Tom Fletcher - BC Local News Published: September 15, 2009 3:00 PM
VICTORIA – The cash-strapped B.C. government has given the bad news to sports and cultural organizations, and community environmental organizations are next. Grants funded from casino revenues have been trimmed around the province as the government struggles with a $2.7 billion deficit. This week the environmental organizations will feel the effect of a cut of about $1 million from their grants, said Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman. Coleman said grant applications were accepted until the end of August for the current quarter of the fiscal year, where the province funds public safety and environment efforts. With pressure on government finances, he said the government decided to make public safety grants the priority
"So they will get paid, things like search and rescue and those guys will all get grants for what they've applied for," Coleman said. "And then environment, those that don't have three-year commitments or bingo affiliations, will get nothing unless there's money left over in the envelope, and there's not likely to be any left."Coleman added that lottery and casino revenues also help CommunityLink, a meal program for children in schools.
Healthy Living and Sport Minister Ida Chong was under fire in the legislature for a second day Tuesday over budget cuts to sports organizations. Chong stressed that there is still $38 million being spent on travel, registration, equipment and services for youth and community sports, which is down $14 million from last year. NDP leader Carole James led off question period Tuesday by reminding Chong that in February, the B.C. government chipped in $500,000 for a 2010 Olympic countdown party. "I'd suggest the minister spend a little bit of time at a school basketball game or a soccer game or a Little League game in the summer to see where the money that this government is cutting goes," James said.
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