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Page 5, News, Tuesday, July 14, 1992 Casinos not the cure for N.W.O. The Ontario government is about to launch an experiment in legalized casinos. Starved for cash itself and pressed by border communities hurting from cross-border shopping, Bob Rae's government may open the door to casinos--24- hour emporiums devoted to propagating the illusion that large fortunes can be had with the roll of the dice, the flick of pictures on an electronic slot machine, or the right cut of the cards. Fort Frances, Kenora and Thunder Bay are joining a growing list of municipalities asking Queen's Park for the chance to be designated as Vegases of the North. It's not just civic and business leaders pushing for the change. People are voting with their feet and dollars. Thunder Bay residents, for example, are estimated to be dropping anywhere from a quarter to half a million dollars a week at the native-owned casino less than one hour away in Grand Portage, Minnesota. The Grand Portage Lodge, once a place to get away fora quiet retreat, now runs two "free" buses. a weekend from Thunder. Bay, The "'free". bus - ride is available. to anyone who agrees to spend at least $150 (U.S.) at the monster bingo and casino. To the west, the Manitoba government's experiment in gambling is netting over $10 million a year in profits at the government-run Crystal Palace in Winnipeg. The debate in Winnipeg is not over the prin- ciple of gambling, but over what to do with the profits. - It's a tempting enterprise, looking at only those facts. Before I trot out all the down- side arguments about gambling as an addiction, spiralling policing costs and infiltration by organized crime syndicates, I want to make it clear that I am 'not a purist-someone who takes an absolute moral stand | against such "dens of iniquity." Not a purist I don't object to any individ- ual or group pursuing any ini- tiative that creates real, well- paying jobs in these tough times. When governments get involved, it becomes a public policy issue that all of us have a right to debate and consider. We should not be so quick to grab for the brass ring if the consequences of casinos are a rusty pile of scrap tin: broken homes, shattered fortunes, and squandered dreams. The State of Minnesota, problems on several reserves for the last five years, has had to increase the size of police forces in detachments close to casinos by anywhere from 150 per cent to 200 per cent. The Chief of the Grand Portage detachment says they get called to the casino "at least four or five times a week- end" to remove unruly patrons, settle a violent dispute at a card table, or investigate a robbery. At the Mystic Lake Casino, which just opened on the Shakopee Sioux reserve at Prior Lake (near Duluth), activists from the American Native Movement (AIM) had to convince to casino managers to drop the use of the eagle and white -buffalo symbols from their advertisements. Vernon Bellecourt, a founder of AIM, objected to Mystic Lake's ads, which sug- gested that the two symbols of Sioux good fortune, the eagle and the white buffalo, would bring good luck to gamblers. Debasing to natives Bellecourt said the ads were "just as debasing to Native cul- ture as the tomahawks of the Atlanta Braves (baseball team)." Mystic Lake's man- 'agers eventually agreed to a compromise which will allow them to continue to use the continued on page 6 : ITEMS OF INTEREST: Snowblower, ATC & Trailer, Refrigerator, Tenting gear, Ping pong * table, Grass whip, Hanging Bamboo chairs, Toys, : Zenith T.V., Chesterfield, Sectional Couch, B.B.Q. : AND MUCH MUCH MORE!! The first-ever participants in the Longest Day of Golf, held in Terrace Bay June 21, are (from left) Trent Desaulniers, Richard Roy, Barry Harper and Mert Burrows, pictured at the Aguasabon Golf Club. The foursome golfed from 6 am to around 9 pm on, appro- priately enough, the longest day of the year. The event was held across northwest- ern Ontario in support of the Canadian Cancer Soci- ety. To date, the four had ARK RARE KK A OK KK OK KK 8 EASTGROVE CRT,= TERRACE BAY 3 Rain Date: on. & Tues, July 20 & 21st KKK KKK KK KK Pree eeeeerererereey See ee en eee ee WevsBBBBBCUREUEEUU EERE THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF TERRACE BAY The Township of Terrace Bay would like to sponsor the purchase of Composters. To }order the composters we need 100 people interested in purchasing them. The cost of }each composter will be approximately 1$15.00. If you would like a composter, jplease call the town office at 825-3315 to }have your name put on the list. Anyone can i Sign up, but preference will be given to resi- i dents of Terrace Bay. That's a long day of golf managed to collected almost with more cash still to come $4,000 in pledge money, in. THANK YOU To all those who contributed in any way to the success of our surprise 25th Anniversary Party. To all those who baked, phoned, travelled from afar or sent best wishes. To all those too numerous to mention. A very special thank you to Colleen, Paul, Nicole and Lynette for a superb job.. And last but not least, our love and thanks to Deanna, Bryon, Jody and Kenny. You did a fantastic job. Mike & Edythe Our body shop can remove all traces of that accident Our specialists have the benefit of GM training and GM parts and body panels at their disposal. They'll make your car look just like new again. And of course, we're happy to quote for your insurance adjuster. ----aly le The expert choice. Spadoni Motors Ltd. 615 Winnipeg St., Schreiber Mall OAA ANAA amv tall fran 4 Qnn ACE 29n49 |