Casino protest planned
Local politicians say provincial plan could mean loss of 1,400 jobs
Two of Niagara’s top elected officials will take to the streets outside Fallsview Casino on Wednesday to protest the province’s finance minister plans 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 pre-qualification 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.
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.” Niagara Region chairman Alan Caslin
A recent study by third-party HLT Advisory found the plan the province put forward could result in losses of up to 1,400 jobs and tens of millions of dollars to the local economy.
The city and the region want the RFPQ to include stakeholder input and to focus on the same four objectives that were stated in the RFPs when Casino Niagara was opened in 1996 — creating jobs, creating a lasting economic benefit, acting as a catalyst for economic development and providing revenues for the province.
The only criteria in the new process, Caslin said, is revenue for the province.
“As regional chairman, I won’t stand by while the Ontario government ignores 1,400 jobs leaving Niagara,” Caslin said. Diodati agreed. “Our objective is to grab the attention of the decision-makers at the province and Ontario Lottery and Gaming to make sure they address our very, very serious concern,” he said.
“We want to send a unified message that this is a huge concern in our community and I can’t state it enough, they are the biggest employer in the region and losing 1,400 jobs would be like losing an automotive plant.”
Fallsview Casino and Casino Niagara are operated by Falls Management Group but its contract runs out in July 2019.