Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Results

Ministry’s Goals and their Linkage to Government’s Five Great Goals

The ministry goals link to the government’s Five Great Goals in the following ways:

1. An educated, literate population. Arts and culture contribute to a literate, educated population and are also the foundation for creative, knowledge-based communities, which are more competitive in attracting skilled labour, immigrants and investments to support a strong economy;

2. Healthy living and physical fitness. Promoting and enhancing sport excellence, recreation and volunteerism contributes to the health and well-being of British Columbians. Physical fitness in early life supports the development of lifelong fitness involvement;

3. A system of support for persons with disabilities, special needs, children at risk and seniors. The ministry’s investments in infrastructure support accessible sports and recreation facilities for people with special needs. Work to support the capacity of the volunteer network in B.C. will also help to meet the needs of persons who have disabilities or special needs;

4. and 5. Sustainable environmental management, job creation and a strong economy. The ministry has a large part to play in supporting a strong economy, while working with partners to enhance environmental sustainability — in tourism and resorts, commercial recreation, the film industry and the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Ministry Performance Plan Summary

Goals, objectives and performance measures and targets are summarized in the table below.

Goal 1:

This objective focuses on increasing the number of tourism businesses in British Columbia and the number of people employed in those businesses, as well as enhancing opportunities for high-yield tourism. The ministry will focus on growing specific tourism sectors, for example, all seasons resorts, conventions and meetings, and the cruise ship industry.

This objective is also supported by the work of Tourism BC, which implements initiatives to market and promote the province’s advantages and opportunities in order to increase tourism activities and investment.

Key strategies include:

• Implementing industry development initiatives, such as Cruise BC and Conventions BC;
• Working with Aboriginal Tourism BC on developing and implementing an Aboriginal Tourism Strategy;
• Advancing partnerships with local and federal governments and industry to enhance tourism opportunities;
• In support of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, developing the Hosting the World Program to enhance and broaden the impact of hosting the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in the tourism sector; and
• Implementing strategies to promote British Columbia in areas such as tourism revenues, all seasons resorts development, convention centers and cruise ship passenger traffic.

Performance Measures:

The first two measures of progress represent the completion of a tourism policy framework within government that will allow the industry to grow and develop in a sustainable way.

Stakeholders Engaged in a Vision for Sustainable Tourism: This measure is an indicator of effectiveness in engaging a broad range of perspectives in working towards a sustainable future for tourism in the province and building on the Spirit of 2010 Tourism Strategy.

Completion of a Tourism Charter: The Charter will establish a common commitment to tourism as a provincial economic and cultural priority, and ensure coordination of government activities in the tourism sector. Completion of this Charter will ensure coordination of the government’s activities in the sector and establish a common commitment to tourism as an economic and cultural priority prior to, during and after the Games.

The ministry facilitates economic development by encouraging investment in, and sustainable use of the province’s land resources, providing timely and continued access through tenure and sales, and by promoting responsible and sustainable economic development. The ministry identifies and responds to significant land-based business opportunities and works closely with other ministries, agencies, local governments, First Nations, resort operators and new investors to facilitate the expansion of the B.C. tourism and resort sectors. Currently B.C.’s 700-plus resorts and lodges employ 26,000 people and contribute $178 million to federal, provincial and local revenues each year. With the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on the horizon, investment interest in this sector has never been higher, both in terms of new resort development as well as major expansions of existing resorts.

The ministry also works to ensure sufficient and accessible land inventory and works with its many partners to improve the responsiveness of decision-making processes related to land investment activities. Over 950,000 visitors annually spend $1 billion on commercial recreation or nature-based tourism. Activities such as river rafting, fishing, boating, heli-skiing, hiking and All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) tours are offered by 1,200 commercial recreation companies with tenures providing access to over 13 million hectares of Crown land and foreshore. Complementing this, some 1,200 non-commercial recreation sites and 700 trails are managed by the ministry, through partnership agreements and service contracts.

Key strategies to support All Seasons Resorts include:

• Providing consistency and a coordinated, one-window approach to service delivery;
• Promoting new resort development and major expansions of existing resorts;
• Administering existing Master Development Agreements (MDA), working closely with resort operators to achieve resorts’ full development potential;
• Leading the implementation of the BC Resort Task Force initiative;
• Developing a new Integrated Resort Approval Process that will harmonize provincial and local government review processes; and
• Transferring timber administration within approved resort development areas from the Ministry of Forests to the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts.

Key strategies to support Commercial Recreation, nature-based tourism and forest recreation include:

• Effectively administering and licensing Crown land resources and monitoring tenure use;
• Reducing decision times and streamlining processes;
• Ensuring timeliness in permitting and licensing and overall client satisfaction;
• Expanding the application of the Commercial Alpine Ski Policy to resorts and commercial recreation and development;
• Developing an integrated commercial tourism and resort policy framework to encourage private sector investment through tenure certainty and pricing incentives;
• Ensuring that provincially owned forest recreation sites and trails are accessible and provide opportunities for safe, quality recreation opportunities; and
• Providing continued support and opportunities for partnerships with First Nations, local governments and community organizations to manage recreation sites and trails.

Performance Measures:

All Seasons Resorts and Commercial Recreation Revenues to Government: This measure captures the amount of revenue to government that results from the development and expansion of resorts and other commercial recreation activities. Revenues can be enhanced by providing tenure security, streamlined processes and pricing incentives.

Completion of Resort Development Agreements:¹⁶ These agreements are an important indicator of progress because they enable the Province to work closely with resort operators to achieve the full development potential of new and existing resorts.

Percentage of Commercial Recreation land tenures processes within 140 days: This measure is an indicator of how responsive government is to the needs of its investment clients.

Percentage of surveyed customers who are satisfied with All Seasons Resorts and Commercial Recreation services: This measure reflects how responsive government is to customer needs. High customer satisfaction levels signal an open-for-business attitude and a strong commitment to superlative client service, both of which can help encourage new investment. Clients are surveyed annually to assess their level of satisfaction.

Winning the bid for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games has raised the profile of the province’s sport and physical activity endeavours. There is renewed interest in achieving excellence and increasing participation in sport in British Columbia.

Physical activity is a key component of health and quality of life for British Columbia’s citizens. Increased participation in physical activity and excellence in sport are encouraged through a number of strategies, most of which are undertaken in partnership with a variety of other agencies.

Key strategies include:

• Developing policy and strategies that contribute to public priorities such as education, health, and economic and social objectives;
• Developing and supporting inter-and intra-government partnerships, international relations to bring more resources to sport and physical activity;
• Promoting and supporting event hosting and sport tourism;
• Demonstrating national leadership;
• Demonstrating sound contract and agreement management;
• Identifying and monitoring trends and research to promote sport and physical activity; and
• Providing funding to 2010 LegaciesNow to promote innovative revenue-generation for the sector.

Performance Measures:

B.C. adults’ physical activity level: The Federal/Provincial/Territorial Sport Ministers have set a target to increase Canada’s physical activity levels by 10 per cent by 2010. British Columbia has doubled that target and will increase activity by 20 per cent. The ministry’s partnerships with other ministries and levels of government will help develop strategies to promote physical activity in various settings such as communities, schools and organized sport.

The ministry will work with sector partners to sustain a foundation that supports British Columbians in their pursuit of sport excellence.

Key strategies include:

• Working with sector partners to accelerate the completion and implementation of GamePlan BC;
• Improving sport excellence by supporting the national winter “Own the Podium” initiative and similar excellence programs;
• Providing funding to groups that support athletic excellence;
• Ensuring that Team BC is supported in representing B.C. at the Canada Summer and Winter Games; and
• Supporting sport excellence through the Athlete Assistance Program.

Performance Measures:

Team BC placement in Canada Summer and Winter Games: The performance of provincial-level athletes at Canada Games is an indicator of the depth of high performance sport in the province.

Proportion of nationally-carded athletes training in the province: The number of national athletes training in British Columbia is an indicator of the strength of British Columbia’s sport development system and infrastructure, increasing the likelihood of sustained international success.

Winning the right to host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games generated tremendous interest and pressure to showcase regions of the province beyond Vancouver and Whistler through the staging of both summer and winter international sport events, including World Cups, World Championships and other major games and festivals. These events offer British Columbia the potential not just to improve the sport system, but also to bring significant direct benefits across a broad range of government priorities.

Key strategies include:

• Providing expertise and oversight to the organizing committees of major sport events hosted in British Columbia and supported by the province;
• Developing a sport tourism strategy which includes identifying potential hosting opportunities and promoting B.C. as a “sport destination”;
• Providing funding to Hosting BC to support international, national and regional sport events around the province; and
• Linking with the national hosting strategy and with other jurisdictions (e.g., British Columbia – Alberta Accord)

Performance Measure:

The economic impact of hosting major sport events in the province exceeds the provincial investment: Hosting major sporting events is a driver that can bring significant economic benefits directly to host communities and indirectly to a region and the Province. This measure will assist government in tracking the extent to which the benefits outweigh the investment when major sporting events are hosted in British Columbia.

This objective will be achieved by marketing and promoting the province’s advantages and opportunities as a world-class motion picture production centre in order to increase trade and investment in the billion dollar motion picture industry. The Film Commission strives to provide world-class front line customer service with timely, effective and efficient production support. It also educates federal, provincial and local governments and agencies about the motion picture industry and its benefits to the people of British Columbia.

Key strategies include:

• Facilitating inbound investment into high-growth, high-opportunity sectors;
• Arranging trade missions and provincial participation in key international events;
• Organizing trade efforts to promote the province as a competitive motion picture centre;
• Developing marketing and promotional strategies to raise awareness of competitive advantages and opportunities throughout the province; and
• Providing high-quality production support.

Performance Measures:

Client satisfaction: A post-production survey will be developed and implemented to assess the degree of client satisfaction with Office of the Film Commissioner (OFC) services and supports. If film and TV industry productions are well-supported by the OFC, this will contribute to British Columbia’s reputation as a preferred film and TV location.

Film production investment: This new measure will indicate how successful the province is in attracting business in the motion picture industry, in relation to market and capacity.

Cultural activity is one of the key pillars of a healthy community and will be an area of pride for our communities leading up to and after the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The ministry works to support the realization of social and economic benefits through arts and cultural development, a thriving cultural sector and the growth of a cultural economy.

Key strategies include:

• Providing policy, program and administrative support for the BC Arts Council;
• Managing the Olympic Arts Fund;
• Supporting the Centre for Not-for-Profit Sustainability; and
• Undertaking initiatives that support the development of a vital and competitive cultural industry and sector.

Performance Measure:

Olympic Arts Fund strategy completed and implemented: Development of an effective strategy will support arts and cultural organizations to implement creative projects that contribute to the development of arts and culture in British Columbia.

Through effective stewardship of heritage property, British Columbia communities can contribute to long-term, sustainable use of these resources.

Key strategies include:

• Engaging local communities, the federal government, non-profit organizations and the private sector in bringing people together to celebrate the province’s 150th anniversary in 2008, an exciting milestone and unique opportunity to showcase the heritage, arts and culture of the province;
• Initiating planning studies for new museum opportunities;
• Assisting local governments to plan, develop, manage and evaluate heritage programs; and
• Devolving and/or transferring operating and non-operating heritage properties to qualified partners.

Performance Measures:

Registration of British Columbia’s historic places in the Canadian Register of Historic Places: Registration is important because it indicates that properties conform to national standards and guidelines for the restoration and re-use of historic places. Registration makes properties eligible to receive federal financial incentives to further urban revitalization, community sustainability and tourism development opportunities.

Number of devolved heritage properties meeting the standards for heritage preservation and presentation within Heritage Site Management Agreements: To encourage a sustainable, community-based system of heritage conservation, the ministry is devolving management for 29 provincial heritage properties to community partners. Thirteen of these properties provide programs for the public and 12 of 13 have been successfully devolved to community-based groups and the remaining property will be devolved by the end of the 2005/06 fiscal year. All sites are inspected annually. Favourable inspection reports indicate that community partners are successfully preserving and managing heritage properties.

The ministry provides specialized advice on archaeological issues and fulfills the regulatory role of archaeological permitting. The information and advice provided to other ministries facilitates their abilities to fulfill their respective mandates with respect to various industries and activities including forestry, energy and mines, land tenuring and disposition, land development and subdivisions. It also promotes and encourages the residents of British Columbia to value this important part of our collective past that still has so much to teach us.

Key strategies include:

• Offering decision support advice on archaeology for planning and land use forums, protection of archaeological sites;
• Providing leadership and expertise in capturing, managing and providing access to archaeological site information; and
• Assisting in the growth of cultural tourism as visitors look for unique, authentic experiences that teach them about the early life of the province.

Performance Measure:

Number of land use projects proceeding under permit: These permits are issued to allow for the authorized inspection, investigation and alteration of archaeological sites. These processes inform other land use activities including forestry, oil and gas development, subdivisions and private property development. The number of permits issued is an indication of the number of sites protected from unintentional disturbance.