Feeling the bite of cuts
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Updated: November 02, 2009 4:04 PM
Abbotsford schools and arts groups are starting to feel the impact of gaming grant cuts announced by the provincial government in early September.
Judy Whyte, executive director of the Abbotsford Arts Council, said the organization, which represents 57 local arts groups, now knows that it will not receive any Direct Access funds at all for 2010. The council has received anywhere from $20,000 to $26,000 in each of the last five years.
Whyte said that might not be the end to the cuts. The Abbotsford organization this year received $18,500 from the B.C. Arts Council, which could experience cuts of its own, impacting its future contributions to the local agency.
Whyte said it’s not clear yet how these reductions will affect local arts programs.
“We’ve gotten a lot through grants – $20,000 is not easy to replace. We’re going to have to actually fundraise for existence, instead of just for programs,” she said.
Whyte has been invited to join the panel at a “community engagement meeting” on Nov. 17, organized by the provincial government to garner feedback from groups impacted by the funding cuts.
Meanwhile, schools are also facing potential reductions beyond their PAC (Parent Advisory Council) grant funding, which was slashed from $20 per student to $10.
Rhonda Pauls, chair of the District Parent Advisory Council, said the schools hardest hit by the cuts are the ones that also applied for bingo affiliation grants.
These 18 schools did not receive the $10-per-head funds because it was believed they would be receiving other gaming revenue in the spring.
However, bingo associations have put their budgets on hold until well after the Olympics, meaning that the schools won’t find out until May or June whether they will be getting any money, Pauls said.
“(At that point) it’s too late to support kids in this school year with funds.”
Schools use PAC grants and bingo funds to support such things as playgrounds, library books, computer labs and busing for special events.
Also affected by the first round of gaming grant cuts are numerous sports organizations, which are now looking at things such as higher registration fees and increased fundraising.
Direct Access grants can amount to as much as $100,000 per year for local organizations and $250,000 for province-wide agencies.
Bingo affiliation grants are typically awarded for three-year periods. Groups that are still within that timeline will not experience the impact of potential cuts until after 2010.
The next groups to have their gaming grant applications considered are in the areas of public safety, the environment, and human and social services.
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