B6

Peter Assaff
Northern Light Sports

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A report released last week recommends the New Brunswick government more than double sports funding in the province by 2011.

The report, developed by Colin Higgs Consulting, highlights the critical role sport plays in the development of young people and the wellness of individuals. It also documents the economic benefits and return on investment provided by sport and focuses on finding ways to get more people actively involved in sport, and helping elite athletes achieve better results when competing outside of the province. The report also promotes more partnerships amongst sports organizations throughout New Brunswick

Developed after a series of consultations with those involved in sport throughout the province, including both English and French sessions in Bathurst last January, the plan contains 44 recommendations that address different components of the sport sector.

Recommendations include the development of athletes, coaches and volunteers; sporting infrastructure; and a need for greater collaboration and co-operation within the New Brunswick sport system.

The report points to an aging population, rising health care costs, increasing obesity, and an epidemic of inactivity as reasons why the province needs to act now to re-energize sport. It goes on to show how, spent wisely, new money can help reduce health care costs while promoting confidence in the province's youth to face their future.

Economically speaking, the report says that "money directly invested in sport generates a return on investment unmatched by virtually any other expenditure made by governments."

According to the report, based on the best currently available research, a government investment of $1 in sport returns an average savings of over $3, with savings as high as $41 when investments create interventions in high-risk groups. These savings occur in a number of areas, including health, social inclusion, and crime reduction.

The report says that in 2007-08, the province spent more than $2,500 per person on health care, and just over $5.50 per person, or less than one quarter of one percent of this amount, on sport.

"This, despite the strong and consistent evidence that sport participation can have a dramatic impact on the reduction of health care costs, on improving quality of life, and on integrating all citizens, including those who are disadvantaged or new, into their communities," reads the report.

According to figures released by the Conference Board of Canada in 2004, sport and recreation represents approximately 2.18 per cent of household spending in Canada and accounts for 2.2 per cent of all employment. According to the report, those figures suggest that sport in New Brunswick generates close to $340 million dollars of economic activity each year. In addition, municipal spending on recreation and culture was $65 million in 2007, with provincial sport organizations directly spending more than $8 million each year and employing the equivalent of 60 full time positions.

Phased in over a three-year period, the report recommends additional funding be allocated to additional human resources to assist Wellness, Culture and Sport and Sport New Brunswick in undertaking extensive operational planning. It also recommends the province provide additional support to provincial sport organizations, high performance athletes, coaches, officials and administrators.

In addition the report recommends the launch of athlete, coach and administrator assistance programs; a substantial increase in support for provincial and regional sport organizations and the opening of Centre of Regional Excellence in the province by 2011.

While new funding is important, the report concludes by saying that "funding alone will not optimally improve the New Brunswick sport system. Along with new funding must come new ways of operating. New collaborations will be required, and the system itself must look for ways to work smarter, more effectively, more efficiently, and with more of a focus on the needs of the citizens of the province. The use of resources, both fiscal and human needs to be maximized, while waste and duplication of effort must be aggressively reduced."

The entire 32-page report is available online at www.gnb.ca/0131/index-e.asp.