Wasaga Beach is getting a casino

Wasaga Beach's much-anticipated new casino project is officially moving forward, as municipal paperwork has finally been completed and approved, and further details of the project have been revealed.

Construction on the 10,000-square-metre complex from Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Ltd. will begin in spring 2020, and finish in fall 2021.

Today, @GatewayCasinos said the ground breaking for its Wasaga Beach facility will take place in the second quarter of 2020 with an opening planned for the third quarter of 2021. More here: https://t.co/fFTseYaODD #MovingWBForward #WasagaBeach @simcoecountyEDO pic.twitter.com/U2YpayWjKc

— Town of Wasaga Beach (@WB_Media) December 5, 2019

It is slated to take up an empty 7.5-acre lot in the township's west end, at 88 Lyons Court, just south of its Beachwood Road and Mosley Street roundabout.

This location is notably not on the town's beachfront, which is arguably its main attraction, but was selected after a lengthy and expensive study and deliberation process between Gateway and local government.

The entertainment complex will have 300 slots, 10 table games, and two restaurants. Full plans and specifics will be shared with the public sometime next year.

New casino for Wasaga Beach, Ontario. 👇🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/xfzNXHVH3e

— ~Cheryl~© (@long_daze) December 6, 2019

Though feedback from residents has been mixed — and has included a lot of strong opposition from a community that says it wasn't informed of the full scope of the project — Wasaga Beach council is expressing a lot of excitement leading up to the date of the first ground-breaking.

Mayor Nina Bifolchi notes in a press release that the development will create more than 100 new jobs both directly and indirectly, serve as a draw for tourists and provide new entertainment offerings plus millions of annual investment back into the town through revenue sharing.

Wasaga Beach awarded a Casino! How many jobs this creates and more on CTV News Barrie pic.twitter.com/aCnZ999HQe

— K.C. Colby (@KCColbyCTV) October 11, 2018

Gateway, a Canadian casino giant, also has locations in nearby Hanover, Chatham-Kent, Point Edward, Sarnia, Kenora, North Bay, and Innisfil, Ontario, all of which are newly opened or renovated. It also operates 16 gaming facilities in B.C. and Alberta.

Though it's understandable why residents would have some trepidation about such a forthcoming mega-complex from such a massive company, it will hopefully be an overall positive thing for the Wasaga Beach region.

by Becky Robertson via blogTO