Local Businesses Oppose New Canadian Casino
A new casino and hotel which are being planned for South Surrey, British
Columbia in Canada is facing its first obstacles.
Opposition from local businesses in the area means that the construction of the
200 suite hotel and convention center may not go as smoothly as previously
believed.
The Cloverdale District Chamber of Commerce and the Cloverdale Business Improvement Association (BIA) demanded a meeting with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) this week to discuss their concerns.
The groups believe that the proposed location for the new casino (10th Avenue and 168th Street in South Surrey) threatens existing gambling establishments in the area, especially the Fraser Downs Racetrack and Casino.
Both local business groups believe that the BCLC should rather upgrade the casino at Fraser Downs instead of investing millions in the creation of a new one.
They believe that a new casino will be a direct threat to the income and traffic at Frasers Down, which employs 600 people, and the casino would also affect the local horse racing industry.
Frasers Down is located at a high volume intersection at the local fairgrounds and attracts visitors for other activities as well.
Informational Meeting with BCLC
The meeting on Monday between the Cloverdale local business representatives and the BCLC will largely be informational.
The groups will try and understand from the BCLC what it plans to do in the area and what types of decisions have been made already.
According to the executive director of the Cloverdale Business Improvement Association, Paul Orazietti, decisions have been made but nobody has bothered to inform local businesses what they are.
"We are completely unaware of any decision by the mayor or city council of the casino being placed in Surrey," he said.
Last month, the executive director of the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce, Bill Reid, called on the groups to march on City Hall and BCLC if they were not granted a meeting.
New Casino Catches Businesses Off Guard
"We were caught a little off guard, and a lot of the information to do with this other property [the new casino in South Surrey] was done in a vacuum without us knowing anything about it," he said.
Orazietti believes that a lack of information is the biggest problem factor facing local businesses.
As such, with local businesses opposing the new Canadian casino, their representatives are hoping to receive answers to their questions and have their concerns addressed at their meeting with the BCLC on Monday.
