Lottery corp. head office to stay in Sault

The head office of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLGC) will remain in Sault Ste. Marie, according to area MPP David Orazietti.

In a news release, Orazietti said he was joined by OLGC president Rod Phillips via videoconference to make the announcement.

“The OLG head office will remain open in the Sault because our government understands the importance of this organization to the economic well-being of the community,” Orazietti said in the release. “We have made historic investments in Sault Ste. Marie since 2003 and we are committed to building on the tremendous progress we have made.”

In the Commission on the Reform of Ontario Public Services, otherwise known as the Drummond Report, it was recommended that one of Ontario's two OLGC head offices be closed to encourage efficiency. The offices are located in the Sault and Toronto.

A month later, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan and OLGC chair Paul Godfrey presented a plan for modernizing lottery and gaming in Ontario, which included closing one of Niagara Falls' casinos and opening a casino in Toronto.

“As we move forward with our plan to modernize lottery and gaming in Ontario, I’m very pleased that our office in the Sault will continue to play an important role,” Phillips said in the release. “During my first week at OLG I came up to the Sault to meet our dynamic and talented staff. Since then, day after day, the staff continues to exemplify the best of OLG.”