THE SEATS were filled as community groups gave their views on why they needed gambling money to the man hired by the provincial government to review the gaming grants program.
Representatives from many of the local groups told former Kwantlen Polytechnic University president Skip Triplett of the Community Gaming Grant Review the money was crucial to their operations.
Community groups were hit hard beginning last year when profits from gambling were diverted to general government revenue.
Representatives from the Terrace Art Association, Volunteer Terrace, the Royal Canadian Legion and the poverty law advocate from Terrace and District Community Social Services all spoke.
Lovina Tyler, executive director of Volunteer Terrace, talked about how much the organization relies on gaming money.
Although Volunteer Terrace receives financing from a few businesses and cash and in-kind donations from the public, Volunteer Terrace is an independent stand-alone society, she said.
Although that allows Volunteer Terrace “to take on programs that the community wants and needs, and to react quickly to changing community challenges,” being a small society in a small northern town has its disadvantages too, she said.
“From a financial point of view it is difficult to maintain a stand-alone society.
“We do not have the benefit of shared resources for things like office space and telephones,” she said.
“Our great flexibility and successful targeted programming is effective, yet chronically under-funded. Most importantly, the need for core funding is an ongoing problem and that is why we really need Gaming Funding...,” she said.
Afterward, she said she believes our voices will be heard.
“I feel we need to put our trust in Premier Clark and this review, but everyone needs to participate in it. The more voices the better.”