A casino may still show up in Waterloo Region, but it won’t be in the City of Waterloo.
Councillors in that city voted unanimously Monday against pursuing a casino.
The vote came shortly after councillors learned the results of a public survey in which 82 per cent of respondents were against the idea of a casino in Waterloo.
A total of 920 people responded negatively to the idea of a casino, compared to 138 in favour and 59 who could not be placed into either camp.
“I’m really proud of the citizens of Waterloo for taking the time to send in their very thoughtful responses,” said Waterloo Mayor Brenda Halloran.
The response rate was similar to a plebiscite held in 1997, at which time 80 per cent of 17,251 respondents were against bringing a casino to town.
On Wednesday, Region of Waterloo councillors will vote on a motion to express disapproval of a casino being located anywhere in the region.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. has said it only requires the permission of a lower-tier municipality to build a casino, not an upper-tier municipality like Waterloo Region.
The City of Kitchener will vote on pursuing a casino next week, while the Township of Woolwich has already expressed interest.
