Protest aimed at saving 1,400 casino jobs
Two of Niagara’s top elected officials will take to the streets outside Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort today to protest the plans of Ontario’s finance minister to continue with a process to select a new service provider for Niagara Casinos.
Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati and Niagara Region Chairman Alan Caslin will lead a public rally at 4 p.m. together with local residents and business owners outside the Fallsview Boulevard casino.
“We have not been consulted on the new plan that will see 1,400 jobs lost under the Ontario government’s current process for casino modernization,” Caslin said.
“In fact, this new process only requires a winning bidder to maintain current job levels for 12 months, that’s not good enough and concerning for workers.”
Earlier this month, the city and Region asked Finance Minister Charles Sousa to scrap the prequalification and request for proposal process for a new service provider to modernize Casino Niagara and Fallsview Casino.
In a letter issued Friday to both Diodati and Caslin, Sousa denied the request, saying the government “remains committed to the current procurement approach.”
“Any change in direction at this late stage would have an adverse impact on the future value to Niagara and the province, particularly given that the existing operating agreement with our Fallsview provider was terminated,” the letter stated.
Costs have risen since initial estimates in 2013 of $450,000 because the project changed in scope.
In the early days, the task force was considering a bronze sculpture of some kind and was basing estimates on the price of bronze. From there, it looked at site options, all with different requirements, and came up with the idea of incorporating a memorial into a small park.
When the design proposals came in, Cann said, the one selected worked with the entire park in an integrated approach and architectural manner.
Last July, the project was estimated to cost $841,000, but that’s changed since the task force worked in more detail with landscape architects who did draft drawings and budget evaluations.
The memorial will include pathways, tree planting, lighting and information panels.
Cann said the final budget figures will be much clearer once they release the tender and get the bids for construction of the park and installation of the memorials at a later date.
On Monday, St. Catharines city council agreed to make $234,000 available from the city’s civic project fund to use as matching dollars for the application to the Region’s Waterfront Investment Program.
Staff made the request, along with recommending a delay of the project tender release until more money is secured.
A report to council said staff and the design team had identified $300,000 of potential cuts from the project, but warned the final result would be an incomplete park and have a negative effect on the esthetic quality of the site and memorial experience.
St. George’s Coun. Mike Britton made a motion that the project proceed under the previously approved budget of $785,000 and ask MPs Chris Bittle and Vance Badawey to secure more money. He argued they could unveil the memorial in August as planned for the 85th anniversary of the opening of the Welland Canal and then continue to fundraise for the extras like pathways, lighting and curbs.
But council rejected that idea in favour of the staff recommendation to wait and gather the dollars for the full project as envisioned.