Keep lotto headquarters in the Sault, says EDC chief

Sault Ste. Marie is building its case to consolidate the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's operations in the northeastern Ontario city.

Greg Punch, chairman and CEO of the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation (EDC), said if the McGuinty government plans close one of its two headquarters for the lottery corporation, the Sault should be the “only location” to remain open.

A recommendation in the recently-released Drummond Report said the provincial government should close either in the Sault or Toronto location.

In a Feb. 21 release, Punch said the lottery corporation and the other provincial ministries have become “economic anchors” for the city, and staff are “part of the community fabric.”

According to the Sault EDC, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) employs 917 at its Sault headquarters and charity casino.

The corporation was moved to the Sault by order of then-Premier David Peterson in 1986 as part of the Northern Ontario Relocation Program.

The government constructed the purpose-built Roberta Bondar Place, a nine-story building in the city's downtown to house lottery staff and other government ministries.

But over the years, lottery corporation positions have been filtering back to Toronto.

“We believe there is a strong business case for OLG to consolidate its operations, relocate and recruit staff to Sault Ste. Marie,” said Punch, citing cheaper real estate in Northern Ontario, a better quality of life, solid telecommunication and transportation links, and strong local business support services.

“This was proven in the first few years of the corporation's operations in the Sault, prior to senior management deciding to relocate to Toronto.”

The recommendation in Don Drummond's report has sparked outrage by Sault Mayor Debbie Amaroso and MPP David Orazietti, who both vow to keep government jobs in the Sault.

The McGuinty government has said nothing on when, or if, it intends to act on the recommendation in the provincially-appointed consultant's report.