No money for adult sports. No commitment to Own the Podium. For a province that promised to build a legacy out of playing host to the 2010 Winter Olympics, B.C.'s latest budget offers little for sports and athletes.
The province cut off adult sports organizations from gambling grants yesterday, while the minister responsible for healthy living and sport said she can't make a commitment to the Own the Podium program that supports Canada's elite athletes until other provinces step up with cash.
Paul Varian, president of Sport BC, complimented the B.C. government last week for its promised commitment to amateur sports in the budget. Yesterday, he said he was saddened by the details of the new gambling-grant limits.
"This decision will limit the sport sector's ability to provide for everyone's participation in amateur sport around the province as a key, lasting benefit to the recent Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games," he said in a statement.
Sports Minister Ida Chong said she expects her government will find cash for Own the Podium, but it is not in the budget.
"We want to see the makeup of who is involved ... before we can make a firm commitment," Ms. Chong said in an interview. "We certainly want to continue to contribute towards Own the Podium. It's a good program, we believe it's been successful, but it is a partnership with other provinces and even with the private sector."
The province provided $10-million to the national program in the runup to the Vancouver 2010 Games to help achieve "sustainable podium performances at the Olympic and Paralympic Games."
Last week's federal budget pledged to double Ottawa's contribution to Own the Podium. But the B.C. budget last week promised a "renewed emphasis" on sports to build on "a long-standing tradition of sports excellence."
The province did establish a legacy fund for youth sports, and gambling grants will still be available to youth and disabled sports programs.
Social Development Minister Rich Coleman said community groups will have to find other sources of revenue for adult programs. "They're not getting funded for adults. They should adapt their programs to the grant money."
Over all, the share of gambling revenues going to provincial charities is on the wane.
This year, the province expects to take in $1.1-billion in gambling profits, but will share just $120-million with charity. Some groups will maintain their typical gambling-grant income, but groups supporting playgrounds, the environment, adult sports and adult arts and culture will no longer qualify.
"This is an exercise that needed to be done," Mr. Coleman said. "Some things had grown into this - if you looked at them you'd sort of scratch your head."
As an example, he pointed to past support for a sanctuary for unwanted and mistreated exotic birds. "Parrots are not an indigenous bird to British Columbia, yet they were getting $100,000 for a parrot-recovery society," he said.
But Cheryl Ziola, executive director of the B.C. Association for Charitable Gaming, said the cuts make no sense given the government's commitment to healthy living and a sustainable environment. "It's a lot of hot air," she said. "It's a continued erosion of gaming funding at the expense of charities."
Two years ago, charities received more than 14 per cent of the government's gambling revenue. In this budget, charities get less than 11 per cent.
NDP arts and culture critic Spencer Herbert said Mr. Coleman is right to scrutinize how charity money is being spent, but he shouldn't shrink the total share of gambling revenues.
"The government has decided to take more money away from charities for other programs."