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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Brandon casino needs chiefs' OK, premier says

By: Keith Borkowsky

Posted: 05/11/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Brandon Mayor Shari Decter Hirst, tribal councils' Allan McLeod talk to media about casino. (TIM SMITH/BRANDON SUN)

BRANDON -- If Brandon wants a casino, they must first go through the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC), Premier Greg Selinger said Thursday after the city and the Tribal Councils Investment Group announced an intent this week to explore a casino development inside city limits.

"There is a process we follow on deciding whether we support any casino and that's through the joint gaming table at the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, and that's the only way we make decisions on casinos," Selinger said.

Brandon Mayor Shari Decter Hirst and their new partner, the Tribal Councils InvestmentàGroup, have both said talks with the AMCàare a required step, even before approaching Selinger and the provincial government with a request for a casino licence.

"That's the only way to do it," Selinger said.

At this point, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs is being cautious.

"The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs will not be providing any comment on the proposed partnership at this time," AMCàspokeswoman Sheila NorthàWilson said in an email.

The exploration of a business case for a Brandon casino came about, in part, because the Spirit Sands casino project south of Carberry remains an empty field with little development three years after the project was announced.

"It has been challenging for them for a number of reasons," Selinger said. "Any issues that arise out of that we want to resolve at the joint table with the AMC... The original report said that one casino could be supported in the southwest region. That was the market analysis. That's the issue that would have to be addressed."

Selinger said he would look at a Brandon-based proposal if the AMC approved the project, "because that proposal would take into account the impact on the current proposal for Swan Lake."

On Wednesday, Tribal Councils Investment Group CEOàAllan McLeod said a business case for two casinos in Westman can be made. He used the South Beach Casino project at the Brokenhead First Nation as an example, as it is located northeast of Winnipeg, home of two large provincially operated casinos.

Carberry Mayor Wayne Blair said the conversations his town council has had on the Spirit Sands project with its backers, the Swan Lake First Nation, were to secure fire protection services from the local volunteer fire department.

"That's one spinoff, where we may have had to upgrade our fire department and may have gotten some dollars from them to do it," Blair said.

Blair said the last discussions he had indicated there was an intent to proceed with the Spirit Sands casino.

"They tell us they are wanting to start this summer or early fall," Blair said. "What's been the holdup is...Çthey are trying to get all of the financing in order. One of the things is the hydro costs, because they need to run a two-phase line down there and that's a long way. Iàhear that's going to be an $800,000 bill. Two-phase line is really expensive."

"It's been supposedly next spring, then next fall, then next summer, and it keeps going on," said RM of South Cypress Reeve Earl Malyon. "We are waiting for the other shoe to drop, because we don't know what's going on there."

-- Brandon Sun

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 11, 2012 A4

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