'Very concerning': Camrose casino wants to move to southeast Edmonton
Residents in southeast Edmonton are concerned after finding out that a casino could soon be relocating to their neighbourhood.
Capital City Casinos has applied to move their existing Camrose casino to a vacant lot along Parsons Road in Edmonton.
“We’re concerned about obviously the traffic, this is a horrendous bottleneck right now with South Edmonton Common, and just two lanes going back and forth,” said Neil Richards. “It’s going to make it a nightmare for people that commute."
Richards lives in the Summerside neighbourhood, just two kilometres away from the relocation site.
“Nothing good is going to come out of putting up a 60,000 square foot casino,” he added.
According to the application, the casino would have an estimated 550 slot machines and 25 games tables. There would also be a show lounge, theatre, hotel, and conference facilities.
“Sure, there’s a lot of commercial, industrial area, but you’re also quite close to residents,” said Coun. Keren Tang, who represents the area.
She says she’s received a number of complaints from residents, as the project enters the second phase of planning following preliminary zoning and licencing approval.
“So they’re operating well within what is allowed under the current regulatory zoning requirements. But it kind of happened out of the blue, and no touchpoint with city administration at any point about this feels very concerning.” she told CTV News Edmonton.
Tang is encouraging residents who have concerns to contact Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis directly. She plans to write a letter to AGLC as well.
AGLC released the following written statement on the relocation:
“AGLC will determine if the proposed project can move forward to Step Three in the process. The AGLC Board will then approve or deny the relocation proposal, taking into consideration community and stakeholder input, market demand, benefits to charitable groups and impact on other charitable gaming activities in the community. ”
The deadline for public feedback is Wednesday.
It is expected the AGLC will make a decision on the relocation later this year.
AGLC also confirmed that if the relocation goes ahead, the casino would continue to serve the same charities in the Camrose area it does today.
The City of Edmonton says it is still reviewing the information and does not have an update at this time.
The president of the casino was not available for comment on Monday, but a spokesperson says he plans to address community concerns later this week.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Joe Scarpelli.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Tornadoes tear through southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could wash over parts of the South early Thursday, a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes and large hail killed at least three people in the region.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.