Olympic security cost hits $900m

Megan O'Toole, National Post, with files From Canwest News Service
Published: Friday, February 20, 2009

The tab for security at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver has been pegged at $900-million, more than five times higher than initially anticipated.
But the official cost, announced yesterday afternoon by federal and provincial governments, still falls short of later estimates that had ballooned to upwards of $1-billion.

Under two new agreements between Ottawa and Victoria, the province of British Columbia will contribute a total of $252.5-million for its portion of the security budget, with the federal government picking up the remainder of the tab.

That includes an increase of $165-million in new money from the province, which initially estimated its contribution at $87.5-million.

In doing so, the province insisted the federal government take over all risks and planning for security.

The B. C. government also agreed to put its increased share into joint federal-provincial major infrastructure costs of the next three years.

B. C. Finance Minister Colin Hansen said he proposed the new cost-sharing agreement because the old one, written several years ago, was confusing. "The old agreement invited 'co-management' of the security budget and it was not going to get us anywhere very fast," he said.

Mr. Hansen, who originally pegged security costs at $175-million, later sent a revised security budget to Ottawa that included a proposal outlining what he believed the province should pay.

While the province awaited the federal government's official response, experts and officials suggested the total cost of security could escalate to beyond $1-billion.
Late last year, Canada's intelligence service warned of an espionage threat to the 2010 Winter Games, saying foreign spies may try to steal security plans for the Olympics.


© National Post 2009