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Jun 23, 2022 12:14 AM - The Canadian Press

Horgan pulls the plug on controversial $789 million project; Furstenau says Premier took far too long

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Premier John Horgan has pulled the plug on a controversial 800-million dollar plan to build a replacement for the aging Royal BC Museum in Victoria.

Horgan says he's heard quite clearly from the people of BC that it's the wrong time for such a project and they want his government to rethink its plans to protect the museum's priceless artifacts.

He says he made the wrong call and his government will go back to the drawing board to find a project that all residents can get behind.

His government had said it approved the project because the museum can't withstand a flood or earthquake, and renovations would have cost 300 million dollars more that a new building.

"Horgan took far too long to acknowledge that he made a mistake"

The BC Green Party says Premier John Horgan took far too long to acknowledge that he made a mistake on what it describes as the ``billion dollar rebuild'' of the Royal BC Museum.

Leader Sonia Furstenau says the project showed how out of touch the N-D-P is with the priorities of British Columbians.

The Liberals had also criticized the rebuild as Horgan's ``vanity project.''

Furstenau says the NDP needs to show they are now going to focus on helping people as the affordability and health care crises are intensifying and communities continue to suffer from climate emergencies.

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