'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
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.