SAA Bulletin – March 2015
2015 – 2016 Provincial Budget
2015 – 2016 Provincial Budget – Keeping Saskatchewan Strong
Today the Honourable Ken Krawetz, Minister of Finance, delivered the 2015 – 2016 Provincial Budget: Keeping Saskatchewan Strong. This year the province’s priorities are to keep taxes low, invest in infrastructure, control operating spending and provide new growth tax incentives to support job creation and capital investment.
The Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport’s news release highlights the government’s plan to invest in the provincial parks to benefit tourism in Saskatchewan. Funding to Creative Sask. and the Sask. Arts Board remains the same as last year so that the “agencies that administer and support arts, culture and creative industries continue to provide services, supports and programming to the citizens of Saskatchewan.” Funding of the Main Street Sask. program and Culture on the Go continues this year as well.
SAA President Kelley Jo Burke observed that, ““In these times of fiscal restraint, it’s encouraging that government retained funding for the arts and cultural industries. I believe it demonstrates an understanding on the part of the government of the importance of arts and culture to the province’s tangible and intangible sustainability.”
Following are excerpts from the Parks, Culture, and Sport Estimates. Links to the budget documents can be found at http://www.finance.gov.sk.ca/budget2015-16. Note that the Ministry has changed its budget line items to align with its strategic plan. Changes in the line items are explained in the footnotes.
2015 – 16 Arts Related Estimates with Comparison to 2014 – 15 Estimates (in thousands of dollars)
| Parks, Culture and Sport Estimates |
2015-16 |
2014-15 |
Increase (Decrease) |
|
|
|
||
| Resource Stewardship and the Provincial Capital Commission |
|
|
|
|
Support for Provincial Heritage and Culture[i] |
2,673 |
2,673 |
0 |
|
|
|
||
| Community Engagement |
|
|
|
|
Heritage Inst. & Sask. Science Centre[ii] |
5,415 |
5,415 |
0 |
|
Saskatchewan Arts Board |
6,958 |
6,958 |
0 |
|
Community Initiatives Fund[iii] |
9,239 |
9,316 |
(77) |
|
Community Infrastructure[iv] |
171 |
568 |
(397) |
|
Active Families Benefit[v] |
5,500 |
11,500 |
(6,000) |
|
Creative Saskatchewan |
7,699 |
7,699 |
0 |
|
Film Employment Tax Credit |
0 |
2,500 |
(2,500) |
|
Sask. Heritage Foundation |
504 |
504 |
0 |
[i] This line item combines the 14/15 line “Support for Provincial Arts and Culture Organizations” ($2.101) and grants and transfers to other organizations ($0.572). The allocations are the same as last year. The line includes Culture on the Go and Main Street programs.
[ii] This line includes Western Development Museum, Wanuskewin Heritage Park and Sask. Science Centre.
[iii] CIF money is dependent on casino revenue and varies year to year.
[iv] The Community Infrastructure Fund (formerly called the Building Communities Fund) is winding down.
[v] The Active Families Benefit will now be income tested and only available to families with net incomes below $60,000 — it is anticipated the costs will be reduced.
