VANCOUVER -- As one of Vancouver’s most powerful city councillors for nearly three decades, George Puil once dismissed public petitions as gimmicks that held little sway with him.
But Puil, now retired, has joined an illustrious roster of B.C. politicians, artists, sociologists, architects, clerics and social activists who have signed a petition to oppose a proposed expansion of a casino at
Puil said on Monday he could not stand by while the city he worked hard to shape — particularly around False Creek — is at risk from a plan by the B.C. Pavilion Corporation and an American gaming corporation to build what would be the largest casino in Western Canada.
"Normally I wouldn’t [sign a petition] but I looked at this and thought about it," he said. "The location doesn’t appeal to me and I frankly am not in favour of some of the overdevelopment that is going on. The suggestion that we have this huge casino down there just doesn’t appeal to me."
The proposed casino, a considerable expansion from the original Edgewater licence, also doesn’t appeal to petition signatories and former fellow councillors May Brown, Tim Louis, Jennifer Clarke, Jonathan Baker, Marguerite Ford, Setty Pendakur, and Peter Ladner.
Joining them are former Expo 86 commissioner Patrick Reid, Senator Pat Carney, Olympic poet Shane Koyczan, philanthropist Yosef Wosk, architect Bing Thom and more than 1,700 others.
At issue is a proposal by PavCo and Paragon Gaming to build a complex adjacent to BC Place that would include two hotels, entertainment facilities and a gaming floor with about 1,500 slot machines.
City council is in the middle of public hearings involving a complex set of zoning amendments and land swaps for properties around BC Place. The last portion of the public hearings involves PavCo’s application to create 750,000 square feet of space, including the casino.
Public concern has sprung up over all of the proposals, including plans for Concord Pacific to build apartment towers on either side of the north end of Cambie Bridge.
But the casino and hotel proposals have ignited so much public interest that city council has twice delayed hearing the proposal while they rearrange their schedule. The first speakers were to be heard last night, but council postponed the hearing until March 7. Between 120 and 160 speakers are expected to participate.
Sean Bickerton, a spokesman for Vancouver Not Vegas!, the group leading the fight against the casino, said the list of heavyweights should give Mayor Gregor Robertson and his council pause.
"This list cuts across all political spectra," he said. "What this says is that people feel the provincial government has not done their job in regulating the [casino] industry and people feel it is out of control."
PavCo Chairman David Podmore said he’s seen the list of signatories and respects people’s right to oppose an issue.
But, he says, with the exception of Ladner, none of them has called him for information.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and their view. I just hope they form their opinion based on accurate information," he said. "There are a lot of people making decisions without fully understanding this proposal."
Three notable names not on that list are those of former mayors Philip Owen, Larry Campbell and Sam Sullivan. All of them said Monday that they had not been asked to sign the petition and had chosen not to interject themselves into the debate. "I think you have to let the public process take place," Campbell said.
Podmore said the proposed casino is not a new application but rather an expansion and relocation of an existing one. To his mind, the argument over whether there should be a casino there was answered long ago, he said.
Podmore said the development has the backing of a number of labour, community interest and business groups. He wouldn’t name the organizations, saying PavCo was still polishing the list.
However, the Vancouver Board of Trade has publicly supported the development. Bernie Magnan, the assistant managing director and chief economist, said the board supports the overall development around BC Place as being good for business and the city. But the board has not taken a position on the casino itself.
"We are generally supportive of the commercial development application," Magnan said.
City councillors are legally required not to express their opinion on an application once the formal public-hearing process begins.
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