New Kamloops casino is in the cards

NEWS/ CITY HALL — A new casino is in the cards for Kamloops as City council approved a plan Tuesday night to move the Lake City Casino from downtown to Aberdeen.

Gateway Casinos and Entertainment wants to renovate the former Rona building supply store into a new casino-lounge-restaurant complex to replace its current casino at the Hotel 540 on Victoria Street.

The new facility would include restaurants and an outdoor theatre as well as an enlarged casino area at a cost of $34 million. City staff recommended rejecting the proposal based on the City Centre Plan that encourages retention of entertainment facilities that attract people downtown.

More than 200 people attended a two-hour standing-room-only public hearing in the nearby Coast Kamloops Hotel and Conference Centre to listen to plans for the new facility, including extensive changes to the road and highway system designed to handle a significant increase in traffic.

Of the 28  people who lined up at the microphone to voice their opinions, 25 were in favour of it, though many were employees of either Gateway or the B.C. Lottery Corp.

The issue boiled down to two key points: the increase in traffic on Versatile Drive where the new casino will be built, and the impact on the downtown core of losing a major entertainment facility.

But even some of those who acknowledged that the city centre must be protected felt the existing casino is long in the tooth and needs to move. Words like “dive” and “poorly designed” were used to describe it.

Others said there’s simply no place in the downtown area big enough for an expanded casino and that traffic issues at the Aberdeen location can be worked out. They were also pleased to hear that the casino staff will increase from 110 at the current location to 250 at the new one.

Council voted 7-1 in favour of amending the community plan and rezoning the Rona property to accommodate the Gateway plan, with Coun. Donovan Cavers the only one against it.

“We’re very happy about it,” Gateway president and CEO Tony Santo said after the meeting. He said it’s not certain when construction will start but the company is hoping to complete the project within a year of a building permit being issued, ideally by October next year.

The new casino is tentatively being called Cascades, but that’s only a working name, he said.

Santo said there’s no suitable location downtown for a new location. The Rona property will allow for a facility three times the size of the existing Lake City Casino.

“This will be a first-class facility, similar to what we operate in the Vancouver area,” he told council at the start of the hearing.

Asked by Coun. Tina Lange if Gateway would move to Tk’emlups Band land if council turned down the plan for the Rona property, he said that wouldn’t happen. “We haven’t considered moving there.”

If the answer from council was no, it would be back to the drawing boards, Santo said.

Acting BCLC president Jim Lightbody said the lottery corporation is “very supportive” of Gateway’s move. “This is an important and long-awaited step,” he said. “Our players deserve this quality of entertainment.”

Support also came from the union representing Lake City employees. “We know there is a growing shortage of full-time jobs across the country,” said BCGEU president Stephanie Smith. “Kamloops needs every job it can get. These will be good union jobs.”

Bryan Pilbeam, the vice president and general manager of the National Hospital Group, which owns the Hotel 540 in which Lake City is located, said his company also supports Gateway’s plan. His company intends to build new facilities and attractions that will generate even more business downtown than the current casino does, he said.

A few who spoke were skeptical. “I feel that there will be a serious gap downtown if the casino moves to Aberdeen,” said resident Cheryl Kabloona.

“I think our downtown will suffer if they leave us,” said retired realtor Faye Franson.

When council reconvened into its regular meeting to make a decision, Mayor Peter Milobar spoke first, saying it was clear the public liked the proposal and he would support it.

Referring to the fact the move is contrary to the official community plan, Coun. Marg Spina said, “It’s got to be a living document.”

“I think we should be celebrating the fact that a company is going to spend $34 million in our city and create 250 jobs,” said Coun. Ken Christian.

Lange was worried about the effect on the downtown area but “very, very reluctantly” supported it because there was “overwhelming support” from the public.

And she said downtown businesses who have been concerned about the loss of the casino from Victoria Street didn’t speak up at the hearing.

“Tonight, business didn’t show up. I can only listen to the people who do show up.”

Cavers felt the public was “quite split” on the issue. “I don’t think that this is in the community’s best interests,” he said.

The zoning amendment will be held at third reading pending approval by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure of the new traffic plan.

HEAR THIS — Of the 25 people who spoke in favour of Gateway’s plan, eight were employees of Gateway or BCLC, or had relatives who were. Three others represented groups that benefit from gaming grants. One is with TRU, which has made an arrangement with Gateway to start a gaming leadership program. Two were hoteliers…. Members of the public who spoke used everything from crumpled up scraps of paper to computer printouts to smartphones for their notes… Bryan Pilbean of National Hospital Group said a performing arts centre is “Plan A” to replace the Lake City Casino at Hotel 540, but the company also has a Plan B and a Plan C. He wouldn’t reveal what they were.