Last year's state funeral for Jack Layton came with a sizable price tag, newly released figures show. The late NDP leader's final farewell last summer cost taxpayers $368,326, which is more than the total bill for the recent state funerals of two former governors general.

The Department of Canadian Heritage released the full cost of the funeral to The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act,  one week after Canadians gathered to mark the one-year anniversary of Layton's death.

Until now, the cost of Layton's state funeral has been kept under wraps. The expenditures associated with Layton's funeral  included:
    _ $133,211 for ``exposition and related services'';
    _ $62,603 for land and building rentals;
    _ $54,208 for conference and hospitality;
    _ $35,613 for business services;
    _ $12,963 for travel;
    _ $41,297 for ``other services'';
    _ $10,468 for printing services.

Smaller sums were spent on postage, interpretation and translation, communications and machinery and furniture rentals.

Layton's state funeral cost more than recent state funerals for former governors general Romeo LeBlanc and Ray Hnatyshyn.  

LeBlanc's 2009 state funeral in Memramcooke, N.B., cost $214,000, Canadian Heritage said. It involved lowering flags at federal buildings to half-mast, two-days of lying in repose, a church service, a private interment and full military honours.

Hnatyshyn's 2002 state funeral in Ottawa cost $137,193. He lay in state for two days in the Senate chamber on Parliament Hill while flags stood at half mast across the country. That was followed by a church service and interment in Beechwood Cemetery. He also received full military honours.

(The Canadian Press)