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News clips – Wasaga Beach casino announcement

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In Candidates / Election 2018
Oct 11th, 2018
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Nina Bifolchi

Lack of transparency on casino project

Bifolchi statement October 11 2018
Kudos to Past Mayor Cal Patterson, along with staff members George Vadeboncoeur and Jenny Legget who deserve the credit for the Casino coming to Wasaga Beach. It was them who created great relationships with the OLG representatives. It was the last term of council who approved a casino being located in the Town of Wasaga Beach when other communities did not recognize the potential benefits.
While there are some cons, the casino will create jobs, provide entertainment as well as a yearly dividend that the town can use towards projects in the community for all to enjoy.
It is unfortunate that such great news had to be shadowed by Mayor Smith, some council members and senior staff keeping this news from myself and Councillor Bray as we found out at the same time as the public…………..in fact it was a member of the public who sent it to me. It is this lack of inclusive leadership that has created a divide in our community and a mistrust for those leading at town hall.
Good news is that it will be the next council who confirms the location and the details of the agreements with Gateway and the OLG. With the right leaders at town hall, decisions will be made in the best interest of the town as a whole.

Smith: Casino announcement good news for Wasaga Beach

News release from Wasaga Beach

Mayor Brian Smith is pleased to announce that Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Ltd. will build a casino and entertainment complex in Wasaga Beach.

Mayor Smith made the announcement this afternoon. Where the casino will be situated in town must still be determined.

“This is absolutely delightful news for our community,” Mayor Smith said. “Our team at town hall has worked diligently with Gateway the last four to five months to ensure Wasaga Beach was the chosen location for a casino. I want to thank everyone for all of the hard work that went into this project and I want to welcome Gateway to Wasaga Beach, the greatest waterfront small town in the world.”

Mayor Smith said he is grateful Gateway has chosen to invest in the community and he is excited about the job opportunities the casino will create for local residents.

“We anticipate around 400 well-paying jobs due to the casino and that is fantastic news for people who live in Wasaga Beach,” he said. “I am also excited by the fact our town can expect a dependable revenue stream from the casino, anywhere from $1.5-mllion to $2-million annually. For a town that is already in superb financial shape, the additional revenue from the casino is icing on the cake.”

Additional property tax revenue from the casino is another positive for the municipality, Mayor Smith said.

“We look forward to having the casino in our town and we are excited about the fact it will draw thousands of new visitors to our community each year,” he added. “Wasaga Beach is well known for its beautiful waterfront and soon it will be synonymous with great gaming and fantastic entertainment.”

Casino coming to Wasaga Beach

CTV Barrie  October 11, 2018

The shores of southern Georgian Bay will soon be home to a casino and entertainment complex.

In a release on Thursday, Wasaga Beach Mayor Brian Smith announced, “Our team at town hall has worked diligently with Gateway the last four to five months to ensure Wasaga Beach was the chosen location for a casino.”

There are five possible locations under consideration in the town for the casino to be built. Town council will hold a vote once Gateway Casinos and Entertainment submits a preferred location.

Wasaga Beach Lands A Casino

Bayshore Broadcasting by Catherine Thompson October 12 2018

A casino is coming to Wasaga Beach.

The town has announced that Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Ltd. has chosen Wasaga Beach as the site for a casino in our area.

The company was choosing between Wasaga Beach and Collingwood for the place to build a slot machine gaming centre.

A location in town for the 45,000 square foot casino must still be decided.

A news release issued by the town states that around 400 jobs will be created and the town will receive a revenue stream and property tax revenue from the casino.

The casino will have upwards of 300 slot machines.

 

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