Ontario Place will remain a casino-free zone, thanks in part to John Tory

So far, much of the Toronto casino chatter has focused on which locations are preferred by the Las Vegas heavies, but it’s worth noting that Toronto’s own bigwigs have opinions—and clout—on the matter. For instance, former Progressive Conservative leader John Tory, who heads the province’s advisory panel on Ontario Place revitalization, said Tuesday that he is firmly against putting a gambling complex on the site. Tory sent a letter to Tourism Minister Michael Chan saying as much—and just like that, Chan promptly confirmed that Ontario Place is off the list of preferred locations. Tory and the panel will now try to figure out how the failed family fun zone could become a year-round destination for both tourists and locals (without involving slot machines or Celine Dion concerts). He will submit the best ideas for the Ontario Place revamp to the province by Labour Day, which should give the province plenty of time to make vague threats about sticking the casino in Markham instead. [Toronto Sun]