The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
BC Provincial Government – Canada
Project name : British Columbia Home Owner Mortgage and Equity Partnership program
Project type : Government backed loan program to help first time buyers enter the real estate market
Date : Cancelled Dec 2018
Cost : Unknown
Synopsis :
Between 2002 and 2017 residential property prices in the city of Vancouver, Canada w...
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Failed government project
Jacques Cartier Champlain Bridge Corporation
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Jacques Cartier Champlain Bridge Corporation – Canada
Project type : Highway overpass construction
Date : Oct 2016 Cost : $11M CAD
Synopsis :
Taxpayers often feel that their hard earned dollars aren't being respected by the government officials charged with spending those dollars. In a story that feeds into that narrative, the city of Montreal has recently co...
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Phoenix Failing
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Department of Public Works and Government Services - Canada
Project type : New payroll system
Project name : Phoenix
Date : Jul 2016
Cost : $50M
Synopsis :
A Phoenix is supposed to rise from the flames. Instead of rising, Canada's new federal government payroll system (called Phoenix) seems to be stuck firmly in the flames. According to reports from the ...
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St Helena Airport
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Organization: Department for International Development (DfID) - UK
Project type : New airport
Date : Jun 2016
Cost : £285 million
Synopsis :
Wind shear is one of the most deadly atmospheric conditions an aircraft can hit. A significant and rapid change in wind speed, or direction, over a very short distance, wind shear is especially dangerous when it happ...
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Flint Michigan – Water
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Organization: Flint Michigan Municipality
Project type : Municipal water supply
Date : Apr 2014 to May 2016 (ongoing at time of writing)
Cost : Unknown for now, but potentially in the billions.
Synopsis :
In the most powerful nation on earth you would assume that if you're in a major city, it would be safe to drink the tap water. If you're in Flint Michig...
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Tram trouble
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Organization: City of Edinburgh Council
Project type : Public transit - Tram Network
Date : September 2003 - May 2014
Cost : £1 Billion (including anticipated loan interest) versus an original estimate of £375M (based on a much larger scope than was actually built)
Synopsis :
What started out as a noble idea in 2003 was later described as the “hell on whe...
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TSA Body Scanners
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Organization: Transportation Security Administration
Project type : Security system
Project name : Unknown
Date : August 2015
Cost : $160M
Synopsis :
Clearly security at major public venues is a top concern in the current global environment and airports are often at the leading edge of the fight. In the USA, the Transportation Security Administration (TS...
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Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Organization: Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality (NMBMM) – South Africa
Project type : Metro bus purchase
Project name : Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS)
Date : February 2015
Cost : R2 billion ZAR (approximately $130M USD)
Synopsis :
The purchase of 60 buses at a cost of R100 million (ZAR) has left the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan M...
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Los Angeles Unified School District
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Los Angeles Unified School District - USA
Project type : e-Enabled learning tools
Project name : Instructional Technology Initiative
Date : Apr 2015 Cost : $1.3B
Synopsis :
Bringing equal opportunity to students from all economic backgrounds is a noble and justifiable goal, but having a noble goal doesn't make a project any easier. The Los Angeles Unifie...
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Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services
The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world.
Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services - Canada
Project type : Welfare management system
Project name : Social Assistance Management System (SAMS)
Date : Mar 2015 Cost : $214M
Synopsis :
It's a narrative that journalists and popular opinion love to draw upon: government can't run projects. While such journalists are often overlooking the many ...
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