As well as being a mesmerizing set of waterfalls, Niagara Falls is also a city in the regional municipality of Niagara, in southeastern Ontario, Canada. It’s also a port city on the River Niagara, opposite New York, and has seen some daring stunts, such as going over the falls in a barrel, which is now illegal and can land you a hefty fine.
Several bridges, including the Rainbow, Whirlpool, and Queen-Lewiston bridges connect to the US side of the falls, and the city overlooks the Horseshoe, the Canadian cataract of the falls, which carries nine times more water than its American counterpart. The falls are a huge tourist attraction and draw around 12 million visitors per year.
A possible new Las Vegas-like Niagara Falls
Despite the region’s popularity, however, there may be trouble afoot. Ontario Premier and leader of the nation’s Progressive Conservative Party, Doug Ford, wishes to modernize the region, seeking to create more opportunities for economic development and encourage even more tourism.
Mr. Ford has been interested in doing this for over a year now, it seems and is looking to change how they’re run. At present, the Ontario Gaming Corporation (OGC) has an agreement with a gaming company that makes the gaming company the operator of casinos in Niagara until 2040. Mr. Ford wishes to change the agreement and pave the way for a third private operator to run a casino in Niagara Falls. Jim Diodati, the mayor of Niagara Falls and a political ally of Mr. Ford’s party, is thought to support this.
Benefiting Niagara in the short term
There’s no questioning the short-term benefits of this part of Mr. Ford’s “Niagara Destination Strategy.” Creating more casinos would attract tourism and benefit the wider region. As well as visiting the Falls and the casino, people are likely to sample local beaches, take a cruise to Niagara, go on tours of the wineries or the Great Lakes and more.
Mr. Ford’s party feels Ontario is missing something to “connect” all these nearby attractions and places of interest. Allowing more casinos to operate would boost tourism in Niagara City and bring economic prosperity to the region.
A vision for the long term
Mr. Ford and his party have a longer-term vision for the region though. They see so much untapped potential in the region and are looking to turn it into something more of a Vegas-style region, or at the very least to offer something akin to the feeling of having been to Vegas, for visitors.
The premier has attached importance to gaming by adding it to a new ministerial portfolio. In his cabinet reshuffle, Mr. Ford made Stan Sho the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Gaming. Mr. Sho feels more amusement parks and fine dining restaurants could benefit the connectivity of Niagara Falls with other attractions.
Of course, casinos can not only bring in regular tax dollars from offline operations, but they can then also run an online casino outfit, creating even more opportunities to pour money into local government coffers. Casino.ca ranks the best online casinos in Ontario and new operators could get themselves on the site, which could send to the casino site players who don’t fancy stepping into the casino after a long day of exploring Niagara Falls but still want to enjoy gaming during their stay.
Lacking support from the citizens?
Although the political class may be keen to Vegas-ify, Niagara Falls, citizens don’t share their enthusiasm. Some feel Mr. Ford and his government have left public services in dire need of investment. Education and healthcare are two areas they believe he has especially failed. Housing, transportation, and the environment are other areas of disappointment for them.
It’s not only regular citizens who feel this way. Some voices within the sector are reported to have claimed Niagara Falls isn’t ready to support new casinos. They believe Mr. Ford should be prioritizing the infrastructure to generate tourism, rather than focusing on allowing new casinos.
Citizens are also tired of Mr. Ford and of the depressing economic situation in the area. They believe he’s obsessed with casinos and, rather than listening to them about what people want, always prioritizing the interests of developers and for-profit entities over theirs. Many are struggling with the cost of living, especially young people, who have seen bills soar and are either leaving or considering leaving the province.
It’s Doug Ford’s firm conviction that changing the law on casino operation, which would pave the way for more casinos to operate, can transform Niagara City’s fortunes by increasing tourism and revenue. It may or may not be the case, but outside of his own government plans don’t have support for his plans. If he succeeds in his endeavours, he may not receive a thank you from citizens when they next go to the polls.
