The Canadian Taxpayers Federation presented its Teddy Waste Awards for the worst of government waste from the past year. Several British Columbian organizations and projects were nominated to receive a golden pig statue for excellence in torching taxpayer cash. 

In the federal government waste category, Parks Canada was nominated for spending $10,000 to catch a single frog in British Columbia’s Gulf Islands National Park. 

“Parks Canada spent over $10,000 and several years before they caught a single frog and that has taxpayers hopping mad,” said Carson Binda, B.C. Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “Kids at summer camp catch frogs by the handful, but the American Bullfrog managed to elude the best and brightest at Parks Canada for years.” 

British Columbia was also well represented in the provincial waste category. B.C. Rail received a nomination for blowing through $500,000 per year on executive salaries, despite operating no trains and managing only 40 km of track. 

“B.C. Rail executives even get a $12,000 transportation allowance, which they can’t use on their own railroad because they have no trains,” Binda said. “B.C. Rail is more of a gravy train for bureaucrats than a useful Crown corporation.” 

Metro Vancouver received a municipal nomination, after the regional district spent $20,000 to host a meeting to try to find savings for taxpayers. Despite the eye-watering price tag, no savings were found at that meeting. 

“Here’s an idea for the brilliant minds at Metro: Next time you want to save taxpayers money don’t spend $20,000 on a meeting where you don’t accomplish anything,” Binda said. “One mayor even zoomed into the meeting from the beach, because nothing screams fiscal accountability like collecting a meeting stipend while sipping pina coladas under palm trees.”

All of the winners and nominees are available here: https://www.taxpayer.com/media/Teddy_Waste_Awards-2025-Backgrounder.pdf 

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