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Waterfront casino supporter speaks up

He believes North Bay has lost a lot of its tourism attraction over the years and a waterfront casino could help revitalise that industry as well as the downtown and waterfront areas.
casino chips shutterstock_172016489 2016
File photo.

Yesterday BayToday published an article on an anti-waterfront-casino group planning to voice their issues at tonight's (Wednesday) Planning Advisory Committee: “No casino at our waterfront,” group urges.

Since then a pro-waterfront-casino group has sprung up on social media led by Jack Doherty: https://www.facebook.com/waterfrontcasino/

He says he felt the need to do something in response to the NO Casino group, since he felt that the support for a waterfront casino far outweighed those against.

“When I looked at the event page against the waterfront casino, I found a lot of comments were in favour, but they didn’t really have a place to show support, so I created one where they could,” Doherty said.

The page was created last night and has yet to build any real traction so close to the PAC meeting, but Doherty said he believes supporters for the land rezoning will still be present.

He also drew attention to the poll conducted by BayToday regarding what people of North Bay would like to see most at the waterfront.

“I think a lot more people voted in favour of the casino in the poll than there are in the Facebook group against putting one on the waterfront,” he said.

In the poll, although 617 (23.5 %), 666 (25.4%) people voted for a splash pad and water park respectively, 504 (19.2%) voted in favour of putting a casino on the waterfront, making it the third highest voted option out of eight.

Doherty said he believes North Bay has lost a lot of its tourism attraction over the years and a waterfront casino could help revitalise that industry as well as the downtown and waterfront areas.

He pointed to his hometown of Brantford, Ontario, which has since benefited from adding a casino to its city, he says.

Whether you’re in support of a waterfront casino or not, tonight’s PAC meeting at 7 p.m. in the city council chambers will be your chance to show support for either side as the city works toward rezoning the land for possible casino use.