Great Canadian Gaming has detailed the impending reopening of 12 Ontario-based properties, and the region’s government confirmed that it would move into step three of its ‘Roadmap to Reopen’ at 12:01am on Friday, July 16, 2021.

As a result, the gaming firm is undertaking the required steps to reopen the following venues on the aforementioned date: Casino Woodbine, Great Blue Heron Casino, Casino Ajax, Elements Casino Mohawk, Elements Casino Flamboro, Elements Casino Brantford, Elements Casino Grand River, Shorelines Casino Belleville, Shorelines Casino Peterborough, Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands, and Shorelines Slots at Kawartha Downs.

Furthermore, the firm is also planning to open the casino at the Pickering Casino Resort in the near future, with the remainder of the facility opening at a later date in 2022.

Under the province’s current health and safety framework, the company’s Ontario properties will reopen with reduced gaming capacity, which must not exceed 50 per cent indoors and 75 per cent outdoors, to reflect physical distancing requirements. 

The group says that it will also continue to work with industry stakeholders and regulatory agencies on the easing of these restrictions in a safe and responsible manner.

“I’m very excited that the province has reached this milestone, and that Great Canadian is in a position to have thousands of team members return to work,” explained Terrance Doyle, Great Canadian’s interim CEO.

“I want to thank our entire team for their resilience and patience the last 17 months, and I look forward to working with our team and welcoming our guests back to our Ontario properties.

“As we move into the current stage of the provincial plan to reopen the economy, I’m eager to continue working with key stakeholders on the next phase of reopening when it is deemed safe to do so.”

In order to enter step three of its roadmap, Ontario needed to have vaccinated 70 to 80 per cent of individuals 18 years of age or older with one dose, and 25 per cent with two doses for at least two weeks

“Thanks to the tireless efforts of our frontline heroes, and the ongoing commitment of Ontarians to get vaccinated, we have surpassed the targets we set in order to enter step three of our roadmap,” said Doug Ford, premier of Ontario

“While this is welcome news for everyone who wants a return to normal, we will not slow down our efforts to fully vaccinate everyone who wants to be and put this pandemic behind us once and for all.”