Proposed Grand Bend casino hits roadblock
- Mar 11
- 2 min read
By John Miner
For the second time, the backing of South Huron council isn’t enough to make a Grand Bend casino a reality.
Council gave its blessing to a developer’s proposal for a small casino on Highway 21 on the north side of Grand Bend last November.
But when municipal staff started the required consultation process for the casino, it found out the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) wasn’t about to approve the project.
In a recent report to council, Scott Currie, South Huron’s manager of strategic initiatives, said OLG confirmed they have no plans to expand casino gaming or the number of casinos in the area of South Huron.
In addition, adding new gaming sites in locations governed by existing operating agreements would require amendments to the commercial terms of those agreements.
OLG advised it is not in a position to explore or to unilaterally make such changes.
For the proposed casino project to move ahead now it would require a joint proposal from the developer and Gateway Casinos, which is the operator in this region, Currie said.
“This project has no path forward without the participation of the operator,” he told council. “It is on hiatus indefinitely.”
South Huron council in 2019 voted to back a proposal for a casino near the Dark Horse Winery and Huron Country Playhouse at Grand Bend. That proposal never went ahead.
If a viable proposal comes forward for a casino, South Huron staff would revive its plans to consult the public, Currie said.
The proposal for the Highway 21 casino was for a “small-footprint casino” on the former Boat Store property. Ranging in size from 6,000 to 12,000 square feet, it would be designed for year-round operation.
The planned location of the casino at 70589 Bluewater Highway ran into public opposition with submissions to council saying the site lacked adequate parking and would add to highway traffic problems.
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