Wherever in the North Bay Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Ltd. locates its future casino, it promises to protect the habitat of the Blandings turtle in the Canadian province of Ontario.
The most recent location Gateway has mentioned is Pinewood Park Drive. Gateway spokesman Rob Mitchell told the North Bay Nugget that the company is cognizant of environmental concerns and will work with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to take proper mitigation measure—should it purchase that site.
The turtle is protected under the Ontario Endangered Species Act and the federal Species at Risk Act. It is also designated a specially protected reptile under the Ontario Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act.
The group called Save the Turtle, Stop the Casino, warns that the casino at that location could harm the turtle. The group told the Nugget: “The proposed casino land in question is part of the LaVase River / Cook Creek wetland complex — and the marshy shallow ponds and creek on the property in question provide especially important microclimate conditions for their overwintering habitat,” the group stated in a recent release. “Increased local traffic in the immediate area presents a secondary concern about the proposed casino location.”
The group claims that the site would become unsuitable for a casino resort if Gateway follows environmental laws that require a natural buffer of the nesting and wintering sites.
