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Greetings!
The Board of Directors of the Community Arts Council of Vancouver have voted to join the Vancouver Not Vegas Coalition (http:dontgamblevancouver.wordpress.com/).
We encourage you, our members and friends, to add your voice to this debate. CACV and many others from the arts and culture sector will be represented at the Public Hearing on Monday, February 21 - originally scheduled for Thursday, February 17 which is also World Community Arts Day.
Following is the letter sent by our President, Michael Clague, to Vancouver's Mayor and Council.
February 14, 2011
Mayor Gregor Robertson and Council,
mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca
Dear Mayor Robertson and Councillors:
Re Proposed Casino Expansion Public Hearing
The Community Arts Council is on record as opposing the proposed Edgewater Casino expansion for the following reasons:
- Because not enough is known about the potentially negative effects this development will have on the Downtown Eastside and on the community arts in the Downtown Eastside.
- Because City Council has passed a motion calling for a review of public gambling in British Columbia including a call for the Auditor General to investigate and review the province's obligations to charities with regards to gambling revenues; and, affirming the inherent and contractual rights and interests of charities and non-profits to gambling proceeds.
In order for Vancouver City Council to make an informed decision, and for the Downtown Eastside community to participate in the decision-making process in a meaningful way, CACV requests that Vancouver City Council provide evidence from studies about potential negative and positive impacts on the Downtown Eastside community of the proposed development. Specific community benefits will need to include opportunities for low income residents in the area in the form of training, jobs, exposure and commission opportunities for artists, housing for artists and work spaces and general financial benefits for local arts.
The CACV believes that Council is in no position to make a decision about the expansion of the casino until such studies are available and the concerns raised here can be adequately addressed.
Sincerely,
Michael Clague, President.
Information from the Public Information Session on February 8 can be found
here.
If you wish to share your response, please send an email to president@cacv.ca or add comments to our website.
Sincerely,
 Mary Bennett,
Administrator, CACV
mary@cacv.ca
604-682-0010
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