Removing the Sir John A. Macdonald statue from the front steps of City Hall left many people reeling in appall or cheering in joy, but whatever their position taxpayers were all out more than $30,000.
After the city watchdog, The Grumpy Taxpayer$, submitted a freedom of information request, the city revealed that in total, the cost of the removal was $30,126, with the majority of funding going towards police services ($12,446) and city staff ($9,303).
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B次元官网网址淥ur costs were all resources for before, during and after the removal,B次元官网网址� said police spokesperson Const. Matt Rutherford. B次元官网网址淲e, of course, cannot release the specifics of the deployment, but we had adequate staffing to keep the public safe.B次元官网网址�
For Grumpy Taxpayer$ chair, Stan Bartlett, the total seemed far too high, calculating that it probably took the property tax of 10 homeowners to pay for the project.
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B次元官网网址淭hese initial costs seemed excessive but this isnB次元官网网址檛 the end of the bill. ItB次元官网网址檚 been about 100 days since Sir John A. was spirited away in the early hours of a Saturday morning,B次元官网网址� said Bartlett in an email. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 still the cost of the reconciliation process promised by council, the cost of erecting the statue in another location, and probably an explanatory plaque. B次元官网网址�
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Bartlett said more planning could have been done to bring down the costs, including moving it on a weekday, as opposed to on a weekend.
B次元官网网址淭he statue removal is still hitting a raw nerve in our community, either because of the costs, the lack of democratic process around the council decision, or importantly, the matter of Indigenous issues and Sir John A. Macdonald,B次元官网网址� Bartlett said. B次元官网网址淭he sooner council begins the reconciliation process and statue relocation the better for everyone.B次元官网网址�
The statue is currently being stored at an undisclosed city property, so no rent is being paid for its safekeeping. A new location has not yet been announced.
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