B.C. pays more than $600,000 for royal visit

That’s on top of the about $2 million cost to the RCMP

B.C. pays more than $600,000 for royal visit

Hosting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge last fall cost British Columbians upwards of $600,000, according to the province.

Prince William, his wife, Kate, and their two kids, George and Charlotte, visited Victoria, Haida Gwaii, Bella Bella, Kelowna and Vancouver in during an eight-day trip from Sept. 24 – Oct. 1.

The $613,364 is the province’s portion of its cost sharing agreement with the federal government.

It’s broken down into four parts:

– $10,899 for seven days of site reconnaissance in July to decide which communities would be included

– $55,629 for an eight-day dry run in August

– $17,828 for a four day media reconnaissance in September

– $529,008 for the visit itself.

Ottawa released a budget estimate of $855,800 last October, but final costs have not yet been released.

The RCMP’s portion of the bill for the trip totalled just under $2 million.


@katslepian

katya.slepian@bpdigital.ca

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