Canadian Taxpayers Federation criticizes B.C. spending over $104,000 on luxury hotels

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsLocal NewsPolitics Canadian Taxpayers Federation criticizes B.C. spending over $104,000 on luxury hotels Taxpayers are being forced to tighten their belt and so should government, says the Canadian Taxpayers Federation Author of the article: By Alec Lazenby Published Sep 15, 2026 Last updated 2 hours ago 3 minute read Join the conversation The Fairmont Waterfront hotel in downtown Vancouver. PHOTO BY NICK PROCAYLO /PNG Article content The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says the B.C. government is wasting money on luxury hotels. Article content The federation’s B.C. office said the government spent over $104,000 at Fairmont hotels between April 2024 and March 2026, including $36,382 at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport, $30,577 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and $23,499 at the Fairmont Waterfront Vancouver. Article content Article content Article content The two Fairmont hotels on an approved list, a list of hotels where the government has negotiated a set rate with the operator, are the Fairmont Waterfront and the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Both have rates of $337 a night. Article content Sunrise Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content In a statement, the Ministry of Finance said “all government travel follows established approval, expense, and accountability requirements.” Article content “B.C. Public Service travel policy requires employees to select the most cost-effective option that meets business needs,” said the ministry. Article content “Where accommodation costs exceed established limits, pre-authorization from the appropriate expense authority is required and considered case-by-case, including factors such as availability, urgency, and peak travel periods.” Article content It also said that it has reduced spending on travel, office and business expenses, conferences and events over the past couple of years, with $467 million saved in the 2025-26 fiscal year. Article content Carson Binda, B.C. director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said that the spending comes as the province’s deficit keeps rising, including a projected deficit of $13.8 billion in the 2026-27 fiscal year. Article content Article content He believes the…