By Derek Baldwin
Local News - Wednesday, March 22, 2006 @ 10:00

Ten years and two gaming companies later, high-stakes gambling is one step closer to reality in Belleville.

The Toronto firm vying to bring slots and horseracing to the city has been given a clean bill of health by the Ontario government.

Baymount Corporation was informed Tuesday by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario the provincial gambling regulator that it has met the test of a months-long routine investigation of the company and its senior administrators.

The nod from the gaming commission gives Baymount clearance to lease space to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation which will operate the provincial slots parlour. The province will take 75 per cent of all slots revenues while 10 per cent will go to Baymount as host landlord. The remainder will go to the horseracing community and the City of Belleville.

Baymount president Graham Simmonds was relieved that one of the last of the large government regulation hurdles has been cleared.

“The commission has found the company suitable to act as landlord,” said Simmonds in an interview from Toronto. “From our standpoint, really, this is the critical milestone to move forward.
This will allow us to finalize our plans and to work on our slot allocation.”

Baymount picked up the project several years ago from former proponent Nordic Gaming which worked since the late 1990s without much success to bring electronic gambling to the city.

The green light for Baymount means the firm’s proposed $30-million venture can now proceed, pending a firm number of slots to be announced by the provincial government.

The company is looking to build a new clubhouse, slots parlour, new Quinte Exhibition and Raceway offices and exhibit areas as well as a new 5/8-mile racetrack on a 107-acre (432,553 square metres) parcel of land on south Bell Boulevard, east of Wallbridge-Loyalist Road.

Horseracing could be year-round with approval from the Ontario Horseracing Commission.

The firm has already paid almost $1 million toward the city-sponsored $5.8-million sewer and water project that brought services to the Bell Boulevard extension in spring 2004.

Ab Campion, gaming commission spokesman, said Tuesday Baymount Corporation proved to be a solid company the province will work with to usher in a new era of gambling in Belleville.

Ontario Provincial Police officers, on behalf of the gaming commission, investigated all financial dealings, holdings and executive officers of Baymount.

“We have now approved the terms of registration,” Campion said. “What that means is we’re satisfied that this corporation will operate with honesty, integrity and within the law in the gaming sector.”

Campion said each company that ventures into slots parlours is subject to rigorous investigation to ensure there will be no questionable histories associated with the operations.

“We did a financial background check on each of the officers of the corporation to make sure the officers have no criminal records,” Campion said. “They have a clean bill of health.”

Simmonds said his corporation can now enter talks with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation to determine the minimum number of slot machines that will be allocated to the Belleville slots parlour.

With the due diligence completed, Simmonds said it’s full steam ahead for the multi-million dollar project.

“I think we’re on a good track to get construction started in the summer,” said Simmonds.

He suggested construction could be completed in time to open for the Victoria Day long weekend in 2007.

“The goal is to make it open for next year’s racing season,” he said. “We’re going to set a goal and try and meet it.”

Before shovels are in the ground, however, Simmonds said his firm and the lottery and gaming commission must come to terms with detailed site plans. The final architectural plans will then be forwarded to the city for approval.

The proposal includes a 61,000-square-foot club house that will include outdoor grandstand seating of 342 seats and restaurant seating for 304 patrons.

A 40,000-square-foot horse paddock and an 83,500-square-foot building that would contain offices and exhibit areas of the Quinte Exhibition and Raceway organization are both planned.

The existing Quinte Ex property, owned by the city, would be vacated in favour of new digs at Baymount’s new property on Bell Boulevard.

Up to one million people could visit the site every year.