The machines are no longer at all silent at the Grand Royal Wôlinak Casino, where the staff welcomed its very first visitors early Monday evening, after 15 months of work.
The excitement is there, assured the director general of the Council of the Abenakis of Wôlinak, Dave Bernard. The road has been strewn with pitfalls, but the teams can now breathe.
The opening has been postponed several times, as the construction is not quite completed. “With the delays in delivery of building materials, it was more difficult. Sanitary measures did not necessarily help on the construction site either, ”said Mr. Bernard.
While waiting for the work to be completed, customers can still access the restaurant, private rooms and all the machines. On the other hand, the opening hours are reduced from 5 p.m. to midnight to complete the construction as quickly as possible. “Probably we will see people start to arrive more Thursday, at dinner. So we will expect to have more people from Thursday, at least 200 or 300 people a day, “said the director general of the council.
Some of the residents of Bécancour, near the casino, are worried about the impact that this influx of visitors will have on the road network. “Just the place where it is, it’s not very accessible. It’s not easy to get to, the road is small, it’s winding,” noted a resident met by VAT News.
“It is sure that perhaps during rush hour it may be busier, especially on the A-30. Already there that sometimes there are a lot of overtaking, the world is going fast, it can be a little more dangerous, ”added another citizen.
Other residents do not believe traffic will be affected.
Bécancour Mayor Lucie Allard said the situation will be assessed. “We will assess, over time, the flow of traffic that this new casino will generate on our roads. If necessary, we will be open to working with the Wôlinak community to find a solution. For now, we are in observation mode,” she said.
Mr. Bernard also wants to be reassuring. “We work closely with our police force. We are also working with the City on billboards and road signs. So, rest assured that we have taken all our responsibilities and that we always take them to heart.
It is only at the end of the work that the casino will be able to welcome customers from 10 am in the morning. A tourist attraction for Wôlinak that promises significant economic benefits that will finance other projects in the community.