Mayor pushes for casino in open letter

TORONTO – Mayor Rob Ford released an open letter to the media over the weekend, touting a casino in Toronto as a “golden opportunity.”

Ford released the letter ahead of City Manager Joe Pennachetti’s report on the pros and cons of having a gaming and entertainment facility in the downtown core.

“I’ve always said I would support a casino if it would produce thousands of good quality jobs and generate millions of dollars for important City services,” Ford wrote.

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The mayor noted “too many people in Toronto are unemployed” and the city’s unemployment rate is higher than the national average.

Ford outlined the number of jobs that would be created by bringing a casino complex to the city.

“Such a development would create 10,000 new permanent jobs at an average salary of about $55,000 and inject $1.2 billion into Toronto (and Ontario’s) annual GDP. Construction would create an additional 7,000 to 11,000 temporary jobs,” Ford said.

The letter comes on the heels of several groups publicly speaking out against a proposed casino.

CUPE Local 79, which represents about 20,000 of the city’s inside workers, said it is supporting the No Casino Toronto campaign.

Union president Tim Maguire said last Tuesday a casino in Toronto could double the number of problem gamblers.

“Our members are front-line community workers in a city that’s already struggling under a social infrastructure deficit,” Maguire said. “We are worried that the social impacts of a casino could overwhelm Toronto’s already strained social support system.”

–with files from The Canadian Press