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In response to queries from The ºÃÉ«tv Press, a Public Health Agency of Canada spokesperson said in a media statement the loss resulted from what the agency called a "temperature deviation."

The statement did not say how the temperature deviation happened or whether it was the result of a single incident.

"While the Public Health Agency of Canada cannot disclose any further details concerning assets held by the (stockpile), including types and volumes, due to national security implications, we can confirm that the identified losses will not compromise the (stockpile's) capacity to respond to public health events," the statement said.

The statement also said the line item in the public accounts refers to pharmaceutical products, such as vaccines, that are held in the national emergency stockpile. It did not specify exactly what the products were.

Mazier said he's going to call for an investigation into what happened at the House of Commons health committee.

"Losing $20 million in pharmaceuticals from Canada’s emergency stockpile is shocking and unacceptable, and the fact the Liberals tried to hide this from ºÃÉ«tvs is even worse," Mazier said in a written statement.

A spokesperson for Health Minister Marjorie Michel said she is aware of a "technical malfunction" at the emergency stockpile that resulted in the loss.

"While this incident is unfortunate, PHAC is ensuring the (stockpile) is equipped appropriately to fulfil its mission, including protecting critical vaccine supply. Minister Michel is also working with the agency to ensure such an incident can be prevented in the future," Guillaume Bertrand said in an email.

The national stockpile is a network of warehouses across the country where the government stores medical supplies, vaccines and emergency response equipment.

First established during the Cold War, the stockpile was initially intended to respond to a nuclear emergency.

Since then, it has been adapted to respond to outbreaks of diseases, including SARS and COVID-19, and natural disasters like hurricanes and floods, bioterrorism attacks and other emergencies.

It came under intense scrutiny in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic after it was reported that personal protective equipment supplies held in the stockpile — including millions of N95 masks — had expired and were not replaced years before the pandemic began.

At the time, Canada and countries around the world were competing to buy massive amounts of gloves, masks and other equipment amid global shortages.

The federal government launched a review of the stockpile system in response to the public outcry. That resulted in a comprehensive management plan released in July 2024.

The review found the stockpile warehouses had aging physical infrastructure and outdated information management systems. In response, the government leased and retrofitted a modern warehouse facility with specialized infrastructure to manage biomedical equipment.

The comprehensive management plan said as of 2023, the stockpile included ventilators, life support machines, masks and other personal protective equipment, and diagnostic equipment. It also had mini emergency triage clinics, supplies like generators and blankets, and vaccines and drugs.

The stockpile grew to fill 20 warehouses with some 1.7 million square feet of space in 2023, up from eight warehouses in 2019. During the pandemic, the stockpile grew to over three million square feet of warehouse space.

The comprehensive management plan also noted that the stockpile had started to donate medical materials before they were set to expire.

This report by ºÃÉ«tvwas first published Nov. 12, 2025.