Protecting world leaders in the Rocky Mountains last summer — described as the largest peacetime security operation in Canadian history — has come with a matching pricetag.
RCMP security costs for the G8 summit in Kananaskis were $96.5-million, according to figures obtained by The Canadian Press under Access to Information.
The total covered wages, overtime, travel and expenses incurred by 4,500 RCMP staff preparing for the 30-hour economic summit in the secluded wilderness resort an hour west of Calgary.
The federal government hasn't confirmed the full cost of putting on the G8, which some have estimated could be as high as $300-million.
Bills have not been released from Foreign Affairs, which is expected to shoulder the lion's share of costs, or the military, which provided 5,000 soldiers who patrolled ground and skies above the 4,000-square-kilometre recreational area.
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien chose the isolated resort to reduce the chance of destructive protests which had caused millions of dollars in damages and overshadowed earlier meetings of world leaders in major cities around the world.
Despite concerns of widespread chaos, there was no destruction during the G8 meetings in Calgary or Kananaskis, the first such gathering since the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. Protesters in Calgary were peaceful.
RCMP spokesman Cpl. Patrick Webb said security personnel didn't feel any additional pressure from looming terrorist threats.
"Sept. 11 simply indicated how necessary it was for us to do the job perfectly the first time," said Webb.
More than 950 Mounties provided security directly to foreign leaders and dignitaries. Another 1,400 were prepared to handle riots or demonstrations.
Security expert Alan Bell was shocked by the RCMP bill, which he says had to balloon because of the difficulty in protecting a wilderness location.
"It took more manpower, it took more equipment it took more resources to protect these VIPs in an isolated location than it would have in a downtown core," said Mr. Bell of Toronto-based GlobeRisk Holdings, which provides security for oil, gas and mining companies.
"I think Canada did show they can put this type of conference on, keep the bad guys away and everything's fine, but there's a price to be paid for that," he said.
Canadian Alliance Leader Stephen Harper said the Prime Minister should have consulted with security experts before deciding on the location, which obviously drove up costs.
"One of the unfortunate problems with this government is we're getting used to misspending on such huge scales — hundreds of millions of dollars — that unfortunately they don't take your breath away the way it should," Mr. Harper said in Ottawa.
