TORONTO – After months of talk, Toronto’s official casino debate is underway at City Hall.
Mayor Rob Ford’s executive committee is scheduled to discuss a report from the city manager outlining conditions council could impose on the deal.
The report recommends Toronto support a casino if it can be guaranteed over $100 million annually from hosting fees.
The committee will also hear from close to 200 members of the public who have signed up. At the onset of the meeting, however, Ford put a three-minute restriction on debutants and a minute restriction on councillors’ questions.
Ford strictly enforced the limitation interrupting several debutants and councillors including regular ally and Deputy Mayor, Doug Holyday.
The mayor has publicly pushed for a casino to be built within city limits, describing it as “golden opportunity.”
“I’ve always said I would support a casino if it would produce thousands of good quality jobs and generate millions of dollars for important City services,” Ford wrote in a letter to the media.
The mayor’s arguments were echoed prior to the meeting Monday by a cluster of union representatives led by United Here Local 75.
However, many people are opposed to a casino.
As of noon Monday, the majority of debutants have opposed a casino.
However there has been some sparse support among the speakers including President and CEO of Woodbine Entertainment Group Nick Eaves who is pushing councillors to locate the casino at Woodbine.
The executive committee meeting will be ending at 8 p.m. Monday whether or not all 200 speakers receive their three minutes to speak.
Executive committee is expected to vote on the next step for the casino report Tuesday and casino proponents’ hopes for a Toronto casino could die with that vote.
If the committee accepts the report however, city council will debate the report in May.
The Salvation Army voiced its opposition to the casino proposal Friday saying it would be detrimental to the city.
CUPE Local 79, which represents about 20,000 of the city’s inside workers, said it is supporting the No Casino Toronto campaign.
Union president Tim Maguire said last Tuesday a casino in Toronto could double the number of problem gamblers.
“Our members are front-line community workers in a city that’s already struggling under a social infrastructure deficit,” Maguire said. “We are worried that the social impacts of a casino could overwhelm Toronto’s already strained social support system.”
-with files from The Canadian Press
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