Delivery Systems Sport and Recreation in Manitoba and Newfoundland

Introduction

The purpose of this assignment is to investigate the involvement of the government in the delivery of recreation and sport, in Newfoundland & Labrador, and Manitoba. There are no two governments that govern their provinces the same way, this means that there are meant to be similarities and differences between serval aspects of the governments. Governments are separated by their differences but united by their similarities. Each province is able to decide where they choose to focus their work and spread out their money, while you can look at every province and point out how they are different, I will be looking at the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Manitoba. Through similarities and differences, this paper will discuss how the governments deal with these programs throughout these provinces. The delivery of sport and recreation throughout provinces is important; using the websites that have been provided by the government this paper will look at the similarities and the differences between the two. It will also examine the provinces departments’ and ministers’ responsibilities and what kind of programs/services are provided within the recreation and sport field. Additional information such as the structure and funding in these departments will be discussed in detail and with related examples.

Ministery, Departments & Structure NL

In Newfoundland and Labrador, sport and recreation is the responsibility of the department of tourism, culture and recreation. The minister of this department is Tom Hedderson. The department is responsible for the following objectives: Responding to well-recognized issues in recreation and sport, the requirement to renew recreation and sport infrastructure, and the need to increase the participation of our residents in physical activity (Tom Hedderson, 2007). This is extremely important as the province is among the highest rate of obesity in the country. As well, the department encourages and supports communities and organizations to progress access to recreation and sport by overcoming conflicts to participation. They also strengthen public sector support, by developing physical and human resources to widen and better the recreation and sport experience of the province's citizens (Gov. Newfoundland & Labrador, 2018). Particularly citizens that are Aboriginal, women, seniors, youth and persons with disabilities are targeted. It is extremely important that sport and recreation are easily accessible to the population, it will, lower the cost of healthcare and decrease the rate of diseases across the country. Next, they build human resource capacity of the province by reinforcing the volunteer sector and identifying opportunities for collaboration in recreation and sport. Finally, reaching the potential of citizens through heightened excellence, and supporting infrastructure capacity (Gov. Newfoundland & Labrador, 2018).

Responsibilities NL

The department is devoted to safe, equitable, ethical, accountable recreation and sport system. Through safety, the physical and psychological prosperity is greatly important, in order for citizens to participate safely in recreational activities at the level that they desire. Equitability in the system is paramount to provide access to a wide range of recreation and sport opportunities regardless of age, gender, cultural background, economic, and more. Ethical standards in the department of tourism, culture and recreation ensure all participants work to maintain the highest levels of personal and social conduct and establish that all participants are treated with respect. Finally, accountability within the system, all citizens are recognized as being responsible for their actions and how they behave within that system and are required to act responsibly according to principles, guidelines, and standards (Gov. Newfoundland & Labrador, 2018).

Programs & Services NL

The department provides an extensive range of programs and services to the public. Some programs are in place to develop community recreation. These programs include but are not limited to, financial assistance through community recreation development grants, these services incorporate community recreation programming, recreation infrastructure, event planning, and active living and leisure services. Other programs include sport development programs, and provincial training centres and pools (Active, Healthy Newfoundland and Labrador, 2007).

Connection to Sport and Recreation NL

The department is connected with sport and recreation in numerous ways. They provide leadership and direction to provide the ultimate recreational and sport opportunities. The department and minister, attempt to improve health by valuing and incorporating sport and recreation into everyday life. In doing this they provide an opportunity to participate at their greatest ability. They also promote commercial tourism-related recreation, such as ski resorts and golf courses. Lastly, using culture advocates commemoration and cultural activities associated with games (Active, Healthy Newfoundland and Labrador, 2007).

Grant Information NL

The department’s current budget for recreation and sport division is $2.866 million, however, the total budget is $41.99 million. However, the government can allocate more money to this division when deemed necessary. In 2006, they provided $2.55 million to uphold the province’s athletes and to support opportunities to participate in organized sport and recreation activities. Additionally, $700,000 in 2006-07 was granted towards the creation and operation of a new Provincial Training Centre to ensure proficient athletes had an applicable training facility. Furthermore, the Government directed a contribution of $1.3 million to support the implementation of the provincial wellness plan, Go Healthy. The government has granted numerous more contribution over the years to enhance sport and recreation in Newfoundland and Labrador (Active, Healthy Newfoundland and Labrador, 2007). It is extremely important that the government has adequate funding for the sport and recreation system to ensure programs are organized and are accessable to all.

Ministery, Departments & Responsibilties MB

Contrasting this, in Manitoba, the department of sport, culture and heritage, is responsible for recreation, sport, parks and tourism. The minister is Cathy Cox, who was born and raised in northern Winnipeg and now has three sons and two grandchildren. She spent various years volunteering for the initiatives in her community, such as the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba and the Canadian Cancer Society. This minister is also a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her distinguished contributions to her community (Gov. Manitoba Cabinet Ministers, 2019). The department of sport, culture and heritage is responsible for many important sport and recreation processes. First of all, they must generate sustainable economic growth, increase community capacity to improve the well-being of all citizens. They also engage residents in making use of the province’s cultural and heritage resources and build identity and reputation as a centre of artistic excellence. Lastly, the department invests in amateur sport and encourage the hosting of regional, national and international sport events, as well as providing effective leadership and support to their priorities. The sport secretariat administers advice and informs the government with respect to the expansion and exertion of sport-related policies. They also manage the province’s ongoing investments in sport development (Gov. Manitoba, 2016).

Programs & Services MB

The department provides diverse programs and services related to sport and recreation. The following are examples of programs and services prepared by the department: Recreation Connections Manitoba, Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg, General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres, Manitoba Camping Association Sunshine Fund, Manitoba Camping Association, Sun Fund for Kids, Frontier Games, Canadian Red Cross, Manitoba Division, ROC Eastman, YMCA/YWCA, ROK Central (Manitoba Municipal Relations, 2019). These programs are benefits such as increasing accessibility for minorities, such as aboriginals or woman. They are also created to increase physical activity and health in the province. This will intern decrease the rate of disease and illness and lower the cost of health care.

Connection with Sport & Recreation MB

They are connected with sport and recreation essentially using the key leadership and funding body for amateur sport, Sport Manitoba. It is a gateway to programs and services and over 100 partner organizations involved in the evolution and advocacy of amateur sport in Manitoba. Over 70 provincial sport organizations can be found at Sport Manitoba (Gov. Manitoba, 2016).

Grant Information MB

Manitoba’s budget for the department of sport, culture and heritage is $87 million in 2018-19, out of the total $17423 million for the province (Gov. Manitoba Budget, 2018, 2019). Some significant contributions they have made include increasing investments in the International Curling Centre of Excellence (ICCE) to support and better train curlers and coaches (Gov. Manitoba Budget Highlights, 2018). Manitoba also is introducing a northern tourism strategy to increase tourism expenditures by $35 million by 2022 (Gov. Manitoba Brief Budget, 2018). With an increase in tourism, sport and recreation can be positively affected through benefits such as the economic prosperity and participation increase. This could significantly help sport and recreation by bringing in enhanced economic wealthy that could be put towards and recreation or sport infrastructure, programs or other helpful relations.

Conclusion

In Newfoundland and Labrador and Manitoba, the approach to delivering sport and recreation is very diverse. Manitoba has drastically more funding than Newfoundland and Labrador which in translation improves their sport and recreation system. Both provinces have a similar range of programs and services and the ministry in both provinces have sport as part of the overall culture portfolio for the provinces. However, the services in Newfoundland are much more specific to sport and recreation than in Manitoba. In Manitoba, the department tends to focus on culture and heritage more than recreation and sport. The departments in both provinces connect with sport and recreation mainly through leadership, although Newfoundland is more focused on tourism and Manitoba is more focused on funding amateur sport. Overall it is clear both provinces have made the sport and recreation system a priority and value it as part of the core of the community by managing it through a ministry responsible for the overall culture of the province.