The National Capital Commission (NCC) said an $8 million barn at Rideau Hall came in under budget, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. “The project budget authority was $8.6 million,” said NCC CEO Tobi Nussbaum at a House of Commons Public Accounts Committee meeting. “The project was delivered at $8.04 million.”MPs on the Commons Public Accounts Committee expressed disbelief over the cost. Nussbaum admitted the $8 million included $1 million in contingencies and risks. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation said on October 18 the federal government spent $8 million to build a barn at Rideau Hall.READ MORE: Rideau Hall ‘barn’ costs taxpayers $8 millionThis barn is going to be used as a storage facility.During the COVID-19 pandemic, this project was managed by the NCC. Nussbaum explained the warehouse was used by groundskeepers at Rideau Hall. While it meets net zero requirements, he said it generates 40% of the energy it requires to operate. While $8 million is a ton of money, he said he has “a responsibility to my board and to the taxpayers of this country to deliver all the National Capital Commission budget as effectively and efficiently as possible.” MPs disputed the testimony. Conservative MP Jake Stewart (Miramichi-Grand Lake, NB) asked how can spending $8 million for a barn housing zero people and providing no economic benefit be a good use of taxpayers’ money. “From photos we’ve seen it looks more like a detached garage with four doors or a cement building with some solar panels on it,” said Stewart. Stewart described the project as ridiculous when “we have people who literally can’t afford to eat in this country.” When it came to achieve value for money, he said everyone failed, noting building features such as fibre optic cables and a freight elevator. “You actually put an elevator in this building,” he said.Conservative MP John Nater (Perth-Wellington, ON) asked where the elevator goes. Nussbaum responded by saying it goes down into the basement. “The basement is a place where we store a lot of the materials, a lot of the equipment,” he said.
