Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Spirit Sands casino moves ahead
$40-M facility to be built between Carberry, Glenboro
A plan to build a new aboriginal casino near Spruce Woods is in its final stages as its backers put a business plan and the $40-million facility's financing in place, the head of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said Wednesday.
Grand Chief Ron Evans said a sod-turning for the Spirit Sands Casino, to be built off Highway 5 about 16 kilometres south of the Trans-Canada Highway between Carberry and Glenboro, is scheduled for the third week of September. The proposed site is near Spruce Woods Provincial Park.
Fourth time lucky?
The Spirits Sands Casino is the fourth attempt by the Assembly of Manitoba Chief to build a First Nations gaming facility in western Manitoba.
An earlier proposal to build a casino in the Rural Municipality of Elton, immediately north of the Trans-Canada Highway and Brandon city limits, fell apart last year when the bid's proponents, the Keeseekoowenin, Rolling River and Waywayseecappo First Nations, wouldn't agree to share profits equally with all other Manitoba First Nations.
Brandon residents have voted down in 2002 and 2008 plebiscites a casino located inside the city.
Towns in the vicinity of the Spirit Sands casino believe it will be an boon for the area, as it will create jobs and spinoffs for other businesses like gas stations and motels.
"It's a lengthy process," Evans said. "We've got a lot of bureaucratic hurdles we have to overcome."
The casino will be the third First Nations casino in the province, after the South Beach Casino and Resort south of Grand Beach and the Aseneskak Casino near The Pas.
The Spirit Sands Casino will be run by the Swan Lake First Nation, which still has to have a referendum on the project, Evans said.
Recently, the Manitoba government agreed to guarantee a loan of up to $750,000 towards the project, according to a cabinet document.
Evans added an environmental review also has to be completed.
"There's been no roadblocks," he added. "It's just taken time to get the players to the table."
Plans for the casino call for 300 slot machines, five gaming tables, three restaurants and, in time, a full-service hotel.
Profits from the casino will be shared with the 63 other First Nations in Manitoba. A conservative estimate is they'll get $60,000 per year initially and more as the casino expands.
Future plans call for a 75-room hotel, a gas bar, a gift shop, and a winter resort that caters to snowmobilers and cross-country skiers.
It's anticipated between 200 and 300 jobs will be created for aboriginal people and others living in the area. A 2007 study suggested the region can support a small casino with annual revenues of about $25 million.
The Manitoba government approved the casino last year, which gave the green light for Swan Lake First Nation and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs to put together a business plan for the project.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 26, 2010 A7
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