Grey Eagle Casino & Bingo
Submitted on November 26-December 20, 2007 by Kevin
December 20, 2007
Jamie Komarnicki ~
CALGARY HERALD
Native casino will let gamblers light up
Tsuu T’ina
seeks exemption from new law
The Tsuu T’ina Nation will allow patrons to smoke in its new casino, while the rest of the province must butt out next year. The band is seeking a smoking ban bylaw that would supersede provincewide smoking legislation at its $40-million Grey Eagle Casino, which opened just outside Calgary on Wednesday after months of delays.
Controversy over increased traffic in the area and the possibility of allowing smoking swirled around the casino before the first coin clinked into a slot.
On Wednesday, Big Plume said the band “absolutely” has the right to allow smoking in the new gaming facility.
“It’s a jurisdictional issue,” said Big Plume. “Our laws prevail and supersede the provincial issues. We’re very clear on that.”
The tribe is waiting for federal approval of a bylaw submitted Nov. 13 that bans smoking on the reserve — but allows exceptions to the rule at the band’s discretion.
SMOKING: Exemption would give casino an edge: competitor
If approved, it trumps the province’s smoking ban championed by Health Minister Dave Hancock and set to take effect Jan. 1.
“Because it’s on federal land, the bylaw would be paramount,” said Indian Affairs spokesman Glenn Luff.
“It would supersede the provincial application of the legislation that’s coming into effect on January 1.”
But the bylaw can still be challenged in court, he noted.
On Wednesday, anti-smoking groups cried foul over the band’s decision, while fellow casino owners said the plan gives the Tsuu T’ina the upper hand over the competition.
“It’ll give them an edge, there’s no question about that. I just don’t know where it will stop,” said longtime casino owner Frank Sisson,
“I just think it’s silly; everybody should be the same deal,” he said.
An anti-smoking advocate said there’s still time for the province to use diplomacy to convince the band to comply with the new legislation.
“The bottom line here is that everyone deserves protection from second-hand smoke, including people living on First Nations communities,” said Les Hagen, executive director of Action on Smoking and Health.
A spokeswoman for Alberta Health said the department will wait for a legal interpretation of the band’s bylaw before making any decisions.
Gamblers lined up in droves for their first brush with Lady Luck at the new casino Wednesday.
A crowd of eager gamblers streamed inside when the casino’s doors opened at 4 p.m. Two acrobats swung overhead on a trapeze and hoop as patrons got their first glimpse of the slot machines and blackjack tables inside the 100,000square-foot facility.
“We live in this area so we want to make it home to us,” said Anson Bond, one of the first to arrive.
Curiosity brought out Francine O’Farrell to check out the new gambling and entertainment centre.
“They say it’s going to be more like Vegas,” she said.
The casino, tucked on Tsuu T’ina land southwest of Glenmore Trail and 37th Street S.W., has 600 slot machines, 59 gaming tables and a 15-table poker room — all open seven days a week.
The facility is expected to be a huge revenue generator for band infrastructure projects.
Officials were gunning for an August opening, but construction and labour delays put them behind schedule.
“I think it’s a fantastic facility,” said general manager Martin Brickstock, noting that it features nearly 70 television screens, a stage and three big screens to showcase live entertainment.
The building is equipped with a $2-million ventilation system to disperse secondhand smoke, he said.
The prospect of smoke hovering over the slots even after the new year won’t deter her from the casino, said O’Farrell, a non-smoker.
“There’s no guarantee I’ll be back after today,” she said. “But if I like it, I’ll be back, despite the smoking.”
Big Plume said profits from the casino will be used to build housing and education structures that are lacking on the reserve.
“This is just the beginning, but beginnings are crucial, because they prove the rest of the journey can be done,” said Big Plume.
Once the band’s smoking bylaw is approved, the casino can apply for smoking status, he said.
He said he hasn’t received the casino’s application so he couldn’t comment on it.
The approval process for First Nation bylaws usually takes about 40 days, said Indian Affairs’ Luff.
Bylaws for public interest haven’t been refused in the past 25 years by the minister of Indian affairs, Luff noted. 
December 19, 2007
Kevin ~
CALGARYPOKER.NET
Grey Eagle Casino & Bingo Opens Today @ 4:00pm!
Poker Room: 403-385-3796
Grey Eagle Casino & Bingo is now open. With it comes a brand new poker venue with 15 tables. There are flat screen TV's everywhere and new electronic technology for handling waiting lists.
Going for dinner?
No problem!
Take a pager with you and be automatically notified when your seat is available. Soon to be the most comfortable and quietest atmosphere in any Calgary poker room. Dealers can page waitresses and other staff wirelessly right from the table, while the staff in other poker rooms have to resort to shouting to be heard. Setting the bar even higher, Grey Eagle is making its mark already.
Nov 26, 2007
Kevin ~
CALGARYPOKER.NET
Grey Eagle Casino opening soon . . .
Just when you thought Calgary had completely saturated itself with casinos, another casino is set to open in December 2007. Originally named the "Eaglestone Casino", the "Grey Eagle Casino" is Calgary's latest entrant to the world of cards, dice, slots & bingo. Grey Eagle Casino is also gearing up to be a major player in the poker realm. Word has it that they are planning to use state of the art technology to enhance the "poker room" experience. To say any more is to speculate, but from the word of mouth sound of things, and the general casino buzz, the Tsuu T'ina Nation is planning to pull out all the stops to create a brand new experience for Calgarians.
One of the key issues leading to their grand opening is the new smoking ban. On January 1, 2008 a province wide smoking ban becomes law in Alberta. This bans smoking in public places. The Grey Eagle Casino is on a native reserve, which means the anti-smoking law does not have any jurisdiction there.
November 17, 2007
CALGARY HERALD
Alberta's smoking ban should include everybody
There is no point in taking umbrage at the province's suggestion that native casinos will probably be exempt from the new, otherwise provincewide smoking ban in public places. The province does not have the jurisdiction to impose smoking bans on reserves. However, this is an ideal time for native leaders, such as those on the Tsuu T'ina reserve where a casino is scheduled to open in mid-December, to show leadership and either negotiate a ban with the province's help, or draft a ban themselves. Smoking is a public health hazard. There is absolutely no argument about that. The health of aboriginals on reserves, and of patrons who come from elsewhere to frequent an on-reserve casino, is no less important than the health of other Albertans which the ban has been designed to protect. When this issue went to court in Manitoba, Queen's Bench Judge Albert Clearwater ruled that exempting First Nations establishments from a provincewide smoking ban discriminated against non-native establishments. Clearwater also ruled that an exemption violates the guarantee of equal treatment under the law in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, by creating offences for certain groups of people that are not applicable to others. Pending a probable Supreme Court challenge to Clearwater's ruling, the Manitoba government is enforcing a smoking ban on reserves. The Nova Scotia government planned to negotiate a similar ban, and in Ontario, First Nations communities can pass bylaws exempting themselves from the provincial ban. Reserves in Saskatchewan claim the right to make their own rules. It could be argued that smoking bans should apply on reserves the same way other laws, such as the Traffic Act, do. However, the Tsuu T'ina Nation has an excellent opportunity to show leadership on a serious public health issue by taking the initiative to bring in its own smoking ban.
