People with big names Vancouver British Columbia have formed an online protest group against the building of a new casino in the heart of the city. A public hearing has been set for March 7th but in the meantime, the group that calls itself “Vancouver, not Vegas!” has already collected more than 1600 signatures.
The situation is becoming a bit of a thorn in the side of Paragon Gaming Inc, and the hearings continue to be pushed back as the number of speakers and protests against the project increase almost daily.
In an article in the Vancouver Courier, Sean Bickerton, a spokesman for Vancouver, not Vegas!, said the delays only help the coalition gather steam as it continues to urge residents to write letters to city council with concerns, including crime and gambling addiction.
“That’s a very difficult vote for [council],” said Bickerton, a former NPA council candidate who noted the coalition’s support from people of various political stripes. “But if we support them and we bring a whole spectrum of the political sphere to their side to support that vote, I believe they’ll do the right thing.”
Paragon of Las Vegas has made plans to build a super casino in the heart of Vancouver that would feature 150 games tables and 1,500 slot machines. It would be the biggest casino in B.C. and be part of a complex that includes two hotels. Paragon has already promised the city $17 million in annual revenue which you can bet the city officials would love to have especially after the costly Winter Olympics held in the city just a year ago.
It always surprises me how in situations like this, there’s rarely ever an anti-protest group that protests the original protest group. I guess it could get confusing. But where are the proponents of a mega casino? We know Vancouverites love to gamble and party, a casino provides a venue for both.
