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Shawne Mohl
The Olds Gazette
The Town of Olds responded by letter to the Province after they cut the
Community Lottery Boards entirely on April 9.
The Community Lottery Board was in existence for four years and last year
the local board disbursed $441,048 to local groups.
The Community Lottery Board
was established by the Klein government
as a response to the community
backlash, the VLTs were
eroding fundraising attempts at the
grassroots level.
ìThe Governmentís recent decision
to disband Community Lottery
Boards and the funding they provide
to volunteer and charitable
organizations creates serious concerns,î
stated Mayor Norma
Duncan in her letter to the Gaming
Commission.
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Olds Deputy Mayor, Harvey Walsh
says he is concerned about local
groups and doesnít know where
they will be going for funding.
ìThereís nothing in the (Townís)
budget to give away,î said Walsh.
Cities like St. Albert have ordered
all local businesses that operate
video lottery terminals (VLTís) to
get rid of the machines.
To date Olds Town Council say
they do not plan on going that route
and are preferring at this time to
handle situations with letters as
well as with the use of the Alberta
Urban Municipalities Association
(AUMA).
Olds pubs and bars that receive
revenue from the VLTís refused
comment on what impact the loss of
VLTs would have on them.
ìAUMA lobbies on behalf of municipalities
like us,î Walsh added.
ìThere is a continuing obligation
on the part of the government to
revert a portion of gaming proceeds
back to the communities through
the Community Lottery Board
Program,î Duncan continued in her
letter.
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The Gaming Commission says
that funds from the Alberta Lottery
Fund are distributed in two ways -
through six foundations and granting
programs and through 12 ministries
for priority public initiatives.
The Gaming Commission says
that $80 million dollars will be
available this fiscal year.
Jody Korchinski, spokesperson for
the Province Gaming Department
says that it was a fiscal decision
that made the Province decide to
cut the Board.
ìThe decision to not fund the
Community Lottery Board was a
fiscal decision,î Korchinski said.
ìWe plan to increase funding in
the 2003-04 year to programs and
foundations to over $100 million
dollars - a $20 million increase that
should see additional groups funded,î
Minister of Gaming, Ron
Stevens said.
Korchinski said that the Province
projects over $1.2 billion in VLT
revenue for this fiscal year.
ìWe just are not pleased,î added
Walsh.
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