I have been asked a lot about the Belleville-Quinte West casino debate, but first, I think we have to talk about what got us to this point.

The McGuinty government has a problem. It has a $15.3 billion dollar deficit, a debt rapidly approaching $300 billion and $10 billion is spent annually just to service that debt.

The Ontario government’s problem is not a revenue problem, it is a spending problem. Nevertheless, the government has decided, rather than making tough decisions at Queen’s Park, it has to find new and creative ways to get more of your money.

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The casino debate is going public.

Council has approved a public meeting for Aug. 22, starting at 6 p.m. at city hall, to hear from residents about the possibility of a gaming facility in the city.

Coun. Dave Mendicino, chairman of community services, said the entire evening has been set aside for the meeting, in which the public will have a chance to provide input on whether North Bay should be home to casino.

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BELLEVILLE – An Aug. 13 public meeting on a new casino for Belleville will be a gauge for public opinion — not a forum for debate.

Mayor Neil Ellis said city officials want to hear public opinions on the issue but won’t be engaging in discussion.

“The meeting is not to debate people,” Ellis said. “It’s just for us to write down what you say.”

Ellis said most city residents support the concept of a casino but he’s willing to listen to critics as well.

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AJAX — Ajax wants to expand OLG Slots at Ajax Downs, and doesn’t understand why Whitby thinks it deserves a 15- to 20-per cent portion of Ajax’s proceeds from the gaming facility.

Only one casino is permitted in the Ajax, Whitby and Pickering area, and OLG wants it to be expanded from the Ajax site’s current size. While Pickering said it’s not interested in hosting a gaming facility, Whitby had strong words for Ajax.

“The key point for me is whether Ajax is willing to share, knowing they now risk losing everything,”Whitby councillor Don Mitchell said at a Whitby council meeting, threatening that Whitby will make a play to host the facility if Ajax doesn’t share its proceeds from the OLG Slots.

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Ajax and Whitby are squabbling over casino revenue in a dispute that has the appearance of a high-risk poker game.

Whitby wants a share of revenues at an expanded Ajax Downs casino and is threatening to bid against Ajax for a casino if money is not promised.

Should Whitby win the approval of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., the Ajax facility would have to close because the lottery corporation has allotted only one casino for either Pickering, Ajax or Whitby.

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Las Vegas Sands is the latest resort giant to officially signal its interest in bidding for a Toronto casino.

Las Vegas Sands is the latest casino giant to officially vie for the right to build a local resort, registering five lobbyists and eyeing potential sites across the GTA.

AJAX — Ajax wants to expand OLG Slots at Ajax Downs, and doesn’t understand why Whitby thinks it deserves a 15- to 20-per cent portion of Ajax’s proceeds from the gaming facility.

Only one casino is permitted in the Ajax, Whitby and Pickering area, and OLG wants it to be expanded from the Ajax site’s current size. While Pickering said it’s not interested in hosting a gaming facility, Whitby had strong words for Ajax.

“The key point for me is whether Ajax is willing to share, knowing they now risk losing everything,”Whitby councillor Don Mitchell said at a Whitby council meeting, threatening that Whitby will make a play to host the facility if Ajax doesn’t share its proceeds from the OLG Slots.

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Point Edward Mayor Dick Kirkland has a wish list for the new owners of his village’s waterfront casino.

He sent a letter to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) as a submission to their “Request for Information” phase, which closed July 4, part of the province’s modernization plan for its gambling sites.

The plan, announced in March, will see the province divided into 29 zones, each one privately run and capable of hosting a specific number of slot machines, table games or a combination of both.

Kirkland said he wants the new owners — who won’t be announced until 2013 — to install solar panels on the roof to offset energy costs and add a new banquet facility and entertainment venue in the casino.

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CENTRE WELLINGTON

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation issued a first-quarter (April to June 2012) non-tax gaming revenue payment of $548,587 to Centre Wellington Township for hosting OLG Slots at the Grand River Raceway.

As announced on March 12, OLG is modernizing Ontario’s lottery and gaming industry. OLG officials say the effort will increase revenue for the province and create jobs while continuing to support municipalities through a new consistent funding model to be developed for towns and cities that host an OLG gaming facility.

“The partnership between OLG gaming sites and host municipalities brings substantial economic and social benefits to Ontario families,” said Dwight Duncan, Minister of Finance.

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AJAX — Ajax residents just took $1.7 million to the bank, thanks to OLG Slots at Ajax Downs.

The payment, which covers the Town’s portion of the facility’s gaming proceeds from April to June 2012, was issued July 20 by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. Proceeds are paid out quarterly, according to the government’s fiscal year.

On March 12, OLG announced it will make major changes to modernize Ontario’s gaming industry and increase the Province’s gaming revenue. The changes include turning operation of OLG casinos over to private operators, closing or relocating some facilities and unifying the fee structure for host municipalities.

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EMC News – Accusations were flying and tempers were flaring at city council during the recent casino debate.

For the first time in his term as Kingston mayor, Mark Gerretsen threatened to kick one councillor out of the meeting for questioning his role as chair.

The debate began beyond the normal 11pm quitting time of council. Councillors agreed to extend their July 17 sitting to complete the agenda.

But as midnight got closer, tempers got shorter.

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EMC News – The City of Kingston will go ahead with a public meeting on the idea of hosting a casino.

The mid-summer’s meeting will take place Wednesday, August 8 in Memorial Hall.

Despite warnings by the mayor to stay away from the ethical questions of gambling at this time, the contentious issue of whether to hold a meeting was decided after a marathon council meeting that spanned two nights, and caused sparks to fly.

“It’s such a negative for Kingston. I can’t see any point pursuing it,” said Coun. Rob Hutchison, who opposed holding a public meeting to gauge community interest in a casino.

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The City of Kingston, Ontario announced Tuesday it has scheduled a public meeting August 8 that will include a presentation from Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., which intends to determine residents’ interest in a casino in Kingston.

“The OLG will not locate a gaming facility in a community whose Council does not want one,” the city stated in a press release.

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The City of Kingston is considering the possibility of a casino being opened in town, and is seeking the public’s on that decision.

A public meeting to provide feedback about this issue will take place on on Wednesday, Aug. 8 at 6:30 pm in Memorial Hall, City Hall at 216 Ontario St.

The meeting will be chaired by Mayor Mark Gerretsen and members of City Council and City staff will be in attendance.

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KINGSTON – Two big political questions were unanswered going into last Thursday’s makeup Kingston city council session:

a) Would Kingston consider bringing in a casino? and,

b) Could Mayor Mark Gerretsen and Coun. Rick Downes patch up their differences from a previous meeting?

Yes and yes.

Councillors decided Thursday, in less than seven minutes, to move ahead with a public meeting to discuss the opening of a privatized casino in Kingston.

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GANANOQUE – Gananoque and the Township of Leeds and Thousand Islands are hoping that by working together with a united front it will help keep the Thousand Islands OLG Charity Casino here.

A joint meeting between both councils from Gananoque and TLTI last week was set to approve an investment profile for potential investors in the casino as it moves from a public to a private corporation.

“This is a very important meeting,” said Gananoque Mayor Erika Demchuk. “The casino is jointly owned and it is imperative that we work together to save what we have.”

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Over the past several months, I have had the opportunity to meet with hundreds of people involved with the Ontario horse-racing industry. I have visited horse tracks from Windsor to Kawartha and from Fort Erie to Sudbury.

GANANOQUE – A rally aimed at voicing public support for the Thousand Islands Charity Casino to remain near Gananoque has been organized for next month, with area politicians and concerned residents set to attend.

A recent decision by the City of Kingston to discuss the opening of a privatized casino in that city has prompted Gananoque and the Township of Leeds and Thousand Islands – the current co-hosting municipalities – to band together in defence of a casino that is the town’s largest employer and which contributes a combined $3.2-million annually to their coffers.

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The City of Woodstock has received its first-quarter payment from Ontario Lottery and Gaming for hosting OLG slots at the Woodstock Raceway..

The April to June 2012 non-tax gaming, revenue payment for more than $343,000 was received by the city last week

The money Woodstock receives for hosting the slots facility is used several ways. Slots funding was used to cover the city’s contribution to the new Woodstock Hospital and the city’s $100,000 annual contribution to the Woodstock YMCA’s capital campaign is also taken from slots money.

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The City is seeking the input of residents on whether or not it should support the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) possibly locating a casino operation in Kingston. A public meeting to receive feedback on this question has been set for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 8 in Memorial Hall, City Hall at 216 Ontario St.

The public meeting will be attended by members of City Council, City staff and will be chaired by Mayor Mark Gerretsen. It will include a brief presentation of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s (OLG) process to modernize lottery and gaming in Ontario, followed by an opportunity for members of the public to speak. Those wishing to speak are being asked to register at the welcome table prior to the start of the meeting. Speakers will be chosen in random order and will each be allowed to speak for up to five minutes.

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The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation issued a first-quarter (April to June 2012) non-tax gaming revenue payment of nearly $1.1 million to Innisfil, for hosting OLG Slots at Georgian Downs.

As announced on March 12, OLG is modernizing Ontario’s lottery and gaming industry. The effort will increase revenue for the province and create jobs, while continuing to support municipalities through a new consistent funding model to be developed for towns and cities that host an OLG gaming facility.

“The partnership between OLG gaming sites and host municipalities brings substantial economic and social benefits to Ontario families,” said Dwight Duncan, Minister of Finance. “The sites create thousands of good jobs, boost local economies through increased tourism and help municipalities build strong, prosperous communities by sharing gaming revenues.”

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Thunder Bay received the first payment of the year of their share of casino revenues.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) issued the first quarter non-tax gaming revenue payment of $626,540 to the City of Thunder Bay for hosting OLG Casino in the city.

The first quarter covers April to June, 2012.

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Even in the dead of summer, the wheels of progress keep turning, for better or for worse. This past week saw city council move forward on two major files with the potential to change the face of the city, for better or for worse.

First, council gave the go-ahead to city staff to look into expanding the runway and terminal at Norman Rogers airport. For a cost of $13.2 million, the airport, which currently receives only smaller passenger planes, could welcome larger jets carrying twice as many people.

Supporters of the expansion argue this would lead to more flights by more airlines, making the city more attractive as a convention destination, more easily accessible to tourists, and more hospitable to business.

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A casino on Front St. in the heart of downtown Toronto is the latest proposal spawned by the Ontario government’s bid to boost gambling profits.

Oxford Properties Group is incorporating a possible casino-entertainment complex into discussions of a major redevelopment of its part of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and surrounding properties, the Star has learned.

Two independent sources confirmed the talks, but portrayed Oxford, owned by pension giant OMERS, as joining in the casino discussions with less zeal than others such as MGM Resorts and Caesar’s Entertainment.

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For the past few months, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has been shopping around the idea of building a new casino in the GTA. A number of municipalities have stepped forward express their interest in hosting the new casino – but Hamilton-Burlington is not one of them.

While Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring has stated that his city has no interest in hosting the casino, Hamilton Mayor Bob Bratina had a different idea. He actually expressed interest in bringing the GTA casino to his city, but local counsellors were not on board with the idea. Unfortunately for him, the council did not support the hosting of a new casino in Hamilton. Additionally, in the last referendum held on the issue, 64% of residents opposed the construction of a Hamilton casino.

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Vista Hospitality says mall a natural choice

While the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is tight-lipped about what groups have expressed interest in building a casino in Greater Sudbury, at least one potential suitor has confirmed its interest, at least on some level.

Vista Hospitality, which owns the Rainbow Centre, participated in the first part of the process – the request for information – in hopes of eventually seeing the casino located in its downtown mall.

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An outfit calling itself “Friends of Downtown Ottawa” sent this press release Friday afternoon and my editor asked me to look into it.

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Brantford’s first-quarter payment from the OLG arrived this week.

KINGSTON – Two big political questions were unanswered going into Thursday night’s make-up city council session:

a) would Kingston consider bringing in a casino; and,

b) could Mayor Mark Gerretsen and Councillor Rick Downes patch up their differences from Tuesday night’s first go-round?

Yes and yes.

Councillors decided last night, in less than seven minutes, to move ahead with a public meeting to discuss the opening of a privatized casino in Kingston.

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It’s not easy to put a price tag on a ruined life.

But that’s precisely what we need to do as the city eagerly contemplates the bottom-line benefits of expanding the casino at Western Fair District.

Everybody wants jobs and prosperity. And that’s why the folks at Tourism London and the London Chamber of Commerce back a bid to build a bigger and better casino, one that, according to Tourism London general manager John Winston, could feature a several-thousand seat theatre and waterworks display.

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EMC News -Quinte West – Council heard public input at its Monday meeting regarding the potential location of an OLG gaming facility within the city. Several residents had comments to share, for and against the possible casino.

“We have had a few phone calls and comments,” noted Mayor John Williams.

Mike Stortini from Batawa said he had a moral issue with a casino and felt that people don’t have to gamble. “Clientele should be visitors, not the people who live in this area,” he said.

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Decision pending on whether council will allow Province to consider town as host site

WHITBY — Is Ajax ‘all in’ when it comes to expanding its current gaming facility or will the municipality finally agree to share a portion of its revenues?

That’s the question on the minds of Whitby councillors, who are under the gun to decide whether they will allow the Province to consider placing a casino in the town.

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GANANOQUE – The Thousand Islands Casino officially celebrated its 10th anniversary yesterday, but many minds were focused on the gaming centre’s future rather than its past.

Municipal leaders and Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation officials gathered Thursday to mark the casino’s first decade in business at an event held just hours before Kingston city council was to decide whether to embark on a process that could result in the casino being moved. For the current host municipalities, there is reason for concern.

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Caesars Windsor is the first casino in Canada to receive a seal of approval from the Responsible Gambling Council.

KINGSTON – The city council casino debate ended abruptly in the early hours of Wednesday morning with the mayor and one city councillor yelling allegations at one another.

The next day Coun. Rick Downes accused Mayor Mark Gerretsen of “bullying.”

Downes was also in the process Wednesday morning of e-mailing the city clerk to ask if anything could be done about the mayor’s “biased” handling of issues prior to the resumption of the meeting Thursday night in the city council chambers.

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BELLEVILLE – Mayor Neil Ellis refuses to gamble with a referendum addressing the contentious casino debate.

The mayor said he won’t be supporting a motion being proposed by Coun. Jodie Jenkins calling for a referendum on the building of the controversial casino project in Belleville.

The motion for a referendum being sought by Jenkins is aimed at gaining widespread public input on the subject.

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Some Quinte area residents think council should jump at the chance to have the casino here while others are concerned for the future of the community.

Less than a dozen people spoke at the Quinte West council public meeting regarding a possible casino in the area, but opinions jumped between supporting and not supporting the casino. Trenton resident Wayne Fairman said he’s been visiting casinos for years and strongly supports the idea of having one locally.

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KINGSTON – There is no denying that the possibility of Kingston wanting a casino is on the table, but that doesn’t mean the city is trying to take from Gananoque what they already have, Mayor Mark Gerretsen said.

Public weighs in on possibility of gaming facility for the town

WHITBY — The people have spoken, and many would like to see a casino in Whitby.

More than 4,500 people across the community participated in a virtual town hall meeting on July 11, which was held to gather public input on the possibility of the town becoming a host community for a gaming facility.

“I am very much in favour of encouraging industry (to come) here, and job creation, so I think we should do everything possible to make the decision to put this casino in the Whitby area,” said Ken, one of more than a dozen residents who asked questions during the hour-and-a-half phone conference.

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Some say life is a gamble.

To even exist is to take a risk.

But what constitutes a risk?

The dictionary describes it this way: “the possibility of suffering harm or loss.”

So to me, that means a perception of fear, while taking a risk means overcoming the fear of the unknown.

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You’re heading out for a night on the town with guests making their first visit to London.

They like music, so heading to the 1,000-seat amphitheatre at the forks of the Thames is an option. After the concert, you could stick around for the permanent light show at the old courthouse.

If your guests are up for something with more glitz, you could hit the expanded casino at Western Fair District. Even if all the tickets for the show on the casino’s stage are sold out, you could try your luck at the machines and take in the waterworks display and light show.

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Gananoque believes it’s holding a strong hand but there’s concern around the table that Kingston may not be bluffing.

The province’s recent privatization of casino operations has Kingston council set to discuss a motion to determine if the city is interested in hosting a gaming facility. Since only one such facility is permitted in a gaming zone, any successful bid by Kingston would ultimately mean the closure of the Thousand Islands Casino in Gananoque.

Gananoque Mayor Erika Demchuk calls that scenario “highly unlikely” given the millions of dollars and the logistics involved, but adds “it would be irresponsible for me to say it would never happen.”

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A Toronto casino is inevitable. Will it be an ugly box built where nobody can see it, or a glorious five-star island of fun?

“Toronto the Good” is an epithet applied only by those with a passing familiarity with the city. In truth, Toronto is a place where you can indulge your vices with ease and comfort and the relative security that you’ll be left alone with your degradation. Valerie Scott, legal coordinator for the lobby group Sex Professionals of Canada, recently explained to reporters that Torontonians shouldn’t worry about a sudden explosion of brothels after a ruling that legalizes bawdy houses: “There have been brothels in practically every condo and apartment building in Toronto. People have no idea they exist, we are so discreet.” Toronto’s virtue has always been superficial, little more than a collective pursing of the lips. The same squeamish moralism is now at work on the issue of a downtown casino, and a huge opportunity for the city may well be wasted on its account. The debate we should be having is the one we are most predisposed to avoid: not whether we should have a casino, but how we can make the casino we will have fabulous.

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WASAGA BEACH – Wasaga Beach has identified eight sites that may be suitable locations for a casino.

In a letter to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation dated July 3, the eight sites are provided in response to a request for information initiated by the OLG after Wasaga Beach, Clearview Township, Springwater Township and Collingwood were identified as part of the C7 zone, a potential location for a gaming facility with 300 slots.

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KINGSTON – Kingston city council is to discuss Tuesday night whether the municipality is interested in hosting a gaming facility.

Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation is looking to build a casino, conference centre and hotel in Dryden.

“It’s at the request for information stage,” said Wabigoon Lake Chief Ruben Cantin. “So it’s going to take a while, maybe even this fall and even later on until they formalize a decision on who’s going to get licenses and who isn’t.”

Cantin said the community first became interested in developing a casino project in the mid-2000s but put it on hold after a moratorium on casinos was put in place in 2005.

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A large plaque hangs on a wall of the Prince of Wales Dining Room. It is, in fact, pretty much the entire wall – floor to ceiling in height, some seven feet long, it displays the names of every winner of the Prince of Wales Stakes since 1959. There are blank plates to display champions well into the future, too. All the way to 2038.

The question is, of course, will any be needed past 2012? That was the undercurrent Wednesday afternoon as horse racing aficionados gathered at Fort Erie Race Track for the annual pre-race ritual: the PoW draw. It’s where horses are matched to a starting position for this Sunday’s second jewel in Canada’s Triple Crown – always an exciting occasion for the border oval and its host town.

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Further evidence your taxes likely will rise when the slots-at-racetracks program ends next March came last week when the treasurer for the town of Milton said residents could be hit with a tax increase of between 22 and 25 per cent without a cut of gaming revenue.

It was just the kind of message the beleaguered horse racing sector needed in its struggle to reach average citizens disinterested in the industry’s plight and slow to appreciate the incredible economic benefits the slots-at-racetracks program provides to all Ontarians.

Linda Leeds, the director of corporate services/treasurer for the Town of Milton, said without the slot hall at Mohawk Racetrack, in Campbellville, or an alternative gaming site in the town, residents would have to make up a considerable financial shortfall.

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Quinte West residents who have opinions about a proposed casino can air them next week during a public meeting on the subject.

STAYNER – Clearview Township deputy mayor Alicia Savage is asking council members to provide her with their questions relating to a casino possibly locating in the region.

Savage, at council’s meeting last Monday night, said she plans to forward the questions to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) Corporation in the next few weeks.

She said the plan is to give the questions to OLG prior to a meeting later this summer between the crown corporation and local municipal leaders, where the opportunity to host a casino will be up for discussion.

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Residents who have opinions about a proposed casino can air them out next week during a public meeting on the subject.

Quinte West council will receive input next Monday evening – during the regular council meeting – regarding Quinte West becoming a host municipality for the potential location of an OLG gaming facility.

“Part of the process we are going through – to prove to OLG that we are serious – is to collect public input,” said Mayor John Williams Monday. “We want the input for council’s consideration and OLG will want to know that we had the meeting and heard the opinions of the residents.”

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The London Chamber of Commerce is hoping it threw a winning bet behind the Western Fair District in the race for expanded gaming services.

Gerry Macartney, chamber CEO, said he thinks London is the right location and hopes the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) agrees.

“The fact is somebody is going to get one and there are very few opportunities for communities in Ontario because of the contraction that OLG is going through,” Macartney said. “Our view is it might as well as be here because we’ve got a strong base, a strong system (and) a strong organizational team at the Western Fair District that knows what they’re doing, as does OLG.”

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