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

The costs associated with constructing an $8-million barn at Rideau Hall were never examined, said an official from the department of public works.

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.