Provincial Election 2009 – Key Messages
Key Message:
Sport Nova Scotia urges the Province to continue the investment in and operation of the Building Facilities and Infrastructure Together (B-FIT) program beyond the end date of 2017 and the current projected investment of $68 million in order to ensure there is long-term funding for sport and recreation facilities.
Supporting Points
• A 2005 Nova Scotia Health Promotion and Protection estimate found the deficit in Nova Scotia’s sport and recreation infrastructure to be between $88 to $93 million, and this figure did not include new facilities that were needed to meet the demands of new sport programs.
• In 2007, the Province announced a $50 million program dedicated to sport infrastructure and recreation facility construction and upgrades over the next 10 years (B-FIT). This program provides funding for sport and recreation facility projects over $450,000. The B-FIT program is in addition to the Recreation Facility Development Program (RFP) that assists community groups, municipalities and other ‘not-for-profit’ organizations in the development of facilities in order to increase public participation in sport and physical recreation. Projects eligible for the RFP program range from $20,000 to $450,0000.
• In 2008, the Province announced an additional $2 million annually for the B-FIT program. This increased annual funding to $7 million for a total investment of $68 million over the ten years of the program.
• The lack of facilities that meet local needs clearly means that Nova Scotians do not have the opportunities to be physically active and to reap the many benefits from participating in sport.
• The B-FIT program has successfully begun to address the infrastructure deficit, however, the Province must continue its support to eliminate access to facilities as a major barrier to participation in sport and physical activity.
Key Message: Sport Nova Scotia asks that the individual tax credits for physical activities be extended to coaches and officials for the costs incurred for their training and certification.
Supporting Points
• The cost of training and certification of coaches and officials contributes to the financial barriers to participating in sport.
• Extending individual tax credits for coach and official certification and training will help to reduce the hard costs organizations incur which in turn can help to lower registration fees so more Nova Scotians can participate in sport.
Key Message: The Government of Nova Scotia must work closely and actively with the Federal Government to ensure Ottawa’s continued operation of a dedicated fund for sport and recreation infrastructure in order to address the severe deficit of sport facilities that exists in Nova Scotia and across Canada. Additionally, this program must expand beyond facility maintenance and upgrades and begin to address facility construction.
Supporting Points
• Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada face a more severe deficit of sport infrastructure than many other parts of Canada. To truly address this problem, a long-term commitment from the federal government is vital not only for renovation and upgrades of current facilities but also for the construction of new facilities in communities across Nova Scotia.
• This year, Ottawa announced RInC—Recreation Infrastructure Canada, which will provide $500 million over the next two years to build and renovate non-profit sport and recreation facilities. The maximum federal contribution for a project is $1 million with1/3 – ½ matching dollars from the province and/or municipality.
• RInC targets renovation projects that can be completed quickly in order to help stimulate the Canadian economy. All projects must be completed in the fiscal year in which they were funded.