MONTREAL, May 30 - - One year after the Charest government's
anti-tobacco law, non-profit organizations throughout Quebec, whose funds are
raised from bingo, are united in affirming that they are victims of severe
financial prejudice.
Today, the Fair Air Association of Canada also released the results of a
survey on the impact of banning smoking in the 121 bingo halls belonging to
the Loto-Québec network. Nearly half of the 85 bingo halls that answered the
survey report a drop from 20 % to 30 % in the number of bingo players. This
loss in attendance translates into a decrease of income from 20 % to 30 % for
47 % of bingos thus resulting in a reduction of revenues for NPOs from 30 % to
50 %.
This survey confirms reality. It is truly a financial disaster for
organizations whose profits are derived from bingo."Our organizations are
showing losses of 35% to 40%," says Serge Beaudoin, President of Jeunes
Sportifs Hochelaga. "It could be the organization that brings an elderly
citizen to a hospital appointment or finances your children's hockey team
which is being affected by this major income drop." For the past 44 years,
Serge Beaudoin's organization has been promoting the free participation of
young people in sports and recreational programs in Montreal's underprivileged
district of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.
Organizations that bring everyone "happiness"
The substantial drop in profits generated by bingo halls is bad news for
the 1,200(1) organizations that bring happiness to thousands of
underprivileged, handicapped and elderly people across the province. The
Fédération des Loisirs de St-Michel Nord is such an organization. Throughout
its 30 years of existence, the Fédération has inspired more than 60,000 kids
to practice sports. Since the advent of the Tobacco Act, the Fédération has
seen its revenues decrease by 80%, which jeopardizes the services it offers to
more than 1,000 young people in St-Michel, the poorest district in all of
Montreal Island. In the heartfelt words of France Marchand, the organization's
administrative director: "The Fédération invests time and money to ensure the
well-being of young people. It's these people who are going to suffer."
For Patro Roc Amadour, the 70% funding it derives from bingo is essential
to its fourteen community support services and the 21,000 meals a year it
serves to thousands of needy people. "For over 60 years, Patro has been
providing "happiness" to everyone in need. It's a shame that the Tobacco Act
is stifling us financially and putting a damper on our services," says Clément
Lemieux, Director of Patro Roc Amadour.
Financial crisis affecting NPOs everywhere in Quebec
Montreal is not the only jurisdiction affected. The antismoking
legislation has had a similar negative impact on most bingo halls across
Quebec, including Bingo de la Capitale in Quebec City, which has seen its
revenues drop by 35% to 45%. Its President, Jacques Harvey, says that his
organizations are reporting losses estimated at $250,000 in the funds destined
for charitable works, sports teams, support groups and activities for
underprivileged youngsters. These are unfortunately victims of the
anti-smoking ban. In addition to the above, there are the eight Bingo du
cuivre charity organizations in Rouyn-Noranda, which are dismayed to see their
revenues go down by 25 to 35%. Finally, the impact has been devastating for
the parish of Notre-Dame de St-Rosaire in Mascouche, which no longer benefits
from the bingo-derived funds that used to help the needy. As Jeanne d'Arc
Tourangeau, who is in charge of the bingo hall puts it: "How can we help those
in need when we don't have a single penny to offer?"
Ventilation: a solution approved in 1998
Under the old Tobacco Act passed in 1998, the government allowed separate
and ventilated rooms for smokers and as a result a large number of bingo hall
managers invested up to $100,000 in ventilation systems. "We still haven't
fully paid our debts for these systems. This isn't right; we would have liked
to continue using them," said André Dionne, who manages Place du Bingo in
Alma, and George Nolan of Bingo Centre-Bourg in Charlesbourg.
For this reason, bingo hall managers and charity organizations are asking
the government to reconsider and give them permission to operate the separate,
ventilated smoking areas in bingo halls. "We would rather have the option of a
hall that complies with ventilation standards than force people to smoke in
temporary plastic shelters, which is like parking smokers as if they were
cars!" says George Fleury, manager of Bingo Saint-Hubert in Saint-Hubert.
Still waiting for a meeting with the Charest government
On February 12, 2007, NPO representatives asked the Charest government
and Mario Dumont, the ADQ leader, for a meeting to voice their concerns, but
no such meeting was granted. "Our elected representatives have to do
something. This is a major crisis. Services to the neediest are at risk of
disappearing. Is this what the government wants?" added Serge Beaudoin.
Resource persons in contact with the media (by region):
Montreal
Serge Beaudoin, President of Jeunes Sportifs Hochelaga
Tel.: (514) 522-1155
France Marchand, Administrative director of Fédération des Loisirs de
St- Michel
Tel.: (514) 722-9808
Nicole Barcelos, Director, Fair Air Association of Canada
Tel.: (514) 489-4025, Cell.: (514) 294-4025
Montérégie
George Fleury, General Manager of Centre du bingo Saint-Hubert
Cell.: (514) 953-6418
Quebec City
Clément Lemieux, Directeur du Centre communautaire Patro Roc Amadour
Tel.: (418) 529-4996
Bernard Harvey, Manager of Bingo de la Capitale
Tel.: 1-888-523-7897
George Nolan, Chairman of the Bingo Centre-Bourg executive committee
Tel.: (418) 628-0336 or Cell.: (418) 569-0677
Montérégie (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu)
Yvon Cloutier, Bingo Haut-Richelieu
Cell.: (514) 592-3765
Lanaudière
Jeanne d'Arc Tourangeau, Centre communautaire St-Benoit (Mascouche)
Tel.: (450) 477-1721 or (450) 681-3597
Gaspésie
Réginal Blais, Salle paroissiale St-Adélaide Pabos
Cell.: (418) 680-2494 or Tel.: (418) 689-4498
Saguenay-Lac Saint-Jean
André Dionne, Place du Bingo, Alma
Tel.: (418) 668-4513
Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Gilles Cloutier, Président du Bingo du cuivre, Rouin-Noranda
Cell.: (819) 763-2704
Montreal
Lise Séguin, President of La joie des enfants (licence suspended since
February following major losses)
Tel.: (514) 270-0338
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(1) Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux, Québec
