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Why is it that when government gets involved in a project — be it big or small — it always, always goes way over-budget?

Case in point: If you visit the posh headquarters for the Regional Municipality of Durham in Whitby, Ont., you will discover that the building has a new whiz-bang revolving door.

But while the door is revolving, the price tag is revolting! Namely, $1 million! For a door that spins around!

Unbelievable…

We paid a visit to Durham Region to check out the door firsthand and met up with local Pickering councillor Lisa Robinson. Like most people who know the value of a buck, Robinson is equal parts dumbfounded and disgusted that $1 million somehow got squandered on a simple revolving door.

For its part, Durham Region issued a statement justifying the pricey door:

We are required to ensure Regional facilities are safe and in good working order for staff and visitors. The building’s existing sliding door system was reaching the end of its 20-year life expectancy. The doors were a constant source of energy loss during extreme temperatures and presented health and safety concerns in a high-traffic area.

With $403,000 in funding from the federal Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, the Region reallocated $249,000 in funds from an existing capital maintenance project and matched with $249,000 in additional financing to replace the entire sliding door system using a transparent request for proposals process. The new system, including two accessible swing doors, HVAC and security features, was installed in 2024 to reduce operating costs and improve energy efficiency, traffic flow and security.

Anybody buying that?

Oh, and here’s a helpful note for the brainiacs running Durham Region: It doesn’t matter which level of government is paying the bills — there’s only one taxpayer!

Our suggestion? We feel the Region of Durham might recover the cost of this door by marketing it as a tourist attraction. Invite people far and wide to come visit Durham Region HQ to see the infamous $1 million revolving door — and charge each visitor a buck to "ride" it. 

Surely there are thousands of people who would be fascinated by such preposterous infrastructure. After all, a $1 million revolving door doesn’t belong at a municipal building, it belongs on display at Ripley’s Believe It or Not!