Residents of North Bay, a city in the Canadian province of Ontario, voiced their opinion on the proposed rezoning of a waterfront property for the potential construction of a casino on the site at a Wednesday meeting with the city’s Planning Advisory Committee.
If the rezoning eventually gets approved, the site in question may be added in the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s request for proposals for the establishment of a casino in the province’s Northern Gaming Bundle. However, being added in the request for proposal would not necessarily mean that the site would be used.
During the Wednesday meeting with the Planning Advisory Committee, citizens were given the chance to express their opinion on the proposed rezoning. The majority of North Bay residents that were heard did not welcome the potential establishment of a gambling venue on the site as it is located near a children’s playground. Aside from that, other important socio-economic concerns were also raised.
According to some opponents, a casino in the city would bring more crime and traffic issues and would drive property values down. Citizens also pointed out that they were not happy with the mere possibility for the casino to be located on the city’s waterfront.
Some of the most vocal opponents noted that by allowing the construction of a casino in the city, officials would do community great disservice.
Although most of the people who attended the Wednesday meeting were against the proposed rezoning and inclusion of North Bay as a potential host to a Northern Gaming Bundle facility, there were some proponents of the idea. According to them, a casino would not be that bad for the city, particularly given the fact that it has lost a great portion of its tourism over the past several years.
At present, the OLG is working on its request for proposals for what has been designated as the Northern Gaming Bundle. Apart from North Bay, Kenora, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, and Sault Ste. Marie are the other potential municipalities to host a gambling venue.
Another property has also been proposed for rezoning in North Bay and this one seems to have fewer opponents, mainly due to the fact that it is not located on the city’s waterfront.
