As first reported in May 2024, it appears Innisfil's casino will be on the move.
Currently located at 7485 5th Sideroad, Gateway Casinos and Entertainment “purchased a 25-acre parcel of land at 239 Reive Blvd., home to the former Innisfil Creek Golf Course, with plans to move its gaming operations there” in January 2028 once the new facility is ready.
Gateway — a company based in British Columbia — took over the casino at Georgian Downs in July 2018, as one of its 31 casinos across Canada.
It was confirmed that the relocation would not affect the town’s revenue-sharing agreement with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), from which the town has received “more than $107 million in cash benefits from hosting, including nearly $7 million since 2018.”
OLG confirmed that horse racing will continue at the current location for three additional years, but that was refuted by Bruce Barber of Great Canadian Entertainment.
“The reality of if it is, we’re not sure where it will go after this year,” Barber said to town councillors at a June 5 open forum. “There is no contract with the Ontario government via (Ontario Racing) after 2026.”
Town council “unanimously agreed to support Gateway Casinos' Minister's Zoning Order (MZO) request to rezone lands near Highway 400 and Highway 89, allowing it to build a new gaming facility before the expiration of its lease at the Georgian Downs site” at the same meeting.
Though “site plan approval hasn’t been granted yet, nor have the parties received word whether the requested ... (MZO) will be approved by the provincial government,” town council agreed to allow Gateway to transport fill to the proposed new site in late October.
As part of this, the conservation authority will permit as many as 11,000 truckloads of fill to be transported to the proposed new site — without spreading it onsite — over three or four months, though Coun. Kevin Eisses has raised concerns about the logistics of the operation.
“Will the applicant provide some traffic help at all times with the trucks as moving in?” he asked. “I know from past experiences these truck drivers, they get paid by the load, so they’re in quite a bit of a hurry to get back to the next one. For the majority of them, they do that well, but there’s always a small percentage that might want to take a shortcut through someone’s driveway.”
Currently, the only municipal road to be impacted will be Reive Boulevard, as the trucks will enter and exit the municipality via the 89 exit at the 400.
Construction of the new facility is expected to start in 2025 or 2026.
In addition to the town and the conservation authority, approval from the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture will be obtained.
In June, planning and growth director Andria Leigh said it was the town’s understanding that an MZO would “allow that runway” for a new facility to be constructed and come online while the current casino remains in operation.
“There’s a fairly significant process to construct this new casino and then there’s a transfer process to relocate to this location,” she said.
That includes consultation with the public and Indigenous communities. Gateway has made mention of a public open house in its application to the town, but just what the consultation process will look like remains to be seen.
Similar clarity on the scope of necessary environmental studies would also be provided through direction from the ministry.
"Gateway is happy to invest in the community of Innisfil, and be a part of their long-term growth strategy,” said Gateway communications director Rob Mitchell in a Dec. 18 email. “The Town has been a great partner with Gateway and we look forward to expanding our dining, gaming and entertainment offerings to ensure that Innisfil becomes a ‘must visit’ destination in the Simcoe Region."
— With files from Patrick Bales
