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12/28/2003 Archived Entry: "Ottawa spent $300,000 announcing museum cost"

Posted by steve @ 06:38 PM EST [Link]

THEY COULD HAVE HAD IT AT MY HOUSE FOR CHEAPER: Canada's federal government spent $323 000 in May to announce plans for the Canadian History Centre, one that may not get off the ground now.

The May 26 announcement included 350 guests and featured speeches by Jean Chretien and Sheila Copps, the former Canadian Heritage minister. Costs included $10,350 for wall banners and a $6,000 catering bill.

Hosted by Senator Laurier LaPierre, it included two performance pieces by the National Theatre School, a slide and video presentation and singing of the national anthem by the Christ Church Cathedral Girls Choir.

Documents obtained by CanWest News reveal that Heritage's communications firm, Scott Thornley + Company, billed the government $67,000 to develop proposals for the announcement and another $196,000 to stage the event.

The documents also show that on top of this, about $60,000 worth of work for the announcement was subcontracted by the Government Conference Centre, where the announcement was made, including costs of $25,000 for rigging and lighting.

But the $323,000 total bill could have been higher, according to one draft prepared by the firm, which proposed a presentation alone that would have cost $417,000.

If they had done it at my house, I would have laid out a nice spread -- garlic bread, pizza, nachos and some sub sandwiches (I would have raided my Sunday football stores) -- and it would have been a lot cheaper. Oh well.

Read on.