By David F. Rooney
Some arts groups are feeling relieved today after a decision by Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman to reinstate some of the grants his ministry had last week decided to butcher.
As reported by major newspapers such as the Vancouver Sun and The Globe & Mail, the province did decide to reinstate some of the Direct Access grants it had earlier decided to kill — those to groups that had multi-year funding agreements in place with the ministry.
That is good news for the Revelstoke Visual Arts Society, which had a multi-year agreement, but not for the Revelstoke Arts Council, the Museum & Archives, the Railway Museum and the BC Interior Forestry Museum. They did not have multi-year agreements with the province.
The Arts Council had been asking for $12,000, the Museum & Archives $30,000, the Railway Museum $49,000 and the Forestry Museum $18,000. Those were all one-time grants and it appears — for now — that the government will not provide them with any cash. That may yet change if enough pressure is brought to bear on Victoria.
If you would like to register YOUR thoughts on this decision you can call, fax or e-mail them to:
Premier Gordon Campbell
Phone: 250-387-1715
Fax: 250-387-0087
E-mail: premier@gov.bc.ca
Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman
Phone: 250-356-7750
E-mail the minister from this web address: http://www.gov.bc.ca/hsd/feed/minister_feed.html
Fax: 250-356-7292
