Vaughan ups the ante in casino bid

TORONTO – The City of Vaughan has officially declared interest in hosting a casino after council voted in favour of the decision.

Toronto City Council voted overwhelmingly last week against building a casino in Toronto or expanding gambling at Woodbine.

Mayor Rob Ford, a longtime supporter of a casino, said the deal was “dead” if the province didn’t promise the city a $100-million hosting fee. But he also warned that if Toronto turned down a casino, neighbouring communities would build one and reap the benefits while Torontonians suffered.

The City of Vaughan released a statement early Wednesday morning confirming their interest in the project.

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“Building a world-class cultural and entertainment district in the City of Vaughan is consistent with our mission to create and expand opportunities for our citizens. Council’s decision reflects our commitment to becoming a key economic development driver of the GTA by creating jobs, encouraging investment and pursuing opportunities that will enhance our quality of life and standard of living,”  Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua said in the statement.

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "Building a world-class cultural and entertainment district in the City of Vaughan is consistent with our mission to create and expand opportunities for our citizens. Council's decision reflects our commitment to becoming a key economic development driver of the GTA by creating jobs, encouraging investment and pursuing opportunities that will enhance our quality of life and standard of living,"  Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua said in the statement.

The release also proposed two potential locations for the future casino: provincially owned land at the 407 subway station, and the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre.

Markham and Vaughan councils began discussing the possibility of hosting casinos Tuesday.

Before discussions began, Markham City Councillor Jim Jones said he supports “an integrated, world-class convention and entertainment centre” in Markham.

But residents are “split,” says Karen Rea, a representative of Markham’s Ratepayers Association.

“You’ve got the jobs, you’ve got property taxes, we’ll get development charges now,” Rea said. “But then you’ve got the other side with the broken marriages, the addiction problems, the gambling and the crime.”

That concern was behind Toronto councillor Mike Layton’s last-minute charge against a casino.

Whether or not Markham joins Vaughan in a bid to host the casino, the province holds the ultimate power to choose where it goes. But Premier Kathleen Wynne has previously said that the decision is “up to municipalities.”