VANCOUVER, B.C.: The B.C. Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport must explain why staff billed taxpayers nearly $100,000 for helicopter trips in 2024, according to new documents exclusively obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

“Bureaucrats from one ministry alone spent nearly $100,000 on luxury helicopter travel between Vancouver and Victoria,” said Carson Binda, B.C. Director for the CTF. “Have these bureaucrats never heard of B.C. Ferries?

“Normal British Columbians are struggling to afford the basics while bureaucrats blow big money on helicopter rides.”

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport produced more than 250 receipts for luxury helicopter travel by bureaucrats, in response to a freedom of information request filed by the CTF. That works out to more than five luxury helicopter trips every week.

The average cost of the luxury helicopter trips was $370 per passenger for a one-way flight between Vancouver and Victoria. The same route on the government-owned B.C. Ferries costs $20.

“The Ministry of Tourism could have saved taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars by using the ferry service the government already owns, instead of a luxury helicopter service,” Binda said. “Most British Columbians have never seen the inside of a helicopter, meanwhile just one bureaucrat billed taxpayers for 27 luxury helicopter rides in a single year.”

Amy Schneider, a senior bureaucrat at the ministry, billed taxpayers for 27 separate helicopter rides, the most in the ministry. The total cost of her helicopter travel exceeded $14,000.

Three other bureaucrats from the ministry also find themselves on the frequent fliers list, billing taxpayers for 20 or more luxury helicopter rides: Claire Avison (Assistant Deputy Minister), Kim Lacharite (Assistant Deputy Minister) and Neilane Mayhew (former deputy minister).

In his mandate letter, the premier told Tourism Minister Spencer Chandra Herbert to “reduce costs for families,” and review program spending in light of “budget constraints.”

“It’s hard to imagine how $93,000 worth of luxury helicopter rides for bureaucrats helps keep costs low for struggling families,” Binda said. “The government needs to ground wasteful luxury travel for bureaucrats."

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