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Guessing when Casino Rama might reopen is a gamble. But there is one sure bet: it won’t be Friday.
Premier Doug Ford announced earlier this week the province would be moving into Stage 3 of reopening on Friday, paving the way for, among other things, casinos to reopen.
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However, OrilliaMatters has learned the casino east of Orillia will not be reopening any time soon.
“We will not be opening a site such as Casino Rama until such time there is a sufficient business case to do so given the capacity and other restrictions imposed on us,” said an email to employees from the casino operator, Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Limited.
“Right now we have no set timeline for re-opening. We will be focusing our efforts on reopening plans for our sites where the restrictions of 50 customers are feasible,” noted the email obtained by OrilliaMatters.
The internal memo to employees notes this week’s announcement from the provincial government “states that, within the outlined restrictions, gaming facilities may reopen but without table games.
“While this is exciting news, and a step toward re-opening our facilities, we need to carefully evaluate the details of this announcement and how the indoor capacity restrictions of 50 customers will impact potential reopenings and our ability to bring people back to work.”
Gateway spokesperson Rob Mitchell told OrilliaMatters it’s a complicated process.
“All our plans must be independently reviewed by a health and safety subject matter expert and submitted to the regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO),” said Mitchell.
Corey Dalton, the president of Unifor 1090, which represents more than 1,100 unionized employees at Casino Rama, said the announcement was expected.
“While it may be possible for some gaming facilities to open (small casinos, slot-only facilities, bingo halls), the current limit of 50 guests which was imposed by the provincial government, does not provide for a viable business model for large resort-style casinos,” said Dalton.
Tshweu Moleme, a Unifor representative at Casino Rama, said the decision is painful for employees.
'Our members are ready to get back to the work they love and do best — to bring customers the best service we are known for,' said Moleme.
'We just want to make sure that we return to safe working conditions,' he added. 'Safety is, without question, a major priority, and our local leadership keeps this on the agenda every time there’s a meeting with the company.'
But the reality is not easy.
'This is a very difficult time for many workers in our community, not only those from the casino. I do not know if people really understand the situation we are currently in, the devastation,' Moleme told OrilliaMatters. 'You should not be surprised when you see people heading to local shelters and other places for help, because that’s how bad it is.'
It's about more than economics, he explained.
'There is now also a health crisis. People are stressed,' he said. 'As noted by Orillia OPP, they had to attend to 33 or so suicide threats (calls) last week. 33 in a week!' he said, referencing an OrilliaMatters story.
'I may not be at work right now, but even being at home feels like I’m at work, still, fielding many calls and messages,' he said. 'This is the case for any union representative from any workplace right now.'
He said it's vital for the community and its leaders to be supportive.
'The pain is real. Successful local businesses with international recognition, such as Casino Rama, a business envisioned and realized by the Chippewas of Rama First Nations community, are currently closed,' said Moleme. 'This is a business and a community that brought the world something so unique, a jewel in the world of gaming, a giant many still look up to.'
Before COVID, Casino Rama in Orillia was a popular destination for gamblers and concert-goers in the North Bay area.
With construction on our local Cascades Casino on hold, there is some progress to report on Casino Rama...it has plans to reopen.
But it will be open by invitation only, there will be no table games available and no food or beverage service.
Rama First Nation Chief Ted Williams made the announcement yesterday.
“We have been working with Gateway Casino officials and Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) for several months to explore options for the safe opening of Casino Rama,” said Williams.
Casino Rama and all provincial casinos were closed by the OLG in mid-March. While most other casinos have already re-opened, the massive gaming facility east of Orillia remained closed. Officials had said that, due to the size of the casino, it didn't make sense to re-open when only 50 people could be inside the building.
Yesterday, Williams announced all parties “agreed on opening ... after consultation with the Rama COVID-19 Task Force, based on their overall satisfaction with safety plans.”
Williams and members of the First Nations council recently visited Georgian Downs near Barrie, which is also operated by Gateway. That facility has been open, on a limited basis with extensive COVID protocols, for several weeks.
“We went to see the effect of the business with the proper protocols in place,” said Williams.
He said the Innisfil facility is adhering to public health guidelines by limiting the number of patrons to 50, mandating masks for patrons and staff at all times, signage that promotes safe practices, and hand sanitizing stations.
He also noted, “staff (are) ready to enforce protocols as is needed.”
Williams stressed there have been no COVID cases related to the casino in Innisfil.
“This week, (chief and council) toured Casino Rama with the COVID Task Force to talk about what we needed to see in our community,” said Williams.
During a video address to the community, Williams read some of the comments from unnamed task force members.
“I would be satisfied and comfortable with suggesting that reopening would be best for the community and the employees working for Casino Rama,” one member said.
Another said: “We were also glad to know there will be no food and beverage services as this eliminates additional risk.”
Another said, “The system implemented for contact tracing with registration, facial recognition and video surveillance is better than some others in place.”
Williams said, “It will take seven to 10 days to restore operations.” He said, “Our first priority is our community safety.”
Robert Mitchell, a spokesperson for Gateway, said there are still 'a number of steps' Gateway must go through before a re-opening date can be determined.
'When those details are established, including a confirmed opening date, a formal re-opening announcement will be issued by Gateway,' said Mitchell.
He thanked Rama First Nation for the 'ongoing dialogue,' saying they 'appreciate their care and dedication in reviewing our Health and Safety Plan' meant to ensure the safety of the community, employees, and guests.
'We are happy that they have reviewed Gateway's health and safety protocols for re-opening under the current government criteria and given their endorsement for Gateway to re-open Rama under those restrictions, which include a customer capacity of 50 patrons, no live table games and the mandatory use of face masks,' said Mitchell.
Unifor Local 1090 president Corey Dalton did not respond to a request for comment in time for this story.
Orillia Casino Rama
However, Orillia’s Tshweu Moleme, a Unifor representative at the casino, said he’s “encouraged” by the news.
“Of course, one can only be cautiously optimistic at this time, given the rising numbers with COVID-19 and the province’s tightening of some restrictions, but I do commend the work that Rama Chief and Council are doing, working with the company, and the union, to make sure that workers can return to work and the business can restart safely,” said Moleme.
“This is an important business and employer in our economic region and when it is down, the community feels it,” he said.
“As noted in an OrilliaMatters article, Tuesday, even area charities are struggling without the Casino and its good-hearted employees.”
It’s not clear how many employees might return to work under the new protocols.
Casino Rama Barrie Ontario Map
This story will be updated when more information becomes available