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When it comes to the Memorial to the Victims of Communism, nothing, it seems, comes easily.

The national design competition for the memorial, rebooted by the Liberal government last December, is now behind schedule and the memorial itself will be costlier than previously reported.

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Briefing notes prepared for Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly in January, released under access to information, show a total budget of $3.5 million for the new Ottawa memorial, to be built at the Garden of the Provinces and Territories on Wellington Street.

In addition to the $3-million construction budget, which will be shared 50-50 by the government and Tribute to Liberty, the project’s sponsor, the briefing notes say the Department of Canadian Heritage will contribute $500,000 toward the development of the memorial’s design.

That brings the taxpayer cost to $2 million. In December, when Joly announced plans to move the memorial to the Garden of the Provinces from its previous location near the Supreme Court of Canada, she said the government’s contribution would be “capped” at $1.5 million.