arts; cultural heritage and industries, including performing arts, visual and audio-visual arts, publishing, sound recording, film, video, and literature; national battlefields; the encouragement, promotion, and development of sport; the advancement of official bilingualism; state ceremonial and Canadian symbols; broadcasting, except in regards to spectrum management and the technical aspects of broadcasting; the development of cultural policy, including such policy as it relates to foreign investment and copyright; the conservation, exportation and importation of cultural property; the organization, sponsorship, and promotion of public activities and events, in the National Capital Region, that will "enrich the cultural and social fabric of Canada;" and national museums, archives and libraries.

Founded on 25 June 1993,[4] the Department of Canadian Heritage was initially created by Kim Campbell from parts of several other federal departments, combining responsibility for official languages, arts and culture, broadcasting, parks, and historic sites, as well as programs in the areas of multiculturalism, citizenship, state ceremonial, amateur sport and the National Capital Commission.

[17][18] Activities at the department are overseen by several senior officials,[18] and reports directly to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, who is currently Steven Guilbeault.

Activities related to official languages report to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, currently held by Mélanie Joly;[19] and diversity, inclusion and youth activities report to the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Youth, who is currently Bardish Chagger.

[11] Partnering with TV5Monde public broadcasters, the Canadian government supported the creation of a French-language digital platform with an investment of $14.6 million over five years, beginning in 2019–20.

In 2019–20, the Celebration and Commemoration Program funded 207 National Indigenous Peoples Day events across Canada, and provided $1.3 million in funding to the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) to organize and host the 2019 APTN Indigenous Day Live in Calgary, AB, Whitehorse, YT, and Winnipeg, MB.

These departmental objectives include those that relate to supporting culture, history, heritage, sport and Canada's official languages.

[28] In 2019, it was reported that Canadian Heritage provided over $130,000 in public grant money to organizations with ties to the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department, which published ads critical of the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests.