The finance minister of Ontario, Vic Fedeli, said last week that his is open-minded about a proposed casino along the Toronto waterfront—as part of a larger redevelopment.
Fedeli’s remarks signaled that the government of Premier Doug Ford is considering such a proposal as a way to revitalize land that the province owns and which includes a now defunct waterpark: Ontario Place.
Fedeli commented, “I don’t open the door and I don’t close the door. There has been a spike of interest in it, and so you have to have these kinds of discussions.”
Newspaper reports by the Globe and Mail say Ford has been talking about reviving an idea he had when he was a Toronto city councilor and his brother the late Rob Ford was mayor: a waterfront casino. The current mayor, John Tory, opposes the idea of gaming in the city core. The mayor declared last week, “Toronto does not need and I don’t think should have a downtown or waterfront casino. We have lots of gambling elsewhere in the city.”
In August Premier Ford announced that he wants to work with the city to revive Ontario Place to transform it and nearby city owned land into “the most spectacular destination anywhere in North America.” The Toronto waterfront is contained within the area.
Fedeli says the premier hasn’t raised the issue of a casino with him but added that the government would discuss the idea with both the city and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) which oversee gaming in the province.
For a casino to put sited on the waterfront would require negotiating with companies that might be adversely affected by it. That would include Great Canadian Gaming Corp., which runs three casinos in the Greater Toronto Area. It could veto any additional casinos in the area.
The city council voted to oppose a downtown casino in 2013. Its approval is required, although it could be overruled by the provincial government.
Great Canadian declined comment and OLG through a spokesman said, “OLG works continuously with the government to maximize the long term returns and the value of the GTA bundle.”
Last week, in an interview with the Globe and Mail, Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati said of Doug Ford: “I knew this was on his wish list and had been for some time.” He added,. “If the Premier decides he wants a casino, he’s going to get a casino.”
