Actually, that G20 security fence cost nearly twice what was projected

Remember that security fence that nobody was supposed to go near unless they had papers (and not the fun kind)? Then it turned out the government had been lying about the whole thing? Well, things get even better with today’s news that the already bloated security spending was kicked up a notch to build the damn thing.

The Toronto Star briefly notes:

The almost 10 kilometres of fencing erected around the downtown G20 security zone cost $9.4 million, nearly double the original estimate, a federal spokeswoman says.

SNC Lavalin Inc, the engineering and construction group which supplied the fence, had originally valued the contract at $5.4 million, said Public Works spokeswoman Natalie Pennefather.

Bygones, totally.

Frankly, the media pavilion—fake lake and all—was a better deal at one fifth the cost. If it costs the feds a million smackers per kilometre of fence, maybe we should be glad they’re not helping us pay for transit after all. David Miller can’t afford Transit City as it is, and who knows what it would cost once Tony Clement got involved. Can LRT vehicles even go all the way to Muskoka?

• G20 fence costs $9.4M, nearly double original estimate [Toronto Star]