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 The Vancouver City Council had its first public hearing discussing a casino complex proposed for downtown Vancouver on Monday. Just over a dozen speakers took to the podium in the city council chambers which were packed to capacity with local residents.
David Podmore, chairman of the B.C. Pavilion Corporation, Michael Graydon, the president of the B.C. Lottery Corporation, and Diana Bennett, CEO of Pargon Gaming were the first proponents for the project to be heard during the meeting. Podmore said that the project has already received support from some business, sports, and community organizations and touted that the project could create as many as 5,500 jobs during construction and 1,900 jobs during operation.
Of course there were also many speakers who opposed the project. Peter Greenwell, chairman of the Vancouver Planning Commission urged the city to delay making a decision on the project and Amir Al Alibhai called for a moratorium on any gambling expansion "until the issue of revenue shares for the non-profit and charitable sector is resolved, and until some of the broader issues with public trust in the management and operations of public gaming are addressed."
Other speakers included Robert Harrison who spoke out on behalf of Edgewater Casino employees who expressed their concern about keeping their jobs. "With the lease in its present site expiring in 2013, those workers currently employed at the casino would be out of work, unable to provide for their families as they do now."
There are still several days of hearings scheduled to take place before any decisions will be made regarding the project. The next hearing is scheduled to take place tonight at 7p.m. Local time.
As always, stay tuned to Casinofan for more news and updates.
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