Provincial Budget Maintains Status Quo Cultural Funding
The Province of Saskatchewan released its 2018-2019 provincial budget yesterday, maintaining status quo funding for the Saskatchewan Arts Board, Creative Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation, and giving the Royal Saskatchewan Museum a small increase.
Support acknowledged for Provincial Heritage and Culture includes ArtsVest and Friends of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, which remain at the same levels as last year, as well as funding for the Canada-Saskatchewan bilateral Agreement on Sport Participation, which flows through Sask Sport. The decrease to the Community Initiatives Fund is based on a forecast directly tied to gaming revenues. A decrease to Community Sport, Culture and Recreation Programs line reflects changes made to the snowmobile program payments coordinated with SGI. The remaining $750,000 available in this line will go to support the Western Canada Summer Games that will be held in 2019. The 2018-19 provincial budget also included $11.1 million in funding for provincial libraries, and a substantial increase of $4.5 million in capital funding for Saskatchewan's Parks in order to improve and upgrade provincial parks. The 2018-19 Provincial Budget, Estimates and Highlights can be downloaded here.