The National Portrait Gallery won’t be leaving Ottawa — a fact Mayor Dave Bronconnier said was puzzling and disappointing.
Calgary was considered a front-runner among bids from across the country to permanently move the Gallery from Ottawa, but citing economic sensitivities, federal Heritage Minister James Moore said no one would be getting it.
Bronconnier said the city is out the $500,000 it cost to put Calgary’s bid together and he’ll be sitting down for a debriefing to find out what the federal government was looking for.
“Our bid was rock-solid,” said Bronconnier, noting a second-to-none location adjacent to Olympic Plaza. “We certainly felt that we not only met the requirements but exceeded it in terms of the total package being delivered ... if you truly want to display national artifacts in a strategic location with the lowest cost to government of Canada, this was it.”
The Alberta government had pledged $40 million to either Calgary or Edmonton if they won the bid, and Bronconnier said he had found millions of dollars more from the private sector for transportation and education components.
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City loses $500K on national gallery bid
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