A proposal that could potentially bring a casino to Valemount received a boost last Tuesday (Aug. 11), however the issue appears to be splitting the community.

Valemount council unanimously approved third reading of the zoning bylaw that will allow a hotel and casino to be built in the village. Final reading for the bylaw is now contingent on a traffic study from the Ministry of Transportation.

Yet while council approved the zoning change, the mayor said the casino is still up in the air.

“This is not approval for the casino, only for the zoning change,” said Valemount mayor Bob Smith. “They still have to go through many hoops for the casino to go through.”

About 70 people showed up to a public hearing about the development, with several voicing their opinions about the pros and cons of the project.

According to Smith, the community is split on the proposed development, however most of the opposition comes for the proposed casino. Much of the opposition comes from the social implications associated with a casino, while proponents pointed to the jobs it would bring to the community.

“There were people for the casino that felt it would do well in the area. They said people who are addicted to gambling are already doing it at home... If the casino wasn’t there, I think there would have been 100 per cent support,” Smith said.

Smith sees the project as a way of boosting the area’s economic diversity. He says logging is still active in the valley, however the resort could bring more jobs.

In order for the zoning change to receive final approval, a traffic impact study must be completed by the Ministry of Transportation to determine the effect the casino will have on Highway 16 traffic. Once the study is complete, the bylaw will come back to council.

Saas Fee developer Shirley Sander said she wanted to get approval from the community for a casino before filing for a licence with the British Columbia gaming commission.

“There were a few naysayers, but there was a lot more positive feedback. The community is excited about the job aspect, and the business people know that it will increase the economy and add jobs,” Sander said.

Sander said the commercial aspect of the development will bring much-needed services to the community, such as a day care and larger grocery store.

“Anyone with any business acumen knows this is a good opportunity,” Sander said.

The development was approved several years ago, however the casino option was only added this year, Sander said.

John Grogan, a 30-year resident, opposes the plan, specifically the casino.

“I have serious concerns about parts of the bylaw. When I heard casino, my heart went through the floor,” Grogan said. “The concept of a casino would change the social aspect of the community... This is a family community.”

Grogan requested council defer judgement on the bylaw, and asked the word casino be removed.

“I think the community is endangered by this decision,” Grogan said.

Grogan is fearful the Saas Fee project will sink, like other projects the town has supported such as the proposed gondola on Canoe mountain or “other boondoggles the town has invested in.”

The village is now investigating other issues surrounding the proposed development, such as parking and waste management.

“We’re working with Saas Fee to increase parking. The proposal has 255 parking spots. We’d like to see more,” Smith said.

The village has the water and sewage capacity to handle the large development, however Smith said those services would have to be upgraded if another development followed Saas Fee.

The 70,000 square-foot development will have a 20,000 square foot ‘boutique’ casino, according to the proposal.