Global Affairs Canada spent nearly $59,000 on artwork, framing, shipping and installation to decorate Canada’s consulate in Milan, according to government records reviewed by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

The spending included $33,680 on seven art pieces purchased since the consulate reopened in 2023, records released through an order paper question from Conservative MP Vincent Ho show. That works out to an average of about $4,800 per piece.

Among the items purchased was a work titled Erased, described as a pair of “upcycled” pink cowboy boots sourced from a thrift store in New York City and modified with beads, floral detailing and fringe.

Three other pieces were textile works by an Indigenous artist using rabbit fur, beads and sherpa. One piece, titled Blueberry Patch, is described as a mitten mounted on a pole. The remaining purchases included two Indigenous sculptures and a photograph.

Global Affairs also spent $21,737 on framing and mounts for the collection, including a support pole for the mitten display, along with $3,617 on shipping and installation.

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The department separately spent $322,500 furnishing the consulate, including $261,500 on furniture, carpet and signage, $20,000 on shipping and $41,000 on installation. Another $6,400 went toward an in-house photographer.

The Milan consulate was reopened in 2020 after being closed in 2007 under former prime minister Stephen Harper as part of cost-cutting measures. Canada already maintains an embassy in Rome.

The Milan retrofit is part of an $18.6-million project tied to federal climate objectives, according to previously reported access-to-information records. Operational and construction costs to date total more than $5.4 million.

Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, criticized the spending and questioned the need for reopening the Milan office when Canada already has diplomatic representation in Italy.

Global Affairs Canada manages more than 400 properties in over 70 countries, according to records cited by the federation.

The department has spent at least $186 million on foreign real estate holdings over the past 12 years, including residences, staff quarters and diplomatic properties.