Trudeau’s four-day trip to Europe racks up $71,000 food bill

From the Canadian Taxpayers Federation

“It would have been cheaper for each member of the prime minister’s delegation to go to the Keg, order a prime rib steak, a Caesar salad, baked garlic shrimp and a bottle of pinot noir for every meal.”

Break out the DVD player and aerate a few bottles of the 2015 Riesling, because Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has an important work trip.

The food bill for Trudeau’s four-day trip to Italy and Switzerland this June cost more than $71,000, including at least $43,000 spent on airplane food alone, according to the records.

That works out to an average meal cost of $145. Add it up and the total food bill averaged more than $1,700 per member of the Canadian delegation.

To put that in context: the average Canadian family of four spends about $1,400 on food per month, according to Canada’s Food Price Report.

“The per person food bill for Trudeau and his entourage on this trip was more than the average Canadian family spends on groceries in a month,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “It would have been cheaper for each member of the prime minister’s delegation to go to the Keg, order a prime rib steak, a Caesar salad, baked garlic shrimp and a bottle of pinot noir for every meal.”

The total taxpayer tab for the four-day trip came to nearly $1 million, according to access-to-information records obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation from the Department of National Defence and the Privy Council Office.

The cost of the trip could be even higher, as “some accommodations were covered by Global Affairs Canada,” according to the records.

Trudeau travelled to Apulia, Italy, and Lucerne, Switzerland, between June 13 and 16, 2024, to attend a G7 Summit and a Summit on Peace in Ukraine.

All told, the trip cost Canadian taxpayers at least $918,000, according to the records.

Prior to take-off, government bureaucrats purchased $812 worth of junk food from a grocery store – including Red Bull, pop (Pepsi, Coke, Sprite), chocolate bars (Kit Kats, Twix’s, Reece’s Pieces) and candy (Swedish Berries, Fuzzy Peaches).

Government bureaucrats also swung by a record store and purchased $102 worth of DVDs for the flight, according to the records.

The purchases included the first season of Wednesday, a supernatural coming-of-age TV show based on the Addams Family, Madame Web, a superhero film, the sci-fi thriller Chronicle, and Witness, a 1995 crime movie starring Harrison Ford.

During the flights, the passengers were served meals that would be at home on the menu of a fine dining restaurant, alongside four types of wine – a 2021 Chardonnay, a 2015 Riesling, a 2018 Baco Noir and a 2021 Merlot.

Meals included veal piccata Milanese with potato, buttered green peas and broccoli, and lamb ribs with whole grain mustard sauce, rice pilaf and sauteed spinach.

Other dinner options included cheese ravioli with rose sauce, roasted red peppers and parmesan cheese, grilled chicken with lemon caper sauce, mashed potatoes and glazed carrots, and beef stroganoff with buttered noodles and snow peas.

For dessert, passengers chose between raspberry cheesecake coulis, chocolate and pistachio cake and Swiss chocolate cake.

“I like Sydney Sweeney as much as the next guy, but maybe Trudeau could do some actual work or download a movie on Netflix the next time he flies, instead of billing taxpayers for a DVD copy of Madame Web,” Terrazzano said. “While he’s at it, maybe Trudeau could forgo the Swiss chocolate cake while Canadians back home are lining up at food banks in record numbers.”

Trudeau travelled with an entourage ranging from 36 to 41 people during the four-day trip, including two coordinators of digital and creative content, a videographer, and a photographer, according to the records.

This is far from the first time a short trip for Trudeau meant a big bill for taxpayers.

Trudeau’s six-day trip to the Indo-Pacific region in September 2023 included more than $223,000 spent on airplane food, according to records obtained by the CTF.

That entire trip came with a taxpayer tab of nearly $2 million.

In 2022, Stewart Wheeler, who was Canada’s chief of protocol at the time, told a Parliamentary committee the government would bring down the cost of international travel.

“We recognize that the system that we had in place was not delivering the kind of oversight and control that Canadian taxpayers deserve,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler’s comments came after Governor General Mary Simon spent $100,000 on inflight catering during a nine-day trip to the Middle East in March 2022.

“The government promised to bring the cost of international travel down, but taxpayers are still getting stuck with outrageous bills,” Terrazzano said. “The government needs to figure out how to fly overseas without spending more on food in a few days than four families spend on groceries in an entire year.”

Related Topics:#CanadianTaxpayersFederation #RyanThorpe $145AverageMealCost 000FoodBill Trudeau'sTripToEurope Trudeau$71

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Red Deer Downtown Business Association to Wind Down Operations

Published on December 10, 2025

Red Deer DBA

The Downtown Business Association (DBA) Board of Directors has made the decision to wind down the Association’s operations at the end of 2025.

The Board determined that the Association is no longer able to operate sustainably under the financial framework available for 2026. After exploring all reasonable alternatives, the Board concluded that it could not continue without reducing services to a level that would no longer provide meaningful value to levy-paying businesses.

The DBA does not receive any operating funding from City Hall in a regular year, all funds raised are through Business Improvement Area Levy that consists of a mandatory levy placed on all businesses operating within the Business Improvement Area. These funds are legislated under the Municipal
Government Act, to be used to promote the Business Improvement Area, which is achieved through marketing and event initiatives along with providing advocacy support primarily to local government on behalf of the business community.

In recent years, the DBA has been a committed advocate for re-examining the approach to Downtown Governance. The Board has consistently maintained that the responsibility for funding downtown initiatives in such a socially charged environment should not rest solely with the business community.

Despite their efforts, the DBA recognized that the funds generated through the Business Improvement Area Levy were insufficient to effectively address the growing challenges of the current operating environment. This ongoing financial strain highlighted the need for a more equitable and sustainable
model to re-establish the downtown as a safe and welcoming heart of the city.

At the annual DBA budget presentation to City Hall, the DBA requested the essential funding needed to implement the Greater Downtown Governance Committee’s recommendations — work that the DBA is uniquely positioned to lead and has been delivering despite depleting resources for many years. The request was not approved. Instead, The City offered a one-time $100,000 Grant-in-Lieu, paired with a proposed 60% increase to the Business Improvement Area levy in 2026.

After careful analysis, the Board concluded that increasing the levy would place undue strain on already challenged businesses and compromise the DBA’s role as a trusted advocate. Operating with the reduced funding of $225,000 would require further staff reductions in an already under resourced environment and a significant reduction in programs, making it impossible to deliver the level of support that downtown businesses deserve and vitally need.

Beginning January 1, 2026, the City of Red Deer will become the primary contact point for matters previously supported by the DBA, including downtown support programs, business-district coordination, events, safety and cleanliness support, and stakeholder engagement. The DBA will work with City staff to support a smooth transition.

The DBA will continue to provide Clean Team services through the delivery of the City-funded environmental contract until February 1st, 2026.

Quote from CEO, Amanda Gould:

“To our business community, we have always operated with your best interests in our heart, continually driving the vision of a thriving downtown environment that serves every member of our community. The changes ahead will have a significant impact on downtown, as there will no longer be an organization dedicated to ensuring the downtown remains top-of-mind, leading events, marketing initiatives, or advocating on your behalf. It is likely you will experience less coordinated support and collective representation.

After 13 years of service to you and our beautiful downtown, it is with great personal sadness that we find ourselves here, but our message remains clear – addressing the unique challenges of our downtown should not rest solely on your shoulders. We cannot, in good faith, collect a levy that does not enable us to provide the essential services needed for our evolving downtown landscape”.

Quote from DBA Board Chair, Brandon Bouchard:

“The incredible staff at the Downtown Business Association have consistently delivered on their mandate with outstanding dedication and effectiveness. Through their efforts, they have successfully promoted the downtown area, organized impactful marketing and event initiatives, and provided steadfast
advocacy support for the business community. Their work has extended well beyond the legislated requirements, as they have proactively responded to the evolving needs of downtown businesses, adapting to challenges and supporting operations within a complex and changing environment.

Despite the staff’s relentless commitment to positioning the DBA as an effective leader for downtown interests, the absence of a sustainable funding model has made it impossible to continue delivering meaningful support. The Board cannot, in good conscience, propose a levy that does not enable the
Association to meet the required level of service, address the shifting priorities of the business community, or respond to the continually evolving needs of the downtown”.

Agriculture

Growing Alberta’s fresh food future

Published on December 10, 2025

Government of Alberta

A new program funded by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership will accelerate expansion in Alberta greenhouses and vertical farms.

Albertans want to keep their hard-earned money in the province and support producers by choosing locally grown, high-quality produce. The new three-year, $10-milllion Growing Greenhouses program aims to stimulate industry growth and provide fresh fruit and vegetables to Albertans throughout the year.

“Everything our ministry does is about ensuring Albertans have secure access to safe, high-quality food. We are continually working to build resilience and sustainability into our food production systems, increase opportunities for producers and processors, create jobs and feed Albertans. This new program will fund technologies that increase food production and improve energy efficiency.”

RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation

“Through this investment, we’re supporting Alberta’s growers and ensuring Canadians have access to fresh, locally-grown fruits and vegetables on grocery shelves year-round. This program strengthens local communities, drives innovation, and creates new opportunities for agricultural entrepreneurs, reinforcing Canada’s food system and economy.”

Heath MacDonald, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

The Growing Greenhouses program supports the controlled environment agriculture sector with new construction or expansion improvements to existing greenhouses and vertical farms that produce food at a commercial scale. It also aligns with Alberta’s Buy Local initiative launched this year as consumers will be able to purchase more local produce all year-round.

The program was created in alignment with the needs identified by the greenhouse sector, with a goal to reduce seasonal import reliance entering fall, which increases fruit and vegetable prices.

“This program is a game-changer for Alberta’s greenhouse sector. By investing in expansion and innovation, we can grow more fresh produce year-round, reduce reliance on imports, and strengthen food security for Albertans. Our growers are ready to meet the demand with sustainable, locally grown vegetables and fruits, and this support ensures we can do so while creating new jobs and opportunities in communities across the province. We are very grateful to the Governments of Canada and Alberta for this investment in our sector and for working collaboratively with us.”

Michiel Verheul, president, Alberta Greenhouse Growers Association

Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP)

Sustainable CAP is a five-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation and resiliency in Canada’s agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and $2.5 billion that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

Quick facts

Alberta’s greenhouse sector ranks fourth in Canada:

195 greenhouses produce $145 million in produce and 60 per cent of them operate year-round.

Greenhouse food production is growing by 6.2 per cent annually.
Alberta imports $349 million in fresh produce annually.

The program supports sector growth by investing in renewable and efficient energy systems, advanced lighting systems, energy-saving construction, and automation and robotics systems.