SAA Bulletin – March 2009

March 18, 2009

2009 ? 2010 Provincial Budget

Honourable Rod Gantefoer, Minister of Finance, delivered the 2009 ? 2010 provincial budget today.

Although there was no mention of arts or culture in the budget address, the Budget Summary noted that Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport would “continue the progress being made on the province?s Arts, Culture and Heritage Sector Development Plan, to improve economic growth, increase quality of life and build pride in Saskatchewan”.

This year a new program, the Active Families Benefit, will be implemented where parents of children aged 6 to 14 years who participate in cultural, recreational and sport activities could receive a benefit of up to $150 per child per taxation year. Government estimates costs to this program will be $18 million.

The Ministry of TPCS showed slight increases in several line items including the Saskatchewan Arts Board which received an additional $244,000. The Community Initiatives Fund saw a $1.1 million increase, and the Building Communities infrastructure program was decreased by almost $21 million.

Support for Arts and Cultural Organizations, which was added last year in order for the Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport to have a bigger role in determining how funding is allocated, was combined with the Cultural Industries Development line for a total of $4.5 million. Of that amount, $1.5 million will go to the Saskatchewan Arts Board for support of the creative industries and $800,000 for the Culture on the Go program. Other expenditures are not known to us at this time, although the Building Pride program may be funded through this line item as well.

Following are excerpts from the Tourism, Parks, Culture, and Sport Estimates. Links to budget documents can be found at http://www.finance.gov.sk.ca/budget2009-10/

Arts Related Estimates with Comparison to 2008-09 Estimates (in thousands of dollars)

Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport Estimates 2009-10 2008-09
Culture
Culture Operations Support 1,037

937
Saskatchewan Arts Board 6,338 6,094
Support for Provincial Arts and Cultural Organizations 4,500 4,200
Cultural Industries Development — 300
SaskFILM 1,083 1,041
Film Employment Tax Credit 8,200 8,200
Conexus Arts Centre 446 429
Active Families Benefit 18,000 —
Heritage
Heritage Operations Support 1,260 1,210
Royal Saskatchewan Museum 2,118 2,028
Western Development Museum 3,999 3,845
Wanuskewin Heritage Park 602 579
Saskatchewan Science Centre 578 556
Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation 289 278
Saskatchewan Archives Board 4,167 3,988
Community Initiatives Fund 10,451 9,339
Other
Saskatchewan Communications Network 6,267 5,997
Building Communities Fund 16,493 37,391