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Come for the day‌ Stay for the Lifestyle!

Sensational

Email: business@smithsfalls.ca Phone: 613-283-4124 x1107

Heart of the Rideau Canal

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YOUR SOURCE FOR BUSINESS AND AGRICULTURE IN LANARK, LEEDS & GRENVILLE SEPTEMBER 2012

VOL. 10 NO. 5

Communities rally in bid to save Thousand Islands Charity Casino By RYLAND COYNE EMC News – “The casino stays here!� That was the message delivered loud and clear at a Save Our Casino rally held outside the Lou Jeffries Recreation Centre in Gananoque early last month. Close to 200 people attended the event which aimed, in part, to counter growing fear the gaming facility could face a murky future in light of new rules set out by the provincial government earlier this year. “This is the place for the casino. It was the place they decided it should be and it should stay here,� Gananoque mayor Erika Demchuk announced to the crowd. Faced with a massive debt and ongoing budget deficit, the province has taken some steps to get its financial house in order. One of those steps is to turn the operation of Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) casinos over to the private sector. This opens the door to the possible establishment of facilities in neighbouring communities – namely Kingston – and resulting shutdown of the Thousand Islands Charity Casino. Last month’s meeting was a joint venture of the Town of Gananoque and the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands, two communities that have worked closely together with OLG and reaped the benefits over the past 10 years as host communities. “I don’t think it’s fair that the government pits one community against another.

-Business Today photo by RYLAND COYNE

Left to right, Gananoque councillor Jan Hayes and deputymayor Anne Warren show how they feel on the issue of the Thousand Islands Charity Casino during the Aug. 2 rally. A lot of places wanted a casino years ago and a lot of the public said no, no, no, no and we said yes. So I think yes is what it was‌it’s central to the zone, here it’s going to stay,â€? Demchuk said to sustained applause. She said she remains positive that potential investors will see the value in keeping the casino where it has been, running successfully over the past decade. “More than 10 years ago the province, through the OLG, looked for a place to put the casino in this area. They wanted the place where they had the best coverage, they wanted a location on Highway 401 close to the international bridge, central to a market that includes Kingston, Brockville

and Watertown, part of a large tourism market. Gananoque and TLTI worked together to let the OLG know that this was the place that offered everything they needed and the decision was made to build it here,� the mayor added. “As they say, build it and they will come, and they did.� The Thousand Islands Charity Casino is the second highest grossing charity casino in Ontario that operates without a racetrack, she noted. It has everything a private operator would need to succeed, including a welcoming community. “It doesn’t make any sense to start over and take a chance, when we have a tried and true market right here,� she said to more applause.

Mayor Bruce Bryan of TLTI touched on the benefits the communities gain from being hosts to a charity casino. “I think we have to understand, this is basically the cornerstone right now of our township,â€? he said. “This is the second biggest job producer (400 positions) we have next to Covidien. This is what provides monies for us to provide for capital aspects plus our grants committee which gives to our groups in our community to help them‌it goes to our medical centres, our recreation facilities and every group in the township that qualifies under the grants committee to receive money for funding and make our life a better place here.â€? Important role Leeds-Grenville MPP Steve Clark stressed the important role the casino has played in both communities over the years. “I want to make sure that my message is clear. This is an extremely important economic development initiative we’re talking about here,â€? he said. “This is not just the retention of 400 jobs, but in these zones there’s going to be new slot machines added... And I think our message is that we want to support not just what is there now, (and that) we see that there’s growth opportunities. The message to (premier) Dalton McGuinty and Paul Godfrey (chair of the Ontario

MS Society teams up with A&W It was a chance to turn back the clock and raise some significant funding for a good cause. A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. hosted its fourth annual Cruisin’ for a Cause Day, held on Aug. 23, across Canada – including locations in Brockville, Kemptville and Carleton Place. Nationally, it raised $1.25 million in support of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada and its mission to be a leader in finding a cure for MS and enabling the lives of those touched by the disease. In total, Cruisin’ for a Cause Day has raised more than $3.3 million over the past four years to help end MS in communities across the country. “The ongoing enthusiasm and commitment to this very important cause has been outstanding,� said

Paul Hollands, President and CEO, A&W Food Services of Canada. “On behalf of A&W, I would like to thank and congratulate all of our customers, staff, franchisees, car clubs, the MS Society and other supporters across Canada who helped us reach this significant goal.� For the first time, two restaurants, one in Alberta and one in Newfoundland each raised more than $17,000. Notably, another four restaurants raised more than $11,000 each. “When our partnership with A&W began four years ago, we had no idea how much Cruisin’ for a Cause would grow, or how much impact it would have in communities across the country,� said Yves Savoie, President and CEO, MS Society of Canada. See CRUISE page 4

-Business Today photo by RYLAND COYNE

The Thousand Islands Street Machine Association had a display of automobiles during the A&W Cruisin’ for a Cause Day event in Brockville Aug. 23.

See CASINO page 12

A&B FORD

Perth & Smiths Falls

230 Lombard St. Smiths Falls, ON 613-283-8200 www.abford.com

Sales Ltd 31 Dufferin St. Perth, ON 613-267-2643

Built for life in Canada

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NOW EXTENDED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30!


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