G8/G20 costs top $857M
Final tally 25% less than estimated cost: officials
Last Updated: Friday, November 5, 2010 | 11:28 PM ET
CBC News
Related
Latest news
- Man facing G20-related charges due in court
- June 30: A Toronto man who was arrested last week on weapons and explosive charges that police say were related to their G20 summit security preparations is set to appear in court Wednesday.
- G20 reporters complain to police watchdog
- June 29: Four journalists have filed complaints with Ontario's police watchdog, alleging physical assaults and threats of sexual violence by police during the Toronto G20 summit, their lawyer says.
- Chief admits 5-metre G20 security rule didn't exist
- June 29: Toronto's police chief is admitting there never was a five-metre rule that had people fearing arrest if they strayed too close to the G20 security perimeter.
- Alleged G20 protest planners have court date
- June 29: Four alleged anarchists accused of having organizing roles in the weekend's G20 riots are scheduled to appear in a Toronto court.
- G20 police actions prompt call for inquiry
- The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is calling for a public inquiry into police response during the G20 summit in Toronto over the weekend, calling it "disproportionate," "arbitrary" and "excessive."
- Toronto police to review G20 tactics
- June 29: The Toronto Police Service's Summit Management After Action Review Team (SMAART) will "provide an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses in the G20 plans, and their execution, to provide a model for improved best practices in future operations," police say in a release.
The federal government spent nearly $858 million on the G8 and G20 summits in June, according to documents tabled Friday in the House of Commons.
The RCMP received at least $330 million in funding to handle the G8 and G20 summits in Huntsville, Ont., and Toronto in June. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press) The exact number, $857,901,850.31, is 25 per cent lower than the summits' estimated cost of $1.13 billion.
The tally is considered final and no additional costs are expected, according to a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Vic Toews. It also includes reimbursements to municipalities and other partners, whose bills are due on Dec. 1.
The documents tabled Friday outline specific costs for each department or ministry as of Oct. 28.
Of the $858 million, nearly a third, or $330 million, went to the RCMP.
The RCMP's expenses included:
- $89.8 million for salaries, overtime and benefits.
- $65.2 million for accommodation.
- $15.1 million for perimeter security costs.
- $15.4 million for radios.
- $43.9 million for meals, travel and fleet requirements.
Spending 'rather outrageous': critic
Mark Holland, the Liberal critic for public safety and national security, said it would "take a while" to review the more than 1,000 pages of documents.
"Obviously, we're going to be taking a look at more ridiculous expenditures like fake lakes or … ridiculous amounts spent on … snacks, on hotel bills, on car rentals," Holland said outside the Commons.
"The spending to this point has been rather outrageous. And that's just what they've let us know about. So I can imagine as we dig through these documents that we'll find more outrageous waste."
He said his party would submit the documents to the parliamentary budget officer for further review.
Earlier Friday, Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose vowed to table all costs related to the summits "down to the penny." Ambrose said the majority of the costs related to security.
"But Canadian taxpayers deserve no less," Ambrose said during Friday morning's question period.
Other expenses listed in the documents include:
- $17,000 for shuttles to transport foreign affairs employees between Hunstville and Toronto.
- $13,000 for renting fine art, plus $9,000 for insuring it.
- $26,000 on generators.
- $14,142 on down jackets for a pre-summit meeting in Iqaluit.
Share Tools
Latest Toronto News Headlines
- Brampton man charged in wife's slaying
- Peel Regional Police have charged a man with second-degree murder after his wife was found dead in a Brampton home Monday morning. more »
- Driver dies after vehicle struck by tire on Highway 400
- A male driver has died from injuries he sustained in an accident involving a flying tire on Highway 400 on Monday morning. more »
- Toronto could set heat record on Monday
- The heat and humidity are descending on Toronto, with Environment Canada issuing a special weather statement, advising people to take care as the temperature soars to near 33 C. more »
- Toronto archbishop opposes gay-straight alliance bill
- The Archbishop of Toronto spoke out against the Ontario government's plan to introduce anti-bullying legislation that would allow anti-homophobic clubs to be called 'gay-straight alliances.' more »
Top News Headlines
- B.C. police shooting video sparks calls for new probe
- Amateur video of the shooting of a mentally ill Vancouver man five years ago has prompted calls for B.C.'s police complaint commissioner and the Criminal Justice Branch to take another look at the case. more »
- 'Engine shutdown' forced Air Canada jet to land
- A Japan-bound Air Canada Boeing 777 jet had to make an emergency landing at Toronto's Pearson airport on Monday, after one of its engines failed. more »
- CP Rail union, Tories battle over collective bargaining
- The federal Conservatives defended their plan to force striking Canadian Pacific Railway employees back to work as a way to keep the economy on track, while the union representing 4,800 workers said their collective bargaining rights are under attack. more »
- Bullyproof: One classroom confession
- Chadia became physically scarred after incessant teasing. Her story is one of 150 gathered in a video confessional booth at a Quebec school. more »
- 'Engine shutdown' forced Air Canada jet to land
- Canadian Everest climber's body recovered
- Driver dies after vehicle struck by tire on Highway 400
- Brampton man charged in wife's slaying
- Toronto could set heat record on Monday
- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford 'not even dieting anymore'
- Man hits car driven by nun, has iPhone stolen
- Toronto archbishop opposes gay-straight alliance bill
- Truck dangles on overpass after 401 crash in Ajax

