A federally funded “net zero” garage in Whitehorse ended up costing taxpayers more than double its original price tag, with new figures revealing years of delays and little parliamentary scrutiny.Blacklock's Reporrter says originally budgeted at $754,000 with a two-year timeline, the project ultimately took seven years to complete at a final cost of $1,774,927, according to an Inquiry of Ministry tabled in the House of Commons.Cabinet said the proposal had been reviewed internally, with officials concluding a new heated storage facility was the preferred option despite other alternatives being available.“The costs and benefits of the proposed project were reviewed by the department’s internal capital planning team,” the Inquiry stated, adding that other storage options were considered but rejected in favour of new construction.The 2,271-square-foot garage saw early construction problems when an initial contractor, Landtec Ground Experts of Surrey, B.C., was paid $142,081 but failed to complete the job after significantly underbidding.A second contractor, Johnston Builders Ltd., was then brought in at a cost of roughly $1.4 million to finish the project, while consultants accounted for an additional $211,082..The figures were disclosed following questions from Conservative MP Lianne Rood, who pressed the government to reveal the full cost of the Whitehorse facility.Internal documents suggest the project moved ahead despite earlier warnings that existing heated garage space in Whitehorse was already available for lease or purchase. A February 12 Audit of Asset Management noted that while alternatives such as retrofitting or sharing facilities were explored, there was little evidence those options were seriously pursued.“Facilities assessments suggested that existing capacity might be sufficient or identified alternative approaches, but there was limited evidence that these options were further analyzed in decision making,” the audit found.The project was initiated after several branches within the environment department cited a need for heated storage for equipment, repairs and evidence handling as early as 2017.The Inquiry also made clear the minister’s office had no direct role in overseeing the project. However, then-environment minister Catherine McKenna had signed off on a 2018 departmental capital plan that included the garage as part of Ottawa’s broader push to reduce emissions from government-owned buildings.
