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Costs for securing G8, G20 summits up extra $179 million
OTTAWA — The federal government is expected to rack up $179.4 million in unforeseen costs to plan and prepare security for this summer's G8 and G20 summits, newly tabled documents reveal.
Canada was originally just supposed to host one meeting this summer, of the G8 leaders in the cottage-country town of Huntsville, Ont., north of Toronto.
But the federal government decided to expand the summit to include the G20 countries after it became clear that organization had become the dominant forum for dealing with the financial crisis and other economic issues.
The G20 summit will be held June 26-7 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, a stone's throw from the CN Tower. The G8 summit will still be held in Huntsville before the larger G20 event.
In a recent briefing, Toronto city councillors were told the summits will represent the "largest security event in Canadian history," and supplementary funding estimates tabled in Parliament on Wednesday appear to support that statement.
The RCMP, which is co-ordinating the security effort, will receive the biggest chunk of the extraordinary funding: $131.7 million. The Public Safety department will receive $32.1 million, the Department of National Defence $11.7 million, and Industry Canada $2.7 million. The budget breakdown confirms that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service will be involved, although the spy agency will receive only $597,000.
The money will be used to: "design, plan and co-ordinate security operations for the summits; provide the RCMP and its security partners with temporary accommodation facilities for the G8 summit; procure information technology and portable communication assets; work with federal, provincial and municipal security partners responsible for providing summit security; and ensure the safe keeping of all international protected persons attending the summits."
Toronto politicians have expressed concern that the city could get stuck with a considerable portion of the security tab. Last week, city council voted to demand that the federal government post a bond for any extraordinary expenses.
Councillor Adam Vaughan, who represents the ward where the G20 summit will be held, has lobbied for the summit to be moved to Exhibition Place, which is slightly removed from the downtown core.
The supplementary estimates also earmark $176.1 million for Canada's response to the earthquake in Haiti, including costs associated with the government's contribution to an earthquake relief fund, and the deployment of Canadian troops to the disaster zone.
Other expenses include $86.6 million for "mitigation and response activities related to the second wave of the H1N1 influenza pandemic," $110 million for Candu reactor refurbishment projects, and $72 million to repair the Chalk River nuclear-isotope reactor, which remains out of commission.
An unforeseen $83.6 million has also been allocated for policing and security at the Vancouver Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games.
Source: http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Costs+securing+summits+extra+million/2638426/story.html