McGuinty Smoking Ban, Day One: The Beginning of the End for Charity Bingo in Ontario

1 June 2006

Today begins a looming $50 million funding crisis for Ontario charities as the McGuinty government's province-wide smoking ban (Bill 164) comes into full force. Charity representatives and the Committee to Save Charity Bingo (CSCB) urged the Government to help save charity funding and bingos across the province by allowing separate, ventilated, designated smoking rooms (DSRs) but the McGuinty government ignored them and the charities they represent.

"Soon nobody will win at bingo and the biggest losers will, sadly, be charities," said Len Parente member of the CSCB. "They operate in every single community across Ontario and raise millions of dollars for people in need. By eliminating our designated smoking rooms with Bill 164, the government has doomed charity bingo and the funding it raises for over 4000 charities province-wide. No smoking means no bingo which results in no charity dollars. It's that simple."

The CSCB estimates that the Government's smoking ban will result in the closure of 48 out of the 100 charity bingo halls within the next 13 months with charity funding losses exceeding $50 million. Presently, charity bingo serves and is operated by more than 4,000 Ontario charities and involves the work of approximately 100,000 volunteers and bingo workers.

The funds raised through bingo provide community services and local programs enriching the lives of over 3.5 million Ontarians every day. Without charity bingos, funding will dry up fast to help fund charities and programs that assist millions of disadvantaged, disabled, handicapped and elderly people across the province. Organizations such as the CNIB, March of Dimes, Diabetes Association, Rotary, Big Brothers, Boys and Girls Clubs, Kiwanis, Variety Village, Kinsmen, Knights of Columbus and hundreds of churches and local food banks will see their much needed funding cut significantly.

Today, the reality of charity bingo is that 70% of the customers are smokers who want the option of smoking while they play bingo. All major municipalities across Ontario had previously instituted no-smoking by-laws that for the most part recognize the uniqueness and necessity of protecting charity bingo. Prior to today, bingos were allowed to operate with separate, ventilated smoking rooms that were regulated and inspected by municipal law enforcement officers. Starting today, the McGuinty ban outlaws separate, ventilated rooms for good.

"We need charity bingo to help raise the funds necessary to continue to provide services in our community," said Ian Edward, Executive Director of Toronto Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club and Chair of the CSCB. "We rely upon revenues from bingo sessions to continue these important programs. Without this vital source of funding our programs will be jeopardized," he added.

"Charities and community organizations rely on bingo funding to act as the glue that helps hold this province together," said Andy Norwich, Vice-Chair of CSCB. "It is the missing link that helps fill the widening public service gap by picking up where limited government funding and services stop. Now that Mr. McGuinty has done away with separate ventilated smoking rooms, charity bingo is sadly doomed and that funding gap will widen even more."

For further information: Leonard Parente, President, Kennedy Bingo, Member, the Committee to Save Charity Bingo (CSCB), Contact: (905) 331-5523; David Timmins, Manager, Kennedy Bingo, Contact: (416) 752-2635; Ian Edward, Executive Director, Toronto Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club, Chair, the Committee to Save Charity Bingo (CSCB), Contact: (416) 894-9260; Andy Norwich, Vice-Chair, the Committee to Save Charity Bingo (CSCB), Contact: (905) 379-5752

newswire

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McGuinty Smoking Ban, Day One: The Beginning of the End for Charity Bingo in Ontario

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