1. Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited London Ontario
2. Gateway Casinos Canada

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Despite casinos being included in Stage 3 of the province’s reopening plan, Gateway Casinos London won’t be opening its doors Monday.

Rob Mitchell, director of communications and public affairs with Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Ltd., confirmed in an email that they currently have no set time for reopening any Gateway locations.

On Monday, Premier Doug Ford unveiled plans for Stage 3, which would see gathering limits increase to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors starting this Friday.

Read more:
Ontario reopening Stage 3: Gathering limit increasing as indoor dining, gyms permitted to reopen

Under Phase 3 of Ontario’s reopening plan, casinos will be allowed to reopen with some restrictions. Both table games and buffets will not be permitted.

“We have developed extensive health and safety plans for each site, which includes two metres physical distancing, rigorous cleaning and sanitation measures and the mandatory use of masks or face coverings for all individuals entering our gaming sites,” Mitchell said in an email.

Before the casino can reopen, Mitchell said the plans need to be independently reviewed by a health and safety expert and submitted to the regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

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“We’re moving forward as a province, but we can’t stop. We won’t stop until we get every person in Ontario — until we get every worker in Ontario back to work and back on their feet. But today’s news is an important step forward,” Premier Doug Ford said during the announcement Monday.

Ford said the government will provide an update every Monday on regional reopenings.

Also reopening in Stage 3 are gyms, movie theatres, and playgrounds. Restaurants and bars are also allowed to open up inside in addition to the patios they were allowed to open in Stage 2.

Attractions like galleries, zoos, museums, performing arts venues will be able to reopen — again, with public health measures in place.

— With files from Ryan Rocca, Global News

© 2020 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Subsequent to the publication of this article, lawyers for Gateway Casinos and Entertainment told OrilliaMatters that MP Pierre Poilievre’s statement included a number of inaccuracies such as “the company was just downgraded to junk status and its parent company lost 95 per cent of its value on the stock market before being delisted altogether,” which is false. Lawyers for Gateway advised further that Gateway is a private company and has not been listed on a public exchange and has not lost 95% of its value on any stock market

A long-time Conservative MP says Gateway Casinos and Entertainment, which operates Gateway Casinos Sault Ste. Marie and many other gambling facilities, “swindled a naive prime minister out of $200 million” of taxpayers’ money.

During an animated exchange with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Wednesday in the House of Commons, Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre says Gateway is a “failing casino firm” and he chided Trudeau for “throwing away our money in this jackpot for casino insiders.”

Gambling on a casino bailout. pic.twitter.com/eG4ZNhIzNU

— pierrepoilievre (@PierrePoilievre) October 7, 2020

Poilievre is referring to the news that Gateway was provided a loan from the Canada Enterprise Emergency Funding Corp. under its Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF).

The agreement, announced in late September, provides Gateway with access to $200 million of liquidity.

“These funds will provide us with capital to support restarting our operations and returning people back to work when it is safe and viable to do so,” Gateway CEO Tony Santo said in an email to employees.

But Poilievre said the company is not deserving of the funding.

“The company was just downgraded to junk status and its parent company lost 95 per cent of its value on the stock market before being delisted altogether,” Poilievre said Wednesday.

“In fact, financial experts in Toronto say the company vastly overvalues its assets. But there is someone who would invest other people’s money in it - the casino just got the jackpot of $200 million from this government,” said the former cabinet minister in Stephen Harper’s government.

“Would the financial genius over there who invested $200 million of our tax dollars in this failing casino firm please stand up.”

Trudeau stood up and provided the following response.

“While the Conservatives play silly political games, we recognize the extraordinary situation Canadians are facing,” said Trudeau, who noted Canadians are “worried” about “how they’re going to make it through this pandemic.'

Robert Mitchell, director of communications and public affairs for Gateway, said the MP’s statement contained inaccuracies.

“Mr. Poilievre’s comments contained a number of factual errors which have since been corrected with his office,” Mitchell told OrilliaMatters.

He also said the casino company’s LEEF application “had the support from MPs across the political spectrum … including Simcoe North MP Bruce Stanton and 10 other Conservative MPs who wrote letters of support on behalf of Gateway and our 8,000 employees across Canada.”

Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited London Ontario

He also stressed the LEEFF funding will be repaid by Gateway.

“The LEEFF program is a loan that will be repaid,” said Mitchell. “We will use the funds to help re-open our businesses and get people back to work as soon as it is safe and viable to do so.”

He noted Gateway is “excited to welcome back many employees this week as we re-open a number of facilities today and Saturday, including our Innisfil site.”

Tshweu Moleme of Orillia, a Unifor rep at Casino Rama, a Gateway-owned site that will stay closed as others in the province reopen, said he “can understand some of the concerns raised by the Opposition, especially given the size of the ($200-million) LEEFF loan.”

Poilievre “is doing what he’s in Parliament for - to hold both the government and the borrower accountable,” said Moleme

“He can help the government in making sure that the money (is) used as intended - to help revive a business and to keep jobs,” he said.

Moleme applauded the Liberals’ support.

“The government has done its part, ensuring that Gateway employees can still have jobs to return to. It's now Gateway's turn to keep their word … This is about saving jobs and helping Canadian families,” he said.

Now is not “the time for partisan jabs. Canadians would like to see MPs work together, making sure that we get through this pandemic and come back strong. The entire parliament should be on the side of workers.”

He urges Gateway to use this “much needed financial oxygen” to reopen Casino Rama.

“With such a significant loan, a world-class facility like Casino Rama should be coming back strong,” Moleme said. “I believe that's what parliamentarians, workers, and communities would also like to see happen.”

Gateway Casinos Canada

– OrilliaMatters