HOW MUCH DID ROYAL VISIT COST?
The federal Department of Canadian Heritage projected it would spend $855,000 to welcome the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to British Columbia and the Yukon this fall, records show.
A budget breakdown shows money was set aside for a staff “reconnaissance visit” and “dry-run visit,” hotel accommodations, motorcade vehicle rentals, hiring an official photographer and bouquets of flowers.
Prince William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and their two small children toured Western Canada Sept. 24 through Oct. 1. Their jam-packed itinerary included a canoe trip in Haida Gwaii, a winery tour in the Okanagan, and a visit to the Immigrant Services Society of B.C.
Ottawa researcher Ken Rubin obtained a detailed breakdown of the budget forecast through an accessto-information request.
Final costs may not be known for several months, a Canadian Heritage spokesman said Monday.
“Final costs for the Department of Canadian Heritage’s portion of the tour will not be known until all the final accounting and paperwork is complete, which can take up to six months,” Tim Warmington said in an email.
The records show projected costs only for Canadian Heritage and do not include costs incurred by other departments, such as the RCMP for security. The police agency said Monday it could not provide the figures by press deadline.
Before the official visit, Canadian Heritage budgeted $39,000 for a “reconnaissance visit” July 3-10 and $116,300 for a “dry-run visit” July 31-Aug. 8 involving several staff.
Another $40,000 was set aside for accommodations for 16 staffers during the actual visit.
The department budgeted $20,000 for a reception at Telus Gardens in Vancouver recognizing the achievements of young leaders and $10,000 for a tour of the reopened Kitsilano Coast Guard station.
Other projected costs included $40,000 for the royal family’s accommodation, $1,600 for baggage handling and parking, $5,000 for motorcade rental vehicles, $40,000 for translation services and $10,000 for flowers and refreshments.
To document the event, the department set aside $4,000 for its in-house photographer and videographer, $20,000 for an official photographer and $5,000 for a photo album.
At the end of the royal tour, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada’s official gift: $100,000 to non-profit groups helping indigenous youth and new immigrants. Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada are to share the cost.
The records also show that Ottawa expected to recover about $30,000 from a cost-sharing agreement with B.C. and the Yukon.