Projects funded by the G8 legacy fund

OTTAWA – A scathing report by Auditor General Sheila Fraser has found the Harper government misinformed Parliament to win approval for a multi-million dollar fund that poured millions of taxpayer dollars into dubious projects in a Conservative riding.

The confidential report analyzed the $1-billion cost of staging last June’s G8 summit in Huntsville, Ont. and the G20 summit in Toronto.

Fraser’s report suggests the process by which the funding was approved may have been illegal.

In November 2009, the Conservatives requested $83 million for a Border Infrastructure Fund aimed at easing congestion at border crossings.

Though Huntsville is nowhere near the Canada-U.S. border, $50 million of that money was funneled into a G8 legacy fund to finance G8 infrastructure projects.

Here’s a list of the 32 projects funded by the Border Infrastructure Fund.

-Muskoka Tourism gateway signs: $408,000

-Muskoka Tourism visitor information centre: $260,000

-Road improvements: $1,800,000

-Jack Garland North Bay Airport improvements: $3,510,745

-Highway 11 upgrades: $350,000

-Bracebridge Sportsplex emergency backup: $40,000

-Gateway signage: $150,000

-Annie Williams Park upgrades: $500,000

-Dowtown Bracebridge revitalization: $800,000

-Downtown Gravenhurst revitalization: $1,200,000

-Hunstville beautification and lighting: $106,100

-Port Sydney Beautification: $250,000

-Reconstruction of Deerhurst Drive: $1,989,088

-University of Waterloo G8 Centre expansion: $9,750,000

-G8 Centre: $17,110,912

-Town of Kearny Main Street beautification: $730,000

-Parry Sound beautification: $178,000

-Parry Sound downtown streetscaping: $1,143,750

-Town of Sundridge pedestrian crossing: $125,000

-Beautification of Sundridge: $750,000

-Burk’s Falls Town Centre improvements: $150,000

-Port Severn Gateway feature signage: $1,000,000

-Port Severn streetscape/linear parks: $1,000,000

-Roofed heritage plaque in Baysville: $38,500

-Baysville Community streetscape improvements: $117,000

-Lake of Bays Band Shell and public WC: $299,850

-Muskoka Lakes tourism signage: $250,000

-Bala Falls Road updgrades: $386,000

-Paignton House Road upgrades: $424,000

-Township of Perry road improvements: $100,000

-Seguin Township beautification/streetscapes: $745,000

-South River Community Beautification: $65,000