CBC's real estate portfolio is valued at over $400 million

In May 2023, in response to a paper questionnaire from conservative representative Adam Chambers regarding the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), a set of information was disclosed. This information included a list of 12 assets owned by the CBC across Canada, with a total value of $444,414,469. The highest-valued asset on this list was the CBC Broadcast Center in Toronto, located at 250 Front St. West, with an estimated value of $313.8 million. This center, spanning 13 floors and 1.7 million square feet, served as the primary hub for broadcasting, production, and central control of CBC's English-language national operations and was inaugurated in 1992.

The CBC's headquarters is situated in the Ottawa production center, occupying several floors of a leased building on Queen Street near O'Connor Street, just steps away from Parliament Hill.

In the asset ranking of the company, the CBC Broadcast Center in Vancouver was also listed as the second most valuable asset. This building, constructed in 1975 and renovated 14 years ago, had an estimated value of $99 million. Additionally, the CBC Broadcast Center in Manitoba, located on Portage Street 541 in Winnipeg, had an approximate value of $11.7 million.

The company also possessed other facilities valued at over $1 million in various locations across Canada, including areas such as Saint John (worth $4.4 million), Yellowknife (worth $3.1 million), Fredericton (worth $2.8 million), Charlottetown (worth $2.6 million), Saguenay (worth $2.5 million), Whitehorse (worth $1.8 million), and others. Facilities in Winnipeg with a total value of $1.5 million were also mentioned. Only two assets valued under $1 million were included in this list: CBC studios in Thunder Bay (valued at $537,000) and the company's facilities in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut (valued at $314,600).

In addition to its domestic properties, CBC leased spaces in 72 locations worldwide, alongside its leased corporate headquarters in Ottawa, which included regional offices, branches, and studios throughout Canada. The rental values were redacted due to their sensitive third-party commercial nature. When questioned about these leases and their values, Leon Marr, the CBC spokesperson, maintained that this information should remain private, considering lease payments as sensitive third-party commercial data.

The data provided indicated that CBC had properties and leases in Canada and five other countries. At the international level, CBC had offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, India, and France. The response also mentioned recent closures of CBC offices in Beijing and Moscow, but no information was provided regarding the rental costs. In Canada, most regional CBC offices, including three separate centers in Montreal, were leased.

According to the latest annual report of CBC, this broadcaster received a budget of $1.24 billion from the federal government.

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