Viewpoint - Environment funding cuts ‘shocking’
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The following letter was sent to the Honourable Rich Coleman, Minister of Housing & Social Development, and filed with this newspaper for publication.
By JEFF LEDERMAN
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. - Mahatma Gandhi
Although much over quoted, never has Gandhi’s wisdom rung so true as illustrated by your recent decision to arbitrarily halt B.C. Gaming funds to the environment. This kick to the groin of every individual and organization striving to make this planet a better place to live speaks volumes about the greatness of this nation.
We represent Island Wildlife Natural Care Centre, a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility on Salt Spring Island. We are a lean organization without any superfluous staff that can be let go.
When we lay off staff due to lack of funding, we lay off our core team, without whom we cannot operate. We do not have non-essential programs we can cut. We operate only one program; wildlife rescue and rehabilitation. In fact, Island Wildlife is proud to be one of only two organizations in the entire country permitted by Department of Fisheries and Oceans for the rescue and rehabilitation of marine mammals. After 13 years of sustainability and growth, you have struck us a blow from which we may never recover.
We are not talking about the Langley Lacrosse League not being able to replace their bleachers.
This is not about a local theatre group who must cancel their upcoming performance of West Side Story. We are talking about life; pure and simple. Your decision to halt gaming support for the environment will be directly responsible for great suffering and the death of countless innocent creatures.
For the past 10 years, Island Wildlife has relied on the BC Gaming Commission for about 30 per cent of its annual operating budget. Having successfully jumped through all of the ever-changing bureaucratic hoops, including two full-blown audits, (which by the way, Island Wildlife passed flawlessly), and having met every gaming criteria we had every reason to believe that we would once again be granted gaming funds.
Our budget was based on these funds. Because our application schedule is in the fall of the funding year and we prepare our budget in the prior winter, we include these funds in our planning.
We checked with the BCGC several times throughout the year just to make sure there were no last-minute issues with Gaming funds. All of our hiring and infrastructure plans are based on the fact that Gaming funding will once again be available.
By September it is too late to find additional funders to make up 30 per cent of our operating budget.
We are shocked that our elected leaders would prioritize the environment alongside adult sports and alumni associations. In fact we are shocked that any educated individual would voice this opinion. Can it be true that our government believes the melting of the polar ice is on a par with the melting of the Coquitlam curling ice?
Granted, without the arts and sports, life would be bleak. But without the environment, there is no life! How is this not our highest priority?
The writer is founder of the Island Wildlife Natural Care Centre.
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