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.
A presentation of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s (OLG) process to modernize lottery and gaming in Ontario will be made, followed by an opportunity for members of the public to speak.
Residents planning to speak are being asked to register at the welcome table prior to the start of the meeting, with individuals chosen in random order to address attendees for up to five minutes.
A number of options have been provided for the public to share their opinions about a possible casino, including an online and a telephone survey as well as a mailing address to send comments. The city has created a webpage for this input and the deadline for online comments is August 14, 2012.
The feedback and comments collected by the city will be provided as a staff Report to Council that will be released at a special meeting of Council in September 2012 at the latest.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is opening the gaming industry to private sector operators this fall.
The OLG wishes to determine in advance what interest there may be for establishing a casino in Kingston and other communities in its ‘E3 gaming zone’, which includes Gananoque and Leeds and Grenville United Counties. The latter two already co-host a casino in Gananoque, however only one casino per gaming zone would be allowed.
Council must indicate support for a gaming facility by the fall of 2012 for the OLG to consider establishing one within the Kingston city limits.
Photo: Yohann Legrand
