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rfmcdonaldIt's important to note that the very significant cost of the G8/G20 summit doesn't seem to be out of line for major international summits. That said, it's still a figure that's causing a certain amount of political angst.
The federal government spent more than $200-million on hotel bills, rental cars, bug spray, box lunches, communications equipment, parking, and numerous other items, according to a cost breakdown for the G8 and G20 summits.
Government records show that hundreds of suppliers secured contracts for services rendered for the June summits, held in Toronto and Huntsville, Ont., including a $334,000 bill for sun screen, bug spray and hand sanitizer.
The government has estimated the total summit tab to be just over $1-billion and the newly released documents detail contract spending for about one-quarter of the overall bill.
[. . .]
Almost 30 page of records show that a hundred dollars here and another-million dollars there added up to spending of about $222-million for the Public Works Department and the RCMP alone, two of the several entities involved in the two summits.
For the two summits combined, Public Works shelled out about $132-million for contracts and the RCMP spent another $90-million.
[. . .].
The records show the government paid $4.4-million for a summit security fence, tens of-millions in accommodation at dozens of hotels,-millions more for food and rental vehicles, and that at least 100 contracts were awarded to supply a vast array of communications and security equipment.
Some of the most expensive items included almost $12-million to lease the Toronto airport, $5-million to lease the Sheraton Toronto Centre, $3.7-million for the Westin Harbour Castle and $3.6-million for the Fairmont Royal York. Canada Catering Co. secured $2.5-million to supply box lunches at the Muskoka airport.
On the other end of the spectrum, Mountain Equipment Co-op provided $14,000 in “bug jackets.”
