AFA Newswire
February 10, 2010

Message from the Minister of Alberta Culture and Community Spirit

The Government of Alberta has presented its budget for 2010-11. I know you are all familiar with the current economic situation, including the Government of Alberta's commitment to getting our provincial budget back in the black by 2012.

Let me assure you that the Government of Alberta remains committed to the goals of our cultural policy, The Spirit of Alberta, and its four keystones of Access, Capacity, Excellence and fostering Cultural Industries. The implementation of The Spirit of Alberta is the first strategic priority of Culture and Community Spirit's 2010-13 Business Plan.

We are equally committed to the role of the arts, culture, community partners and non-profit and voluntary organizations in building a strong and vibrant Alberta. Working in partnership with the non-profit/voluntary sector to strengthen capacity and support collaborative community initiatives is highlighted in my mandate letter from Premier Stelmach.

The total budgeted program expense for Culture and Community Spirit in 2010-11 will be a considerable amount - $283.7 million. This amount includes:

  • $165 million for community voluntary support services. This includes $38 million for the Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP), $25.5 million for the Community Initiatives Program (CIP) and $22 million in operating and capital support for Major Fairs and Exhibitions. In addition, $16 million is provided for the Community Spirit Program donation grant program, which encourages more individual donations to non-profit organizations and registered Alberta charities.
  • $56 million for arts and cultural industries. This includes more than $29 million in assistance to the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and $17 million in support of film and television production. Implementation of Alberta's cultural policy, The Spirit of Alberta, continues.
  • $47 million for heritage programs. This includes support to the Royal Alberta Museum, the Royal Tyrrell Museum and other museums and historic sites across the province.
  • $8 million for human rights and diversity.

Our 2010-11 budget makes a net reduction of $5 million, or 1.8 per cent, from the 2009-10 forecast, but allow me to explain further.

Ministry program expenses will actually decrease by $35 million; at the same time, a $30 million one-time grant increase will fund four Alberta capital projects. The funds for these projects are being provided through the capital fund and not through the department operating budget. These projects also include some "flow-through" funding from the federal government.

The 2010-11 budget and our 2010-13 Business Plan were put together with the goal of providing the most funding possible to those groups that provide services and supports to the most vulnerable in our society, as well as to increase the competitiveness of our cultural industries.

All areas of my department will share in these budget reductions. Within the department, we have brought in operational efficiencies and re-examined core roles, which has helped us to make up part of the shortfall. These changes have also helped focus our budgeting on supporting critically important non-profit, voluntary and cultural sector services.

In my recent meetings with members of these sectors, we discussed ways of enhancing our relationship and having organizations work together to meet short-term challenges. I look forward to continuing these discussions and finding new and innovative ways to build sustainable cultural and non-profit sector organizations.

My department has also looked for new efficiencies in our grant programs. By streamlining applications and moving to a quarterly grant schedule, we are striving to keep the impact of budget reductions as small as possible.

While the 2010-11 budget has to face current economic realities, we will not lose the momentum that we have created in helping develop, foster and showcase our Culture and Community Spirit.

We must take this opportunity, during these challenging times, to review what is important, encourage innovation and make it sustainable. I look forward to working with all of you over the coming year.

Sincerely,

Lindsay Blackett
Minister of Culture and Community Spirit
MLA, Calgary-North West

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John Barbour@ gov.ab.ca
Communication Consultant, Arts Branch