A seemingly expensive flight to Vancouver that appeared on University of Northern BC past president's recently released expenses is just a case of a cancelled trip.
Rob van Adrichem, UNBC's vice president of external relations, said George Iwama was supposed to head to Chicago after his Vancouver meeting.
"That leg was cancelled," he said. "That's why that trip to Vancouver looks so expensive."
The two-day trip in May 2013 (for a business meeting and a Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre board meeting) included a flight that rang in at $2,181. Transportation and meals came to $500 and Iwama didn't claim accommodation costs for that trip.
Iwama's average cost for 25 flights to Vancouver (not including the $2,181 trip) was $562.61.
It's unlikely that money was lost with the cancelled Chicago visit, said van Adrichem.
"Normally our practice is that the savings get applied to the next flight," he said.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation released travel expense data Monday for 25 post-secondary presidents over a two-year period, compiled after making requests using the Freedom of Information Act.
In total, Iwama claimed $225,603.47 between 2012 and 2013. During that time his annual compensation - including salary, pension and benefits - was just over $300,000.
