View From the Legislature

One of the most welcomed provincial programs in recent years was the Arts, Culture and Sport in Community (ACSC) grant program. It allowed for local community organizations that were doing important work at the local level, as well as larger programs, to seek support. While the overall budget of the program was $100 million, most often the funding was given in relatively small amounts but was able to make significant impacts to these community organizations.

Unfortunately for community groups, it was recently confirmed that this program was another of a series of cuts that the NDP have decided to make to the budget. This follows the decision by the NDP to cut nine schools that were previously planned and to cut funding for options for surgeries such as hip and knee procedures.

In making the decision to cut funding programs to local community groups, the NDP government said that programs to support these organizations were political. Many members of the local organizations who have received community grants may have been wondering what this meant and what kind of funding was considered political. For local residents of the Steinbach Constituency, it is helpful to remember the type of funding that was provided under community grant programs.

Under the ACSC program, the community of Mitchell received funding to replace the ice plant in their arena. This was very needed funding and allows young local residents to be able to access ice time for recreational skating and for organized sports. Also, The Steinbach Curling Club, the Steinbach Skimmers Competitive Swimming Club and Island Breeze Manitoba sports academy received small grants to allow for amateur sports to occur, often allowing youth who would not otherwise been able to participate to have access to sports.

Looking beyond sports, the Mennonite Heritage Village Museum also received funding along with the Mennonite Historical Society who is undertaking a documentary film on the Mennonites who came to Manitoba from Russia 150 years ago in 1874.

It is also worth mentioning that the new NDP government also has done away with the Building Sustainable Community (BSC) Fund which supported a variety of community capital needs. In the Steinbach region, as one example, the BSC Fund provided $225,000 to the Steinbach and Area Animal Rescue (SAAR) so that a permanent shelter could be constructed to support the many animals that they rescue every year. Programs like SAAR are often largely run by volunteers. Hardly political, they are grassroots organizations whose only motivation is to fill a need.

While the NDP cut funding for the arts, culture and sport communities along with community support programs, schools and surgeries, they were able to find funding for one thing they considered important. In the current budget they have decided to double the public subsidy for their political party for future elections. So while the NDP found supporting local projects as political and unaffordable, increasing public funding for their political party managed to become a priority. In many ways, the new NDP government is beginning to feel a lot like the last one.