The timing of the Jan. 23 federal election means the Canada Games Host Society will have to guesstimate its operating budget until further notice, according to society head Piers McDonald.

The federal government's funding announcement, expected by this month, has been put off until after Canadians vote in a new government, McDonald said in an interview last week.

'Unfortunately, we have a federal election that got in the way,' McDonald said, explaining that the expected funding announcement has been put off.

'We will get a final indication in January or February when a new minister is appointed,' he said.

McDonald said he doesn't expect the election to have a significant impact on the 2007 Games funding.

In an interview in October, McDonald said the host society in Whitehorse was awaiting a $5-million to $7-million funding commitment from Ottawa.

'We're coming down to the wire. Everyone recognizes that we have to know by December. Whatever we get is what the Games will look like,' he said.

McDonald also said that receiving funding commitments only months before the Games went would be less than helpful.

'Six months from the beginning of the Games, it's impossible for the host society to deal with that. If they (the commitments) come next fall, we wouldn't know what to do with them,' he said.

In the case of the recent Regina summer games, he said, funding commitments came too late and the extra funding was counted as surplus.

Speaking to the Star from Ottawa last week, Sue Hylland, the Canada Games Council president, called the delay an inconvenience.

'I think the fact that an election was called was something that was not in our control. I know it's awkward and it will impact planning somewhat, (but) I think we're still in good shape,' she said.

In October, Hylland told the Star the council's executive has been lobbying the government to change the funding formula of the Canada Games because it was outdated.

She said the current funding formula for the Games didn't reflect the realities of the Games, regional diversity nor the Canadian economy.

The way patchwork funding works now, Hylland said, host cities consistently have to lobby the government for more money during the planning process.

'We're proposing a new framework. Operating costs are $18 million for Summer Games and $20 million for Winter Games,' she said, explaining that a one-time funding package would be easier for host societies in terms of planning.

'Under the old framework, there is a problem; every game has to get more money from the government.'

Also speaking to the Star in October, Chris Morrissey, the general manager of the 2007 Canada Winter Games, said that like previous host societies, the local host society has had to lobby the government for more money.

'We'd like to start preparing with cultural groups, hanging banners and signs, but we're not in a position to do that,' he said.

According to Morrissey, the $20 million needed to run the actual Games was coming from a variety of sources including:

ï A confirmed commitment of $2.8 million from the federal government;

ï A confirmed commitment of $2 million from the Yukon government;

ï A requested $5 million to $7 million in additional funds from the federal government;

ï An expected $7 million in fundraising revenue (of which over $2 million has been realized);

ï A federal cultural grant of $200,000;

ï A $400,000-contribution from Canada's other two territories under a Pan North agreement;

ï An expected $1 million in revenue gained from Games merchandising sales.