Saanich Gambling Hotspot Plans Again on the Table

During times of financial struggles caused by the unprecedented situation, Saanich Mayor Fred Haynes is looking for new ways of bringing revenue to the city’s budget. That is exactly why Mayor Haynes has decided to renew his push for bringing a gambling property to the region, which is believed to be able to bring much-needed funding to the city’s infrastructure.

The proposed casino project date back to 2015, when the Saanich council expressed its intention to bring a second gambling venue to Greater Victoria. The plan for the facility was to be launched with a license from the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, however, Victoria declined due to the potential illicit activities. Then, in 2019 the Saanich management yet again showed interest in the project and had prepared an expression of interest.

Fateful April Meeting

Prior to the closing down of businesses and the commencing of the unprecedented situation in March 2020, there was scheduled a meeting between the city’s council and the Crown corporation. Unfortunately, the meeting never took place and most recently there has been activity on the matter. Now scheduled for April 12 meeting will determine the fate of the casino project.

Mayor Hayne’s proposal will see municipalities acquire 10% of the proposed casino’s revenue, which roughly estimates to around CA$2.5 to CA$ 3 million per year for the city. According to him, the city’s majority of tax base consists of homeowners who pay 75% of the total taxes collected. And he believes such a move would benefit residents vastly, by taking pressure off of them.

Coun. Susan Brice has also voiced her backing for the casino project last Thursday. She stated that the city’s management has been looking for a long time for a way to alleviate local taxpayers since the region has heavily relied on them for a while now. In addition to that, she believes that the proposed project could prove beneficial to the area by securing more job vacancies for the locals.

The Crown agency insists that the new casino should not affect the gambling property in View Royal, meaning that potential sites for the venue remain to be at East Saanich. The Mayor stated that this could include any location in the area between Saanich Municipal Hall and the University of Victoria. But for now, there is no official site for the ambitious project.

Previous Push

This was not the first time that the Saanich authorities have pushed for the introduction of a new casino facility in the area. The proposal was unanimously backed by all City council members, however, there were still some concerns coming from View Royal as Mayor David Screech opposed the proposal claiming that the newly proposed casino would have a negative effect on Elements Casino Victoria.

Obstacles

The Crown corporation had to introduce certain safety protocols with the emerging of the unprecedented situation in order to adapt to the changing scenery. This has also taken its toll on the agency’s plan to expand its land-based casino offerings in the Saanich area. Overall, the notion is that such casino overseen by the BCLC will prove to be of great value for the region, but the project was put on hold after the outbreak of the unprecedented situation.

Source: Kloster, Darron “Saanich mayor renews push for casino to help pay for projects”, Times Colonist, March 19, 2021