David Akin's On the Hill :: 129 days later, a trickle of RINC money begins to flow

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129 days later, a trickle of RINC money begins to flow

by DavidAkin on Sat 06 Jun 2009 09:02 PM EDT | Permanent Link | Cosmos

On January 27, 2009, in his budget speech, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said:

... we will launch a national project to renew thousands of community recreational centres across the country.

Recreational Infrastructure Canada—or RInC—will provide $500 million over the next two years to build and renovate hockey arenas, swimming pools and other recreational facilities.

RInC funding will help leverage non-profit and community fundraising efforts.

It will encourage all Canadians to get involved in renewing Canada’s infrastructure, right in their own neighbourhoods.

Earlier this week, the first RINC funds (you pronounce RINC as you would pronounce Rink) were announced and a tip o'the toque goes to the Western Economic Diversification Canada (WEDC), the regional development agency for Western Canada, for being the first government department to approve applications for RINC funding and get the money out the door. (Does the money really get out the door? Read this for the answer. THe answer is technically no but practically yes.)
Not sure who does RINC funding in Ontario, but, if WEDC does it in the west, I assume that CEDQR does it in Quebec and ACOA does it in the east.
The first projects to be funded out of this $500 million fund involve installing artificial turf at Calgary sports field and putting roofs over rural outdoor ice rinks in northern Alberta. Read about them for yourself:

Now that's the good news -- that WEDC was able to approve and announce funding 129 days after the budget was tabled and 65 days after it went into effect.

The bad news, I suppose, is that this is a $500 million fund which is supposed to be spent over two years to help offset the effects of recession and, 129 days after the budget was tabled and 65 days after it went into effect, just $2.1 million of $500 million has been allocated. That amounts to less than one quarter of one per cent of this particular fund.

Which reminds me of something the government put in the budget on Jan. 27:

"Canada is in recession today. Measures to support the economy must begin within the next 120 days to be most effective."

budget 2009, jim flaherty, stimulus

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Re: 129 days later, a trickle of RINC money begins to flow

by Fat Arse on Sun 07 Jun 2009 12:47 AM EDT | Permanent Link

Hmm, 1/4 of ONE PERCENT? How have they managed to expedite that spending so quickly? Via a molasses accounting and distribution module? At this rate (129 days per .0025) it will take them roughly 500 days to allocate a FULL one percent of the announced monies. Egad, at this rate they won't be done for 5,000 days! FOURTEEN YEARS! Criminy, are they really so delusional as to believe they will be in power long enough to see this whole project through? Buddha helps us!

Re: 129 days later, a trickle of RINC money begins to flow

by BT on Sun 07 Jun 2009 05:52 PM EDT | Permanent Link

Industry Canada is administering RINC for Ontario. What we all need to be asking is when will the money get to the communities to start construction. This government loves making announcements but photo-ops don't translate into jobs.

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