A push to build a casino in Fort Frances is afoot again—a topic local delegates plan to bring up with provincial ministers during the annual Ontario Good Roads Association/Rural Ontario Municipal Association joint conference slated for Feb. 27-March 2.
There’s no question casinos are cash cows. One only has to look to Thunder Bay to see how its municipal coffers reap the benefits of having a casino there, and no doubt the same is true in places like Sault Ste. Marie, Niagara Falls, and Windsor.
Equally evident is the steady stream of district residents, whether on their own, in small groups, or through bus packages, who routinely head across the border to try their luck at the casinos in Minnesota, taking their money with them. And that’s not to mention all those who jet off to Las Vegas or Laughlin, Nev. for getaways.
But would having a casino right here at home stem that exodus? Perhaps, although it would never dry up completely because part of the allure is getting out of town for a few days.
The bigger question is whether a casino would transform Fort Frances into a destination, rather than a town tourists simply pass through getting to and from fishing or hunting lodges elsewhere in Northwestern Ontario? That would be ideal, of course, but possibly not all that realistic. Americans already have begun to steer clear of the area due to the high-flying loonie, ever-rising gasoline prices, and problems at the border—and it’s doubtful a casino would turn things around anytime soon.
Then there are those who question the social cost a casino might have on a community, particularly a rise in problem gambling that can ruin families and maybe drive up the crime rate by people desperate to fuel their addiction, comparable to the ills associated with the festering abuse of prescription drugs locally.
These are desperate times and obviously Fort Frances has to look at any potential source of revenue, especially with town council set to receive a “bombshell” report this coming Monday that could threaten to turn the budget process upside down—for this year and many more to come. Having said that, betting on a casino to be our economic saviour may be as big a longshot as that life-changing payday gamblers dream about.
At the very least, the town should get public input on the issue, whether through a community meeting or even a formal referendum, before proceeding any further.
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