A new casino
There is a new casino in Calgary, on the Tsuu T’ina Nation, and it’s going to be a big one…the largest in our city in fact.
The Grey Eagle Casino is not only creating 400 jobs, but is also boasting 600 slot machines, a 24 hour poker room, 59 gaming tables, a couple of restaurants and bars, TV screens throughout the facility (so you can watch the game wherever you are), and adequate parking with 11-hundred stalls. The casino cost 40-million bucks and stands proudly at the corner of Glenmore and 37th St. SW.
But the casino is already wrapped in controversy…and it doesn’t even open until this afternoon.
The issue that people are talking about is smoking. As you may know, the province has passed legislation making every public building, including casinos and bingo halls, smoke free. But the casino has every right to not follow this law. As you may remember from your high school history courses, reserves are federal land and don’t necessarily have to follow provincial legislation, only federal.
Representatives from the Tsuu T’ina will address the issue and announce their decision on whether to allow smoking or not just before the grand opening.
If you think about it from a business standpoint, it may be a good thing for the Grey Eagle Casino to allow smoking. The casino could be the last haven for smokers in the city, who would be allowed to walk around freely with a cigarette in hand and not be bothered. But when my fellow reporter Kevin Usselman hit the streets today some people were not seeing things the same way.
Some non-smokers (along with some smokers) said they felt it was unfair because everyone else has to butt out but they could get to keep on puffing. Some believe it’s an unfair playing field and the Casino should choose on its own to become smoke free on January 1st.
If we look at this from an unbiased position (as journalists are supposed to) the arguments come down to this…some say it’s unfair and unhealthy, others may argue they have every legal right to do as they please on the matter and it could be good for business to allow people to light up. In a city with several casino’s, competition can be vital.
By mid-afternoon I guess we’ll find out what the casino decides. Oh and in case you are wondering, no I am not a smoker.