Burnaby Minor Hockey Association is lobbying the city’s MLAs to find out if it will receive the annual gaming grant it usually gets from the provincial government.

Back in May, the BMHA executive approved a budget that included the anticipated receipt of $80,000 from the gaming fund. But in late July the ministry of housing and social development froze the funds as it reviewed grant programs while the government scrambles to trim budgets.

Last week, BMHA executive director Larry Hayes sent an e-mail to Burnaby North MLA Richard Lee saying the funds are desperately needed to continue community youth hockey in the city. Usually the funds don’t arrive until August so the BMHA isn’t in a panic, said Hayes, but the executive is concerned.

Hayes said the organization’s mandate is to accept all children who want to play hockey.

“This includes newcomers to the sport at all age levels who come to us with little or no basic skating and hockey skills, children of families who have arrived in Burnaby from many other parts of the world, many who have spent their young lives in very desperate living situations and those who have a variety of income levels,” wrote Hayes.

“No one is turned away when we have the ice time to accommodate them. We are very proud of the fact that every year we discreetly subsidize the registration costs for a number of children and families with these costs being absorbed fully by our association.”

Hayes asked Lee to research the status of the grant application and, if necessary, advocate for BMHA if the funds are being cut or reduced.

Even after sending a follow-up, Hayes has not heard from Lee. On Friday, saying BMHA had been “left in the dark,” Hayes sent a plea for help to Lee’s fellow BC Liberal colleague Harry Bloy, MLA for Burnaby-Lougheed and NDP MLAs Kathy Corrigan (Burnaby-Deer Lake) and Raj Chouhan (Burnaby-Edmonds).

sports@burnabynewsleader.com