Callander mayor eyes gambling profits from northern Ontario casinos

The mayor of Callander says his town should be dealt some gambling profits, even if it doesn't have a casino.

Hector Lavigne is calling on Ontario Lottery and Gaming to give towns near North Bay a cut of the revenues if plans for a new casino in the city go ahead.

He said the same should apply for small towns near the casinos in Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury.

But after years of delays, some are starting to doubt that the planned casino expansion will ever happen.

Lavigne isn't one of them.

"I think it's going to happen," he said.

"There's many positives out of the casino from a tourism perspective. After three or four days of fishing, some of the families are looking for other things to do."

Callander had once requested a casino of its own, while promising to share some of the $1 million in annual revenues with neighbouring municipalities.

But, now that "they've accepted the casino in North Bay," Lavigne said, "I think the region needs a little bit of financial input to deal with the casino, as much as the City of North Bay."

Lavigne says that revenue would help Callander and other towns offset the social costs of gambling addiction that would come with having a casino nearby.