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gambling in alberta - Research Services - University of Lethbridge

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community. However, the FNDF is be<strong>in</strong>g used to pay <strong>of</strong>f the bulk <strong>of</strong> the non-gam<strong>in</strong>g debt<br />

<strong>in</strong>curred. Because the bulk <strong>of</strong> the FNDF does not derive from First Nations residents, these<br />

structures, when debt free, do represent significant added wealth to each <strong>of</strong> these<br />

communities.<br />

Each <strong>of</strong> these 5 cas<strong>in</strong>os required some <strong>in</strong>frastructure upgrades. These costs were built <strong>in</strong>to the<br />

above-reported cost <strong>of</strong> each cas<strong>in</strong>o project. Some <strong>of</strong> these details are as follows. It was<br />

reported that the Enoch Cree Nation spent $11 million <strong>in</strong> upgrades that ranged from improv<strong>in</strong>g<br />

road access to augment<strong>in</strong>g local water delivery systems. The Cold Lake First Nations renovated<br />

its proposed cas<strong>in</strong>o location, a former oil field complex. The expansion <strong>of</strong> a section <strong>of</strong> Highway<br />

28 is currently be<strong>in</strong>g completed that the FNDF funded for $848,551. The Alexis Nakota Sioux<br />

Nation spends $500/day to truck water to its cas<strong>in</strong>o site after an <strong>in</strong>ternal study determ<strong>in</strong>ed this<br />

to be more feasible than construct<strong>in</strong>g the required physical <strong>in</strong>frastructure to tap <strong>in</strong>to the<br />

municipal system. Wells were dug for tasks such as laundry, and sewage is handled on site. At<br />

Whitecourt a passenger bus was purchased to shuttle reserve residents the 100 km back and<br />

forth to work daily. For the most part, many <strong>of</strong> these ‘<strong>in</strong>frastructure costs’ also represent<br />

<strong>in</strong>frastructure <strong>in</strong>vestment, <strong>in</strong> that they are th<strong>in</strong>gs that add to the basic <strong>in</strong>frastructure assets <strong>of</strong><br />

the community.<br />

Each First Nation must cover the costs for essential services such as emergency medical services<br />

or fire protection, by negotiat<strong>in</strong>g a municipal service agreement with the neighbour<strong>in</strong>g<br />

municipality. Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation’s partner, Paragon Gam<strong>in</strong>g, pays $90,000 annually for<br />

fire and ambulance services for the cas<strong>in</strong>o site. As <strong>of</strong> 2006 Enoch Cree Nation has been pay<strong>in</strong>g<br />

the city <strong>of</strong> Edmonton $1 million a year for fire and emergency services.<br />

Communities neighbour<strong>in</strong>g the host-First Nations expressed fears that the cas<strong>in</strong>os would lead<br />

to <strong>in</strong>creased crime. A 2007 Crim<strong>in</strong>al Intelligence Service <strong>of</strong> Alberta report entitled Report on<br />

Organized and Serious Crime confirmed “all 5 <strong>of</strong> the forego<strong>in</strong>g polic<strong>in</strong>g districts cite the<br />

construction <strong>of</strong> cas<strong>in</strong>o facilities on First Nation reserves”, add<strong>in</strong>g that “experience has shown<br />

that the presence <strong>of</strong> cas<strong>in</strong>os contributes to the need for polic<strong>in</strong>g” (Alberta, 2007, p.12). The<br />

AGLC responded by <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g as a condition for cas<strong>in</strong>o licens<strong>in</strong>g that the Solicitor General’s<br />

<strong>of</strong>fice produce an enhanced policy analysis to determ<strong>in</strong>e if enhanced polic<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> each<br />

community was required, and that the host-First Nations adhere to the attendant<br />

recommendations. In each case the Solicitor General recommended each community obta<strong>in</strong> a<br />

m<strong>in</strong>imum <strong>of</strong> 2 additional <strong>of</strong>ficers to assist <strong>in</strong> enforcement <strong>in</strong>itiatives such as impaired driv<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

public disorder, drug enforcement, and gather<strong>in</strong>g organized crime <strong>in</strong>telligence (Alberta, 2007).<br />

The Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, the Stoney Nation, and the Cold Lake First Nations each<br />

purchased the services <strong>of</strong> 2 police <strong>of</strong>ficers, the Enoch First Nation purchased the services <strong>of</strong> 6<br />

<strong>of</strong>ficers, and the Tsuu T’<strong>in</strong>a hired 4 additional <strong>of</strong>ficers, who are assigned to the Tsuu T’<strong>in</strong>a<br />

Nation Police Service. Each <strong>of</strong>ficer costs approximately $130,000. In total, assum<strong>in</strong>g all <strong>of</strong>ficers<br />

would cost $130,000, the additional polic<strong>in</strong>g adds up to $2,080,000 annually. The Tsuu T’<strong>in</strong>a<br />

Nation also purchased two additional police cruisers for a total <strong>of</strong> $60,000.<br />

236

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