This Tuesday on April 27, 2021, the president of Loto-Québec, Lynne Roiter, has revealed the price for the relocation of the Salon de Jeux. During the public finance committee at the National Assembly, the soon-former president has informed that the total cost to transfer the site to its new Beauport location will reach almost CA$12 million.
The matter has been heavily discussed, as last summer, thanks to an analysis by the KPMG company, the Crown corporation, and the local government has made the decision to relocate the gaming hall. Over the last few years, many possibilities were considered for the gambling hall but it will be now relocated to the Beauport region.
More on the Contract
This week, the president of the Crown agency, Ms. Roiter, revealed in the National Assembly meeting that the relocation of the property will cost approximately CA$11.9 million. The contract was signed without a public call for bidders, which was the cause of some public concerns in the industry. Now located at the Fleur de Lys shopping center, the gaming venue will be transferred to the Méga Center Beauport
Back in the 2018 election campaign, the CAQ was determined to transfer the gaming property to another location in Quebec City. There were also considerations of launching a brand-new casino property. The current location is the property of Fleur de Lys which is owned by the Quebec corporation – Trudel Alliance.
During the assembly leader of the Liberal Party, André Fortin questioned the Minister of Finance Eric Girard on the relocation of the gaming hall. Mr. Girard had to defend its decision to grant the new site to the Manitoba company Canada Vie. He stated that the choice for the relocation of the gaming hotspot was not based on the ownership of the building and was rather about positive net value.
Ever since 2014, the Crown corporation has already moved the gaming property in question two times. And since, 2007, relocation costs of the property have amounted to more than CA$5 million dollars in moving and expansion expenses. And its latest change of site is scheduled to become reality in November this year.
Reasoning
A while back, Loto-Québec claimed that the relocation of the gaming hall could be beneficial for the Beauport region as the site would bring its premium products to the area. Additionally, one other major reasoning behind the relocation is that the Crown’s desire is to protect the vulnerable population of Fleur de Lys. There was even consideration of providing additional resources to help locals who experience gambling tendencies.
Local Backlash
However, there seems to be a great discontent among locals for the relocation of Salon de Jeux. Back in September 2020, a local organization has come up with a petition against the property’s relocation. Over 1,100 individuals have signed the petition. Residents believe that they are capable of making responsible decisions when it comes to gambling and the vulnerability of the community should not be the reason for the repositioning of the venue.
Source: Gagnon, Jean-Michel “The relocation of the Salon de Jeux will cost nearly $ 12 million”, Le Journal de Québec, April 29, 2021
