Camrose Casino Relocation (2024 Update)
Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) is once again considering an application for the relocation of the Camrose Casino to South East Edmonton (their previous relocation application was not approved in 2022). I have received numerous emails and phone calls from residents, community leagues and organizations across Ward Karhiio and Edmonton raising their concerns. Like many of you, I am concerned about the potential impacts this casino relocation could have on our community, and I have submitted a letter to AGLC to convey them. You can read my full letter below.
Ultimately the decision to relocate this Casino rests with the AGLC board again. Your voices are crucial in this process, and I encourage you to share your concerns with the AGLC during their engagement period and continue to let your neighbours know. The deadline to provide objections to AGLC is August 21, 2024. If you haven’t already, you can send a letter directly to gaming.inspections@aglc.ca and you can find more information about the Casino itself here.
Dear Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis (AGLC),
I am writing to you on behalf of my constituents in Ward Karhiio located in South Edmonton, Alberta in regards to the application for relocation of the Camrose Casino to 420 Parsons Road SW, Edmonton, AB, T6X 0J4.
Similar to the previous proposal for this relocation submitted in 2022, I have received numerous emails and calls from residents and organizations across Ward Karhiio and Edmonton raising their concerns, which remain consistent with what I have heard since the last application yet unresolved in this current application. I highlight these issues below for your consideration as you review this application:
Traffic and infrastructure: A casino and hotel with 80,000 square feet footprint will bring significantly more traffic into the area, on Parsons Road that is already experiencing increasing congestion year after year as the south east grows at a rapid pace. This increased traffic would not only impact the movement of people and goods, but also safety and road maintenance. The road would require additional capacity through widening to support the new traffic generated. However, like all municipalities across the province, our infrastructure has not been adequately funded by the provincial government to meet the demands of growth. This additional burden to the City and Edmonton taxpayers needs to be addressed by the Government of Alberta if a relocation is approved to mitigate traffic and road safety impacts. Providing adequate infrastructure funding to municipalities has been the number one advocacy priority for both urban and rural communities through provincial associations Alberta Municipalities and Rural Municipalities Association.
Public input and transparency: While there has been an opportunity for the public to provide feedback on this application to relocate, the deadline provided has once again fallen during Council break. This impacts the City Council’s ability to properly review, and engage residents and stakeholders for their thoughts and feedback and make an informed decision. Many residents in the area also feel blindsided as Capital City Casino’s previous application for relocation was not approved, and there has been no communication on how this new application sufficiently addresses the concerns raised in the past. As the City Councillor representing this area, I feel similarly, and am quite concerned about the lack of transparency in this reapplication process, and the rushed engagement period which does not provide enough time for residents and community organizations to fairly provide input.
Charitable revenue distribution: If the relocation is approved, the rural license that the casino is expected to maintain prevents local Edmonton charities from participating in fundraising efforts with this casino. This continues to be problematic because Edmonton will be expected to carry the weight of the negative impacts of the casino while the charitable benefits are taken out of the area and redistributed to communities outside of Edmonton - this outcome is unfair and unacceptable. While the updated application lists the impact to Edmonton charities as a decrease (>5%) and the overall gaming market is expected to increase year over year, I continue to hear from local organizations that with limited funding for the not-for-profit and charitable sector by the provincial government (e.g., Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) remains inadequately funded despite the rise in social challenges across Alberta), any loss in gaming revenue will still negatively impact their abilities to support the community at a time when their services are so vital. To address this concern, I would like to see AGLC implement a Host Local Government Payment model similar to British Columbia for this application. This policy would remit gaming revenue back to the Edmonton community to ensure local charitable funding remains fully intact. Reforming the gaming model has been a constant call for advocacy for the last many years by both rural and urban communities. And despite AGLC’s extensive engagement pre-pandemic about the model, it is incredibly disappointing to see little progress made to close the funding equity gap between urban and rural communities.
Perceived negative impact on quality of life: The location for the proposed casino on Parsons Road is concerning to community members due to its proximity to residential neighbourhoods - this is uniquely different from other casinos located in the Edmonton area. While such land use impact was considered previously during a rezoning application approved in April 20, 2021, I remain concerned after much change in the last few years, first with the impacts of the pandemic, then with faster population growth than anyone has anticipated. Community members have been writing to me, worried that the introduction of a casino in this residential and busy commercial area will greatly impact quality of life. Besides traffic congestion and noise as mentioned above, Edmontonians are rightfully concerned about the potential for a rise in problem gambling, along with criminal and nuisance activity in Ellerslie area and South Edmonton. As you evaluate this application, I urge you to consider research and data related to the impact of such a facility on quality of life.
With these major concerns in mind, I strongly encourage the board to reconsider this proposal.
Sincerely,
Keren Tang
City Councillor, Ward Karhiio, Edmonton
