North Bay Mayor Unsure About Casino
Mayor Al McDonald, the mayor of North Bay, does not sound so keen on the possibility of a casino in North Bay. He does admit that the city council had a vote last year that would allow a casino in the city, however, he now says that while the vote said yes, it was more a possibility than a final decision.
In fact, the mayor has said that he had not been informed that the province had plans to locate a casino in North Bay. He found out by chance when he was reading the news online. Mayor McDonald said: "It came as a complete surprise. It was kind of just dumped on our lap."
North Bay Mayor Does Not Support Casino
The mayor explained that when the council voted that North Bay could have a casino, it came with a number of conditions, and still left the space for the council to tell the province that it is not prepared to have a casino.
When questioned further, Mayor McDonald said: "My preference would be that we are not even dealing with this issue. I can tell you today it is at the bottom of the pile of work that I am doing."
The mayor has admitted that he does like the idea of an additional $2 million in revenue for the city from potential casino revenue sounds good, and so does the addition of about 200 solid jobs, however, along with this, he explained that he simply is not excited about the idea of a casino in North Bay.
Mayor McDonald, while not showing his support for a casino, has not outright rejected the idea. He said that once there is more concrete information about the potential casino, there will most likely be another vote by the city council in a few months time.
Shogren Says Overwhelming Support for Casino
The president of the North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce, Derek Shogren, expressed surprise at the mayor's apparent lack of interest in the casino. He explained that if the city went back on its decision to allow a casino in North Bay, it is likely that it could affect the local elections next year.
Shogren said: "There's overwhelming support, certainly, from the business community. I think there's a small, vocal opposition."
The main opposition that has been voiced is from Blue Sky Bingo, a charity bingo hall that raises $1.2 million in charity every year.
While the North Bay mayor is unsure about the casino, it should be noted that if North Bay refuses to have a casino, it is highly likely that a casino would be opened either just outside the North Bay city limits, or in a nearby town.
