Bingo to fold with no e-Bingo deal in the cards By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Oakville's last bingo hall, Oakville Delta Bingo, will close its doors on Wednesday, Oct. 31 -- Halloween -- laying off its 40 employees and depriving local charities of an important source of revenue. Cam Johnstone, owner of the Speers Road facility, confirmed this week with The Oakville Beaver, the impending closure. He blames it on the Town of Oakville's decision to hold off on signing the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's (OLG) Charitable Gaming Centre Agreement (CGCMA). The agreement would permit the introduction of e-Bingo at the Oakville Delta Bingo facility. However, some aspects of the contract -- and the OLG's unwillingness to change them -- have raised concerns at Town Hall. Councillors have said the existing language of the agreement could allow the introduction of slot machines and Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) without the municipality's input. The contract's exit clause, which currently binds the Town to a 16-year contract while the OLG has a 90-day exit clause, was another point of concern -- as were issues related to cost-recovery and what's deemed appropriate reciprocity. Johnstone has said the infusion of modern gaming equipment offered by the agreement is essential to revitalizing his business, which has been losing money for some time. With the approval of the agreement nowhere in sight, Johnstone said his business cannot continue. "It's a huge disappointment to us. Oakville is the community where our head office is, we love this community, and we're proud of the work we've done here," said Johnstone. 3 · Friday, September 7, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com "We've got employees who have worked for 25 years. We're very saddened that their jobs weren't taken seriously and the charities that work so hard to raise money for this community weren't taken seriously when we put our request to moderize forward." Cam Johnstone, owner Delta Bingo, Oakville "We've got employees who have worked (at this bingo location) for 25 years. We're very saddened that their jobs weren't taken seriously and the charities that work so hard to raise money for this community weren't taken seriously when we put our request to modernize forward." See Town page 9 Inside Opinion.............................................6 Artscene..........................................31 Worship..........................................33 Sports.............................................34 Classified........................................42 Partial Delivery: New Homes, Jenkins Agency, Home Hardware, The Oakville Beaver, Master.com Inc., Oakville Wrap, Michael's, Goemans For home delivery & customer service call 905-631-6095, 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington New subscriptions call 905-631-6095 or subscribe online @ www.oakvillebeaver.com Oa n i www.oakvillehearing.com tre n e C g n i r a e H Winner of BEST T: 905.849.5894 1235 Trafalgar Road Suite 207, Oakville ars in a Row! e Y 5 e-- l l i v k HEAR IT, BUT DON'T SEE IT! Join THE OAKVILLE HEARING CENTRE on Sept 25th from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm for a FREE hearing assessment and demonstration of stateof-the-art hearing aid technology that is practically invisible! Visit us for all of your hearing healthcare needs: 905.849.5894 RSVP Today, Space is Limited! Widex CLEAR CIC Widex CLEAR FUSION S E P T E M B E R 2 5 TH Nicole Clark, Audiologist Jennifer Nicholson, Audiologist