Toronto city councillors will hold a special meeting to debate the potential development of a casino in the city.
At the request of Mayor Rob Ford, who has publicly supported the development of a casino in Toronto, the item was pulled from the agenda of the regular monthly council meetings set for next week.
“Regardless if you are for it or against it, I want to have a good debate. We can’t do it on a council day because there are too many items on the agenda,” Ford told reporters on Wednesday.
Instead of tackling the subject next Tuesday and Wednesday, council will now debate the issue on May 21.
Ford hopes the extra time will garner more support for the idea of a gaming complex and resort in the downtown core.
While council is divided on the issue, Ford has previously called it “a golden opportunity.” Ford has suggested that the casino could generate $150M for the city of Toronto every year.
The mayor’s executive committee voted in favour of allowing a casino to operate in Toronto at meeting on April 16. Ford is optimistic the development will move ahead.
Now, it is up to city council to decide the fate of the Toronto casino.
With a report from CTV Toronto’s Natalie Johnson
