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2 THE NEW TANNER Town is a willing host for GTA gaming centre Not "really being a gambling man," Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette would not guess the odds of the Town being picked as a site for a major gaming centre, one in five proposed by cashstrapped Queen's Park. At Bonnette's suggestion, Town Council voted unanimously (Acton Councillor Mike O'Leary was absent) to add Halton Hills to the list of "willing host" communities for consideration by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission (OLG) which is modernizing gaming in the province. The OLG has selected the GTA as one of five sites to be awarded a new gaming facility, and while downtown Toronto appears to be a front-runner, OLG officials said they would not force a casino on a community that doesn't want it. The Town thinks the logical location for a casino and gaming centre is in the 401-407 Corridor area. In a report to Council on Monday, Doug Penrice, the Town's Economic Development Officer, said a request by the OLG for expressions of interest drew two private sector operators ­ who can not be named because of confidentiality agreements ­ interested in property at the 401-James Snow Parkway interchange, and property known as the North American Development Corporation site at the 401 and west side of Trafalgar Road. Penrice said because of uncertainty in the market place about what type and the location of a gaming centre to service the Toronto area, the industry is waiting for Toronto to decide if it is in the running for a gaming centre before moving ahead. Mayor Bonnette told Council, "If we don't, we won't," meaning if the Town's name isn't among willing hosts, it will not be considered for the full service gaming operation, which could include waging, entertainment and patron service including hotels, dining and perhaps a theatre. Bonnette said, "It is in our best interest THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2012 BOUNTIFUL BOTTLES: Acton Skating Club members Tori Glogowski (left) and Deanna Fidlin helped their parents and supporters at the Club's first annual bottle drive on Saturday. The group hoped the event would raise approximately $1,000. ­ Frances Learment photo to at least say we are willing to host...and let's see what comes out of it." After the meeting Bonnette repeated that it is just a plan, and if a casino is built in Halton Hills, it would not be in the downtown area of Acton or Georgetown. He said there could be some citizen opposition to gambling, but noted all proposals requires money be earmarked to treat gambling addicts. In his report, Penrice said a full gaming centre would create 500 full-time jobs, generate $3-million in Development Charges, bring in approximately $1.5-million in annual property taxes, generate gross revenues of approximately $150-million annually, and pay a royalty of approximately $4 to $5-million to the host community. Because the Town's Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw do not allow gaming centres, both would have to be amended, and any application would be subject to the normal planning process. Council would have to decide if it wanted to add gaming uses to a specific site, or to add the uses to all of the Gateway land in the 401 corridor. Legislature should be in session: MPP Arnott Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott believes that the Liberal Govern ment is doing a disservice to Ontarians by shutting down the Legislature while they choose a new leader. "Ontario has a $14 billion deficit this year and a debt that is growing larger by the day," Arnott said. "We have an economy that is stagnating and an unemployment rate that stands at 8 per cent. We have the Ornge air ambulance scandal, the hundreds of millions wasted on the cancellation of the Oakville and Mississauga power plants, and we have the Government's initial is Celebrating 167 years of Worship, Work and Witness Guest speaker: Deborah McKellar after the service a lunch will be served Trinity United Church Sunday, October 28th at 10am Trinity presents *** First Light: Jesus and the Kingdom of God featuring John Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg First Light is a 12-session DVD based study of the historical Jesus and the Kingdom of God with two of the world's leading Jesus scholars on location throughout the Galilee and Jerusalem Bible Study Thursday, October 25th, 6:30pm - 8:00pm Christmas Bazaar *** Bible Study will begin Saturday, November 10th www.actontrinityunited.ca "Santa's Workshop" 519-853-2090 refusal to turn over related documents." "As elected representatives, right now we should be in the House debating these important issues, and all the others," he argued. On October 15, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced his intention to step down as Premier once his successor had been chosen as Liberal leader. In the meantime, while the party holds its leadership race the Ontario Legislature has prorogued indefinitely ­ shutting it down until further notice. "The Legislature was scheduled to sit into December, and we should be here doing the work that Ontarians elected us to do," said Mr. Arnott. Despite the Government's decision to shut down the Legislature, Mr. Arnott will still be working in Wellington-Halton Hills, as well as in his Queen's Park office. "Although the House isn't going to be sitting any longer this fall, an MPP's work never ends, and I will continue to speak up for the people of WellingtonHalton Hills," Mr. Arnott added. In recent months, Mr. Arnott has been vocal in support of the Groves and Georgetown Hospital projects, Ontario's horse racing industry, and the needed Highway 6 Morriston bypass. He has spoken against the GTA West Corridor Study's Alternative 4-3, and called for a moratorium on new wind farms, pending the completion of a Health Canada study.