How the RCR fits into this casino debate (aka: the history of slots at the
racetrack)(Oct. 11)
Chianello: Lack of info about casino no deterrent for council (October 10)
Marcel Guibord
thinks about a casino in Clarence-Rockland
(October 4)
Chianello: Terms of casino deal revealed, but council
needs to lay cards on the table (Oct. 4)
City committee signals interest in casino (October 3, 2012)
OLG not forcing casino on Ottawa (October 2, 2012)
Ottawa mayor calls for casino in Capital (September 24, 2012)
Is Rockland is on the radar for a casino?
Ottawa Council to vote on casino by year's end: Mayor Watson
Ottawans support racing industry, oppose new casinos:
survey
Ontario's Auditor General to review casino plan
Ottawa - Community group calls for casino referendum
OLG softens pitch for new casino on Toronto waterfront
The Sun's Sherring: Economic benefits to casino
OLG shows hand, invites casino proposals for Ottawa
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| How the Rideau Carleton Racetrack fits into this casino
debate (aka: the history of slots at the racetrack) |
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(Ottawa, Thursday, Oct 11, 2012) Chief among the reason councillors gave for voting in favour
of launching a bidding process for a new casino in Ottawa was this: the city needs to save the Rideau Carleton
Raceway.
Still, some councillors believed that voting “no” to this week’s proposal for a new casino meant
that OLG would then move down the road and offer Rockland a chance at a new gaming facility, thus, absolutely guaranteeing
the end of the raceway. But many believe the OLG is bluffing. After all, if it wants an urban casino, Rockland ain’t it. Read more...
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| Chianello: Lack of info about casino no deterrent
for council |
(Ottawa, Wednesday, Oct 10, 2012) Although the majority of our elected officials professed to be
skeptical about how the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. will choose a potential new casino for us, or to be against
the idea of a downtown location, or to be uncomfortable with the lack of information they had at hand, on Wednesday
afternoon council voted in favour of launching a the bidding process for a new gaming facility with no restrictions
whatsoever.
What happens if Ottawa doesn’t like the bid it’s presented next year? Will OLG instead offer the second-choice
Ottawa bid, or will it move east down Highway 174 and offer Rockland
a chance to have a casino? Read more... |
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| Marcel Guibord thinks about a casino in Clarence-Rockland |
Comment: This is a rough translation from the original French text:
(Le Droit, Thursday, Oct 4, 2012) The City of Ottawa has
expressed interest, but the City of Clarence-Rockland also seems eager to be at the table to play the game that
will determine where the future casino will be built in the greater National Capital area.
Marcel Guibord, accompanied Clarence-Rockland's CAO (Pierre Tessier), went to the public consultation offered by
the City of Ottawa Tuesday night, also attended by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) CEO (Rod Phillips).
At the end of the meeting, Marcel Guibord called the proposals made by the OLG, "interesting". "We
were curious to know how far he would be interested in doing something. A casino brings a lot of dollars in addition
to employing a lot of people.
"With access along the Ottawa River - it's a way to attract people from Quebec and to keep people here at
home," he said on leaving the gathering.
If the mayor has found an opening, he didn't show it.
"Will there be a casino in Clarence-Rockland rather than to Ottawa... I don't know... I think the only reason
that we might be considered, would be our proximity to the river", he said.
The Mayor believes it is premature to bring the discussion to the council table. "But we are thinking about,"
he said.
Click here to read the original French text. |
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| Chianello: Terms of casino deal revealed,
but council needs to lay cards on the table |
(Ottawa, Thursday, Oct 4, 2012) What was this week’s five-hour evening session on casinos really
about?
Ostensibly, it was for council’s powerful finance and economic development committee to debate whether Ottawa wanted
a casino “in principle.” But it was hard to figure out how councillors had gauged what the people of Ottawa think
about the idea of a new gambling hall.
The fact that the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. is looking to build a new casino in Kingston, and would possibly
allow one in Rockland if Ottawa decided to pass on the current
plan, only heightens the sense that the capital had better get in on the action. Read more... |
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| City committee signals interest
in casino |
(Ottawa, Wednesday, Oct 3, 2012) A city committee held a late-night vote to approve a motion to
let the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation know Ottawa was interested in a casino.
(Comment: This paragraph, from previous story below was also included in this report.) The OLG did add, though,
if city councillors voted against the idea either at committee Tuesday or next week at city council, the nearby
township of Clarence-Rockland had already expressed interest
in building a new casino east of Ottawa. Video and audio... |
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| OLG not forcing casino on Ottawa |
(Ottawa, Thursday, Oct 2, 2012) The Ontario Lottery Gaming Corporation says it would approve a new
casino in Ottawa only if the city is interested and the OLG would only approve the casino if it is built in an
area "where the customers are."
The OLG did add, though, if city councillors voted against the idea either at committee Tuesday or next week at
city council, the nearby township of Clarence-Rockland had already
expressed interest in building a new casino east of Ottawa. Video and audio... |
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| Ottawa mayor calls for casino in
Capital |
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(Ottawa, Monday, September 24, 2012)Mayor Jim Watson wants a casino in the Capital.
(Click on pick to enlarge.)
"First of all, we're losing millions of dollars to the Quebec side of the river," Watson
said. "Those are jobs, economic activity and taxes. Secondly, it's a tourism draw. The number one tourist
attraction in the National Capital Region is not Parliament Hill, it's the casino in Gatineau."
He announced Monday he will ask council to formally endorse a new gaming facility for the nation’s
capital as the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. finds private firms to build a new casino.
Read the Ottawa Sun's take on the story...
Read the Citizen's take on the story...
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Is Rockland is on the radar for a casino?
Aggregated news by Patrick Meikle
(Tuesday August 07, 2012) For some weeks now, word has been mentioned that Rockland may be in the running for a casino as the Ontario government wants
to increase the number of gaming places around the province. Rockland has been mentioned a few times in various
news reports.
These rumours seem to have started back in March when the the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) signalled
its intention to solicit bids for new casinos across the province, including Ottawa. (Visit their site as shown
in righthand column.)
Here are some of the reports we have been following: |
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| Ottawa Council to vote on casino by year's
end: Mayor Watson |
(CFRA News
-Wednesday, September 12, 2012 ) We should know before the end of this year whether City Council supports building
a casino in the Capital. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is currently reviewing future plans and locations.
Mayor Jim Watson says a vote will be held in the next three months.
"At that point, we wouldn't be deciding locations because the location is ultimately going to be the decision
of the OLG to propose to the City at a second occasion, probably in 2013," Watson tells CFRA.
In a news release, the group Friends of Ottawa questions just how much public input will be considered ahead of
the casino vote.
Watson notes that any recommendations will be presented at the Finance Committee meeting, during which residents
can sign up to speak directly to councillors. |
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| Ottawans support racing industry, oppose
new casinos: survey |
(Ottawa Sun -Wednesday, September 12, 2012 ) Six in 10 residents are opposed to the government's plan to build more
casinos in Ontario.
OLG is now looking to the private sector to bring a full-fledged casino to Ottawa. The new facility could be built
at the existing Rideau Carleton Raceway or anywhere else in the city, depending on what the winning bidder proposes.
The survey, conducted by Forum Research, used a random sample of 1,086 Ottawa residents over the age of 18. It
has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 per cent, 19 times out of 20.. Read more... |
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| Ontario's Auditor General to review casino
plan |
(EMC-Nepean/Barrhaven -Thursday, September 6, 2012 ) Ontario's auditor general will review plans to scrap the Slots at Racetracks
program and built urban casinos after Nepean-Carleton MPP Lisa MacLeod successfully carried a motion through the
assembly on Aug. 30.
Members from all three political parties supported MacLeod's private member's motion asking for a review of Ontario
Lottery and Gaming Corporation's new gaming and casino plans that would pull slots out of racetracks and build
private casinos closer to urban centres. Read more... |
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Ottawa - Community group calls for casino
referendum
Friends of Downtown Ottawa soliciting support via online petition |
(CBC News - Ottawa - Thursday, August 16, 2012) A community group is circulating an online petition to ask for a referendum
on whether a new casino should be built in Ottawa.
While there are no concrete plans for a new casino in Ottawa, Friends of Downtown Ottawa want to give residents a say
before any concrete proposal or venue is decided. (Also
see below.)
From the group's website: "We firmly believe a decision of this nature must be left to members of the public to decide through
a site specific referendum, either as part of the next scheduled municipal election in 2014 or as a special referendum."
Members from all three political parties supported MacLeod's private member's motion asking for a review of Ontario
Lottery and Gaming Corporation's new gaming and casino plans that would pull slots out of racetracks and build
private casinos closer to urban centres. Read more... |
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| OLG softens pitch for new casino on Toronto waterfront |
| (Toronto Star - Tuesday August 07, 2012) So far, only three municipalities that host no slots or other gaming, but
are in one of OLG’s expansion zones, have put out the welcome mat – Peterborough, Belleville and Clarence-Rockland
on the Ottawa River. Read more... |
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| The Sun's Sherring: Economic benefits
to casino |
(Ottawa Sun - Saturday, August 04, 2012) The almighty dollar appears to be the driving force behind Mayor Jim Watson’s
interest in Ottawa pursuing a major downtown casino.
“We may have an opportunity to see if we can keep more gaming revenue in Ottawa and Ontario.
“On any given month, literally millions of dollars from Ontario residents is staying in Quebec and that doesn’t
help our city, or hospitals or schools. If we have an opportunity to repatriate some of that money, we should have
a serious discussion with the province,” Watson said, responding to a resident unhappy with the prospect of a casino.
Read more... |
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| The non-plan for a casino at the old
Ottawa jail |
(Ottawa Citizen - Friday, July 20, 2012) Citizen editorial writer David Reevely writes in his blog: "An outfit calling
itself “Friends of Downtown Ottawa” sent this press release Friday afternoon and my editor asked me to look into
it."
He includes the press release in his blog, which outlines the concerns expressed by the Friends of Downtown Ottawa
(FDO) (See also above) then
writes up his thoughts and subsequent research into the FDO, coming to what appears to be a frustrating exercise
that leads nowhere. Read more... |
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| OLG shows hand, invites casino proposals for Ottawa |
 (Ottawa
Citizen - Thursday, May 17, 2012) The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., wants a new gambling
facility in Ottawa and it’s open to anything from a downtown casino to an expanded Rideau Carleton Raceway, according
to newly released documents.
The corporation proposes 29 zones in Ontario where it’s open to putting casinos or other gambling sites. Ottawa
has one, covering most of the city from Kanata to beyond Cumberland — as far as Rockland.
If Ottawa council rejects the casino, Rockland beckons. Clarence-Rockland Mayor Marcel Guibord didn’t immediately
return a call from the Citizen. Read more... |
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Listen to a message from
Rod Phillips,
President & CEO of OLG
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What’s Happening Now?
Welcome to OLG’s newsroom. Here, you’ll find the information you need to stay up-to-date on OLG’s Modernization Plan and its developments.
Get the facts and hear what others are saying about current OLG topics.
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