Pope Francis’ visit cost the Quebec City Police Department more than $4.6 million, while nearly 20,000 overtime hours were worked by its officers.
The police force specifies in an access to information request made by The newspaper that an amount of $3.1 million was related to the police deployment in total expenses, which includes accommodation, meals and other expenses, but does not include regular salaries.
On the other hand, an amount of $1.6 million was spent on overtime for SPVQ police officers for the period from July 27 to 29, 2022. This amount represents a total of 19,827 overtime hours.
The total amount of the SPVQ’s bill therefore amounts to more than $4.6 million, an amount to which must also be added the regular hours of the regular police officers, information which is however not disclosed.
Archival photo
The significant deployment of resources necessary for the visit of Pope Francis, at the end of last July to Quebec, came with an imposing bill for the police department of the city.
Three day tour
The management of the SPVQ was also unable to specify to the Log the total number of police officers deployed, indicating that the disclosure of such information “would have the effect of reducing the effectiveness of a program or an action plan of the organization”. Management also refused to respond to the request of the Log concerning the number of police officers who left their holidays for the occasion.
The RCMP and the Sûreté du Québec were also called upon to deploy agents on the ground during the papal visit. However, the two organizations have not yet responded to requests for access to information from the Log.
Pope Francis was on Quebec soil for three days, July 27, 28 and 29. His visit was part of a Canadian tour of reconciliation and asking forgiveness from Indigenous peoples for abuses suffered at the hands of members of the Church. This penitential trip was the first visit by a pope to Quebec since that of John Paul II in 1984.
$18.6 million for the church
In recent weeks, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops had indicated that the papal visit had cost the Catholic Church $18.6 million.
These invoices include expenses for events in Edmonton, Quebec City and Iqaluit, including bus travel for worshipers and residential school survivors.
“We are confident that this sum of $18.6 million will be paid for through donations from parishioners as well as contributions from the Episcopal Conference and dioceses across Canada,” said Archbishop Richard Smith, coordinator of the major visit. of François in the country.