On Monday, October 22, Cambridge City Council voted 5-4 against declaring itself a willing host community for casino expansion under the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.'s controversial gaming modernization plan.
A report by therecord.com in regard to the tight vote has quoted Councillor Nicholas Ermeta as saying, “I don’t sense an appetite in our community for a casino.” He also stated that council believes that that Cambridge needs to introduce a gaming facility to thrive, saying, “We don’t need a casino to do well.”
The article also quotes Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr as saying that “Kitchener council has not considered the issue of casinos being brought forward by OLG nor an OLG gaming site.”
Waterloo Chief Administrative Officer Tim Anderson is also quoted in therecord.com report as saying that Waterloo City Council has had meetings with the OLG in regard to the matter, but that the council has not made any decisions on the topic.
There has been a good deal of talk about jurisdictions' decisions to deem themselves willing host municipalities for expanded gaming. Some say that such decisions are only a minor preliminary step in the process, one which does not bind the municipality to anything going forward. Other figures, notably in the Ottawa area, have said that although the declarations seem preliminary on paper, in reality it is a much bigger step.
Noting that municipalities ultimately do have the final say in terms of zoning, permits, bylaws, etc., an article by The Hamilton Spectator has quoted OLG Spokeman Tony Bitonti as saying that if the OLG signs a contract with a gaming operator, but the jurisdiction in question then changes its mind in terms of being a host, Bitonti believes it would be too late for the city to back out, barring some “overarching thing.”
Also in relation to Ontario politics and its impact on the provincial racing industry, Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan announced on Wednesday, October 24 that he will not seek the Ontario Liberal Party's top spot, which has been left vacant since outgoing Premier Dalton McGuinty resigned and also prorogued the provincial legislature.
Duncan also announced that he will not be seeking re-election in his home riding of Windsor-Tecumseh.
(With files from therecord.com, The Hamilton Spectator and the CBC)