Cost of $8M Barn at Rideau Hall Was Not Scrutinized, MPs Hear

Members of the Ceremonial Guard perform sentry duties at Rideau Hall, the residence of the Governor General of Canada, in Ottawa on July 7, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

The costs associated with constructing an $8-million solar-powered barn at Rideau Hall got lost in the shuffle and were never examined by the Department of Public Works, an official from the department says.

Assistant Deputy Minister of Public Works Lorenzo Ieraci told MPs on the public accounts committee that no one knows why the barn cost $8 million to build or why the National Capital Commission, the federal agency responsible for Rideau Hall, opted to spend that much.

“As a Crown corporation, the National Capital Commission operates as much more of a private sector entity, and therefore, is not subject to most of the policies and rules,” Mr. Ieraci said on Oct. 31, as first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.

The barn’s expenses, totalling $8,039,853, were disclosed Oct. 18 through an Access To Information request by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. Shortly after the revelation, the public accounts committee agreed by a 10-0 vote to summon federal managers to testify on the $8-million expenditure.

The two-storey “zero-carbon” building is meant to serve as a “working storage space,” with a washing bay, repair garage working area, and vehicle storage, according to the National Capital Commission. The records obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation indicate there were several design changes to the project after construction began.

Mr. Ieraci said the cost of the barn was contained within the annual budget and Corporate Plan of the National Capital Commission. There was no budget line for the barn in the Commission’s $191.7-million budget in 2022, he said.

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Conservative MP Jake Stewart questioned why the barn had an elevator when it is “clearly” a one-storey building. “Does the elevator go up or down?” he asked.

“I would be speculating,” Mr. Ieraci replied.

“Can you explain why $5,870 was spent on fibre optic cabling for the $8-million barn?” Mr. Stewart asked.

“The National Capital Commission would be able to answer that question,” replied Mr. Ieraci.

“Can you guys answer any questions?” Mr. Stewart asked. “Are you here to answer questions or deflect?”

“None of our storage sheds or barns cost $8 million,“ Mr. Stewart added. ”None of them have elevators and none of them have fibre optics. As a matter of fact, the people in my riding don’t have access to fibre optics.”

When Liberal MP Valerie Bradford questioned why the spending by the National Capital Commission was not scrutinized, the deputy minister of public works said the commission has “autonomy.”

“I am not hopeful of getting any answers,” Bloc Québécois MP Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné told the committee. “Who approves these budgets? This is our job. Who else is looking at these budgets?”