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gambling in alberta - Research Services - University of Lethbridge

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The Enoch Cree Nation has to pay back a portion <strong>of</strong> the $178 million debt to Paragon Gam<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

Until then, the community is unable to access the FNDF accord<strong>in</strong>g to their debt-repayment<br />

agreement.<br />

Anticipated Impacts<br />

Tsuu T’<strong>in</strong>a: Grey Eagle Cas<strong>in</strong>o<br />

The Tsuu T’<strong>in</strong>a orig<strong>in</strong>ally anticipated the $30 million (total cost was $40 million) 75,000-squarefoot<br />

cas<strong>in</strong>o would br<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> upwards <strong>of</strong> $100,000 daily. The Tsuu T’<strong>in</strong>a band council did not<br />

present the cas<strong>in</strong>o as the chief source <strong>of</strong> revenue. Rather, the money would fund a 30-year,<br />

$700 million economic plan to further diversify a grow<strong>in</strong>g reserve economy. This plan entailed<br />

develop<strong>in</strong>g a 940-acre parcel <strong>of</strong> land to build a seven-storey, 190-room hotel with a water park<br />

and convention facilities, big-box retail stores, a mall and heritage centre, a number <strong>of</strong><br />

restaurants, beverage rooms, and a neighbourhood pub, plus an enterta<strong>in</strong>ment centre<br />

featur<strong>in</strong>g a 225-seat theatre for live acts (Belanger, 2006). Two million square feet <strong>of</strong> new<br />

<strong>of</strong>fice and light-<strong>in</strong>dustrial space would be developed with the <strong>in</strong>tention <strong>of</strong> attract<strong>in</strong>g 15,000-<br />

20,000 new jobs to the area (Parker, 2004).<br />

The immediate construction <strong>of</strong> 300 houses at Tsuu T’<strong>in</strong>a was needed to help <strong>of</strong>fset endemic<br />

overcrowd<strong>in</strong>g and to draw 120 member families back to the community to work at the cas<strong>in</strong>o<br />

and <strong>in</strong> local bus<strong>in</strong>esses (Ferguson, 2007). An additional 250 homes would be needed over the<br />

next five years to meet local demand. As <strong>of</strong> the cas<strong>in</strong>o open<strong>in</strong>g, the Tsuu T’<strong>in</strong>a operated 21<br />

reserve bus<strong>in</strong>esses. Local unemployment rates nevertheless hovered around 80%, ris<strong>in</strong>g an<br />

additional 10% <strong>in</strong> w<strong>in</strong>ter. The anticipated 500 new cas<strong>in</strong>o jobs would provide a large number <strong>of</strong><br />

reserve residents with access to regular, full-time employment that did not necessitate driv<strong>in</strong>g<br />

to Calgary and nearby communities. Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g programs were also to be established to ensure<br />

that reserve residents had the skills necessary to work <strong>in</strong> the cas<strong>in</strong>o.<br />

Actual Impacts<br />

Despite the recent economic downturn Grey Eagle <strong>of</strong>ficials reported meet<strong>in</strong>g their budgets for<br />

2010. After several years <strong>of</strong> operations, the management team has a better understand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />

the regional market, result<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly accurate budget projections. Lay<strong>of</strong>fs have not<br />

occurred, and patron counts are unfail<strong>in</strong>g. The cas<strong>in</strong>o “certa<strong>in</strong>ly exceeded our projections, by a<br />

considerable amount,” accord<strong>in</strong>g to band spokesperson Peter Manywounds (APTN, 2008). In<br />

August 2008, the Aborig<strong>in</strong>al Peoples Television Network (APTN) reported that the cas<strong>in</strong>o was<br />

generat<strong>in</strong>g $58,000 daily for the band’s charitable fund.<br />

These revenues are used for various purposes. For <strong>in</strong>stance, at the time <strong>of</strong> the cas<strong>in</strong>o’s open<strong>in</strong>g<br />

350 band members were on the hous<strong>in</strong>g wait list. In the first 7 months follow<strong>in</strong>g the cas<strong>in</strong>o’s<br />

245

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