Hi again,
Erin and I wanted to reconnect with you one more time tonight about today's federal budget.
First, you'll find here an SMG press release that includes some framing messages to help you with your communications. It's critical that we create a wave of regional communications about this new infrastructure initiative because this is how it will be implemented - through Canada's regional development agencies.
Secondly, there was an important boost to Special Olympics Canada in the budget (up to $1.5million annually) that will surely help this leading organization in their sport development work with and for Canadians with intellectual disabilities - great news.
Thirdly, there are many related initiatives that we ought to tap into:
There are so many related infrastructure initiatives that we'll need a day or two to assess (i.e. Will the Green Infrastructure Fund help arenas retrofit with new, clean, green technology? Will the Colleges fund apply to sport and recreation facilities? etc.)
If you typically hire students to work at your non profit sport organization, you ought to boost your plans for this summer and next. There is an additional $20m a year in the Canada Summer Jobs program.
Health outcomes are the priority for the First Nations and Inuit health partnerships - set to the tune of an additional $305million over two years. Health promoting activities, like sport, physical activity, youth development and such have traditionally been included in the makeup of these programs given the holistic philosophy of Aboriginal health. Let's support our Aboriginal Sport and Recreation groups in accessing these programs.
Sport Tourism built around Vancouver 2010 got a boost with $40million over 2 years heading to the Canadian Tourism Commission.
F-PT governments, Coaches of Canada, Coaching Association of Canada, and provincial coaches associations - take note. There is a new $50million investment going into a national foreign credential recognition framework. Is this an opportunity for investment in how newcomer coaches can acquire their NCCP certification and/or Ch PC designation?
What we didn't see was any additional progress on tax policy beyond the advancement of the Athlete Trust act in pre-budget work. Nor did we see anything specific around the upcoming major event in Vancouver and bids for Pan Am and FISU games in 2015. Foreign policy and international cooperation received barely a mention. So there is more work for us to do together and more analysis to come.
Lastly, the story behind this budget is also worth telling, that I can attest. Perhaps at the next SMG meeting or, even better, when we gather over coffee or a beer and talk about the future of sport and physical activity, someone should remind me to share some of what I learned in the lock-up about how this came to be. It's mostly about being there - all of us - about sticking to it and about everyone pitching in for many years. It sure made me appreciate what we are all about.
Good night everyone.
Ian
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
A budget for building in sport and recreation
Hi all,
Pick up the shovel, everybody.
The 2009 Federal Budget takes direct aim at the long standing infrastructure deficit in sport and recreation with a new, dedicated, $500 million fund, to be expended in the next 2 years, to renew and build facilities in our communities.
With specific references to the 1967 Centennial year building boom, the budget highlights in detail the need for “hockey arenas, soccer fields, tennis and basketball courts, and swimming pools” as examples for upgrading, renewal and building through this nationally delivered initiative.
The program will be a 50/50 matching initiative through regional development agencies (i.e. ACOA in Atlantic Canada) whereby provinces and municipalities, community sport organizations, and the private sector may all apply for matching funds where shovel ready projects exist.
3 big goals drive the new fund- economic stimulus, quality facilities, and national spirit- and the allocation will be based on merit and readiness accordingly.
Much more to come re: Aboriginal health initiatives, opportunities for youth employment in sport organizations, and even more infrastructure opportunities.
All for now and cheers to all for our successful collaboration on the sport and recreation infrastructure file.
Ian
Pick up the shovel, everybody.
The 2009 Federal Budget takes direct aim at the long standing infrastructure deficit in sport and recreation with a new, dedicated, $500 million fund, to be expended in the next 2 years, to renew and build facilities in our communities.
With specific references to the 1967 Centennial year building boom, the budget highlights in detail the need for “hockey arenas, soccer fields, tennis and basketball courts, and swimming pools” as examples for upgrading, renewal and building through this nationally delivered initiative.
The program will be a 50/50 matching initiative through regional development agencies (i.e. ACOA in Atlantic Canada) whereby provinces and municipalities, community sport organizations, and the private sector may all apply for matching funds where shovel ready projects exist.
3 big goals drive the new fund- economic stimulus, quality facilities, and national spirit- and the allocation will be based on merit and readiness accordingly.
Much more to come re: Aboriginal health initiatives, opportunities for youth employment in sport organizations, and even more infrastructure opportunities.
All for now and cheers to all for our successful collaboration on the sport and recreation infrastructure file.
Ian
Un budget pour bâtir dans le sport et le loisir
Bonjour à tous, (the English version was circulated earlier today)
Prenez vos pelles, tout le monde.
Le budget fédéral 2009 vise directement le déficit accumulé depuis longtemps des infrastructures dans le sport et le loisir avec de nouveaux fonds réservés de 500 millions $ au cours des deux prochaines années pour renouveler et bâtir des installations dans nos collectivités.
Avec des références spécifiques au boom de la construction de l’année du centenaire de 1967, le budget décrit en détail les besoins pour des «arénas de hockey, des terrains de soccer, des courts de tennis et de basket-ball et des bassins de natation» comme des exemples pour la rénovation, le renouvellement et la construction grâce à ce projet présenté nationalement.
Le programme sera appuyé à 50/50 par des agences régionales de développement (c.-à-d., l’ACOA dans les Maritimes) par lesquelles les provinces et les municipalités, les organisations communautaires sportives et le secteur privé pourront tous déposer des demandes pour des fonds correspondants là où des projets prêts à sortir de terre existent.
Trois grands objectifs sont visés par les nouveaux fonds: la stimulation économique, des installations de qualité et l’esprit national – et l’allocation se fera sur le mérite et l’aptitude en conséquence.
Beaucoup d’autres choses sont à venir, comme: des projets de santé autochtones, des occasions d’emplois pour les jeunes dans les organisations sportives et même d’autres occasions pour des infrastructures.
C’est tout pour l’instant et bonne chance à tous pour notre collaboration couronnée de succès dans les dossiers d’infrastructures de sport et de loisir.
Ian
Prenez vos pelles, tout le monde.
Le budget fédéral 2009 vise directement le déficit accumulé depuis longtemps des infrastructures dans le sport et le loisir avec de nouveaux fonds réservés de 500 millions $ au cours des deux prochaines années pour renouveler et bâtir des installations dans nos collectivités.
Avec des références spécifiques au boom de la construction de l’année du centenaire de 1967, le budget décrit en détail les besoins pour des «arénas de hockey, des terrains de soccer, des courts de tennis et de basket-ball et des bassins de natation» comme des exemples pour la rénovation, le renouvellement et la construction grâce à ce projet présenté nationalement.
Le programme sera appuyé à 50/50 par des agences régionales de développement (c.-à-d., l’ACOA dans les Maritimes) par lesquelles les provinces et les municipalités, les organisations communautaires sportives et le secteur privé pourront tous déposer des demandes pour des fonds correspondants là où des projets prêts à sortir de terre existent.
Trois grands objectifs sont visés par les nouveaux fonds: la stimulation économique, des installations de qualité et l’esprit national – et l’allocation se fera sur le mérite et l’aptitude en conséquence.
Beaucoup d’autres choses sont à venir, comme: des projets de santé autochtones, des occasions d’emplois pour les jeunes dans les organisations sportives et même d’autres occasions pour des infrastructures.
C’est tout pour l’instant et bonne chance à tous pour notre collaboration couronnée de succès dans les dossiers d’infrastructures de sport et de loisir.
Ian
Welcome to federal budget day, everybody.
This afternoon I'll be off to the lock-up for an early look at budget so I thought I'd provide a heads up on what we'll be reviewing in the budget documents.
You'll recall that we have 4 major themes to our policy work these days each of which come from our foundational policy work (the BHD) and align with the current economic and environmental circumstances:
1. Leadership - this is mostly related to the re-structuring of leadership systems in sport, like Ministerial appointments/mandates, development of the Agency concept, and the aggregate nature of political and policy leadership that is exercised by the federal government. The budget is one more chance for us to assess the nature of the leadership that we know is required for sport and physical activity policy success. The Minister's readiness to engage with the sector and understanding of the value of sport in society is a good sign.
2. The 1% commitment - the budget is the primary (but not the only) tool for Parliament to meet its goal of investing the equivalent of 1% of federal health spending on sport and physical activity. This commitment, first introduced by the Conservatives and now indexed at $500M, has been adopted by each of the federal parties so we'll consider progress on that front too, not just today but also tomorrow when the Liberals plan to announce their response to the budget. This is a positive outcome of your efforts during the last election campaign - so let's keep those relationships alive with your local MP by conversing with them about the nature of today's budget.
3. Infrastructure - the leaks in advance of the budget have already sent the signal that capital investment is being enhanced and fast-tracked. There are some very promising signs here so we'll look closely at the details and provide some analysis of what and where the opportunities exist in the next 2 years. If you have a shovel ready project, you ought to prepare your leaders for some smart work in the coming 6 months. Kudos to Victor Lachance at True Sport for his work in advancing this file with our colleagues in the Arts and Environment, through Imagine Canada - weekly briefings of Finance and PMO officials by a collective of leaders being the result.
4. Tax policy - there is much underway in tax policy that is having / will have an impact across the sport sector.
Consider that a pre-budget announcement of an enhancement to the athlete trust policy is already in the books (http://www.fin.gc.ca/drleg-apl/BIAdec08N-eng.asp with kudos to JD Miller, Jen Heil and Kim St Pierre for persisting on this file with pro bono help from KPMG/OgilvyRenault.
Also consider that the Children's Fitness Tax Credit is due for an upgrade to "fully refundable" status based on an election commitment last September.
And consider still that the series of tax incentives for giving and philanthropy continue unabated with more anticipated in today's budget.
All of which is to say that we now have a tax system that is much more in tune with what Canada's highest earning athletes, low income families, and fund developing sport organizations will benefit from on the fiscal front. Clearly, we'll have more to say on this later today and tomorrow.
What else might we look for in the budget?
The resolution of the Vancouver 2010 projects, linkages to the PanAm or Universiade efforts for 2015, the health file especially in relation to Aboriginal communities, international sport for development trends, and human resource strategies that impact non-profit organizations.
In the end, our sector's challenge will be to determine and to act in a way that puts this budget into action, on short notice, so that sport and physical activity communities are a big part of Canada's economic turnaround.
More to come later tonight,
Ian
You'll recall that we have 4 major themes to our policy work these days each of which come from our foundational policy work (the BHD) and align with the current economic and environmental circumstances:
1. Leadership - this is mostly related to the re-structuring of leadership systems in sport, like Ministerial appointments/mandates, development of the Agency concept, and the aggregate nature of political and policy leadership that is exercised by the federal government. The budget is one more chance for us to assess the nature of the leadership that we know is required for sport and physical activity policy success. The Minister's readiness to engage with the sector and understanding of the value of sport in society is a good sign.
2. The 1% commitment - the budget is the primary (but not the only) tool for Parliament to meet its goal of investing the equivalent of 1% of federal health spending on sport and physical activity. This commitment, first introduced by the Conservatives and now indexed at $500M, has been adopted by each of the federal parties so we'll consider progress on that front too, not just today but also tomorrow when the Liberals plan to announce their response to the budget. This is a positive outcome of your efforts during the last election campaign - so let's keep those relationships alive with your local MP by conversing with them about the nature of today's budget.
3. Infrastructure - the leaks in advance of the budget have already sent the signal that capital investment is being enhanced and fast-tracked. There are some very promising signs here so we'll look closely at the details and provide some analysis of what and where the opportunities exist in the next 2 years. If you have a shovel ready project, you ought to prepare your leaders for some smart work in the coming 6 months. Kudos to Victor Lachance at True Sport for his work in advancing this file with our colleagues in the Arts and Environment, through Imagine Canada - weekly briefings of Finance and PMO officials by a collective of leaders being the result.
4. Tax policy - there is much underway in tax policy that is having / will have an impact across the sport sector.
Consider that a pre-budget announcement of an enhancement to the athlete trust policy is already in the books (http://www.fin.gc.ca/drleg-apl/BIAdec08N-eng.asp with kudos to JD Miller, Jen Heil and Kim St Pierre for persisting on this file with pro bono help from KPMG/OgilvyRenault.
Also consider that the Children's Fitness Tax Credit is due for an upgrade to "fully refundable" status based on an election commitment last September.
And consider still that the series of tax incentives for giving and philanthropy continue unabated with more anticipated in today's budget.
All of which is to say that we now have a tax system that is much more in tune with what Canada's highest earning athletes, low income families, and fund developing sport organizations will benefit from on the fiscal front. Clearly, we'll have more to say on this later today and tomorrow.
What else might we look for in the budget?
The resolution of the Vancouver 2010 projects, linkages to the PanAm or Universiade efforts for 2015, the health file especially in relation to Aboriginal communities, international sport for development trends, and human resource strategies that impact non-profit organizations.
In the end, our sector's challenge will be to determine and to act in a way that puts this budget into action, on short notice, so that sport and physical activity communities are a big part of Canada's economic turnaround.
More to come later tonight,
Ian
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