By Sarah Pugh

Recent changes to the provincial gaming grant allocations have caused much concern to community groups and organizations all over British Columbia, and the neighbourhood of James Bay is no exception.

The grants are awarded from the net provincial income from gambling, lotteries and bingo halls.  Formerly, the grants went to a large variety of community groups, from sports organizations to seniors' support groups and other charities.  Facing a large budget deficit, the provincial government recently announced that the scope of the awards, and the total amount awarded, would be reduced. 

While many of the James Bay organizations that formerly received the grants still meet the published criteria (most are community health and support groups, or schools), there remains some uncertainty as to the actual amounts that will be awarded.  With the deadline for applications for most still a month or more away, most organizations currently have no choice but to continue operations as normal and hope for the best.

Penny Coates, manager of Community and Family Services at the James Bay Community Project, says their application is already in as of early October, but the soonest they would find out if they will receive all the funding they have applied for would be some time late in November, and she will not be surprised if it's later, "if they have some hard decisions to make."  For now, she says, the Project "is proceeding as if funding is in place."  The provincial gaming grants provide a portion of the Project's funding, with the remainder being from diversified sources.

Barb Maclean, executive director of the Family Caregivers Network Society, based in James Bay, is not so optimistic.  "We're very worried," she says.  Although she personally didn't attend, she understands that at a recent meeting of the Provincial Gaming Association, the deputy minister indicated that funding levels may be dropped across the board.  Maclean says she was given to understand that "We can't expect the same levels of funding we once had."  Her organization is still submitting, based on need, but she says that when news about the possible drop in funding was announced, they started to "work like crazy to come up with a contingency plan."  She worries that the provincial government is underestimating the cumulative effect of the cuts, and that a little here and a little there will add up to a large reduction in services and support in the community.

The James Bay Community Centre will likely also be affected by the changes to the grant allocations, and the coordinator, Darcy Topinka, is not yet sure to what extent.  He says that over the years "We've had a longstanding great relationship with the gaming commission," and notes that the Community Centre fits about five different priority categories for the new gaming grant guidelines: youth, community sports and recreation, nutrition programs, daycare, and out-of-school care.  He expects that the Centre will continue to receive grant funding, but "How much am I expecting? Don't know."

Topinka, like other service providers, is well aware that the total amount of money available has been decreased, and the ministry staff in charge of doling it out are facing some tough decisions.  Although the prospect of making do with less is unpleasant, Topinka already has an idea of what the first casualties will be: equipment replacement and out-trips for out-of-school care and youth programs.

Field trips are also at risk for the James Bay Community School.  Kate Kerr, chair of the Parents' Advisory Council for the school, points out that many school functions assumed to be funded by the Ministry of Education, like field trips, speakers, special events and sports uniforms, are actually funded by the provincial gaming grants, via the PAC. "We're obviously very concerned," she says; the gaming grants allow school to be a richer experience, a richer environment for the children, many of whom are from low-income families.  "If we can't do that, school becomes a different thing."  Even though child and youth programs are theoretically a top priority for the gaming grants, PAC funding has been cut in half, from $20 per enrolled student to $10, per academic year.

Kerr says that the first few PAC meetings this year, instead of planning events and activities for the school as normal, have been devoted to figuring out how to make up the shortfall.  So far, it looks like the only answer is for all the parents to put in more time or money - already scarce commodities.  Kerr says that many parents are frustrated, as she is, and they wonder about the decision-making processes that led to the funding cuts. PAC funding has never been as much as initially promised, Kerr points out. "It's not like we had a lot of money to start with."  Parents aren't likely to let their children suffer, she says, and wonders if the government knows this.  "Are they assuming we're going to bake our little hearts out for more bake sales to make up for it?"

The full impact of the changes to the gaming grant allocations will become clearer in the next few months, as all eligible organizations apply for their grants, and wait anxiously to see what is given.