The Beginning of the Dealtown Casino Initiative (DCI)

Why I started the Dealtown Casino Initiative (DCI) On October 23, 2011 I had a "Wakeup Call" and sent the following comment to the Editor of the Chatham Daily News.  It was subsequently published as a letter to the editor.  This was the starting point of my DCI campaign.   Letter to the Editor Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired of the way thing are going for you personally, for your family and friends, for the millions of unemployed in Canada and for whatever other cause you can think of?   Well, I am also and I’ve had it with this down and out felling!  This is the day that I become the born again visionary and entrepreneur that I once was. The creators of the once popular nationally syndicated Global Television series, Everybody’s Business, Kenneth Barnes and Everett Banning, once labeled me  a visionary in their book “Money Makers! The Secrets of Canada’s Most Successful Entrepreneurs.”   After many years and numerous leading edge business ventures, I returned to my roots, Chatham, Ontario where I was born and raised until my early twenties when I set out to make my fortunes.  Newly married in 2006 to the love of my life, Jo Ann, and living in Las Vegas where every day is exciting, I fell victim to a mild stroke.  Fortunately, I was later diagnosed as having Parkinson which in comparison is a blessing.  Nevertheless, health care in the US is a financial nightmare and in 2007 it drove me back Chatham, both sick and broke.   After a year of feeling sorry for myself, I decided to get off my butt and do something that everyone kept telling me I would be good at, namely selling real estate. It took nearly a year to get licensed but finally I got my ticket and was asked to join Chatham-Kent’s leading brokerage, Royal LePage Peifer Realty. I went from rookie to the top ten in three years and that brings us to today, give or take a whole lot in-between.   The authors of Money Makers rightfully labeled me a visionary in their book.  They said that “Visionaries are sometimes, idealist; often they seem impractical, even a bit eccentric, as they push and pull the marketplace far beyond its present bounds.”  It’s been a while since that book was published and several ventures from the one that sparked their interest to write about me in that book.  In some ways I kind of wished my visionary days were behind me, but I guess it must be in my blood because I can’t stop coming up with these crazy or not so crazy ideas.   I live on Talbot Trail just west of the hamlet of Dealtown, so appropriately named.  Every day I pass by a 300 acre facility, commonly referred to as the Southwestern Regional Centre.  Opened in 1961 this provincially operated facility housed developmentally disabled adults in an institutional setting. Originally designed to accommodate children under 10 years old it was the last massive institution built in Ontario for the treatment of the mentally disabled. In 1966 there was a resident population of 1,200 and a staff of 600. By 1979 the resident population had been reduced to 620 as changes in policy emphasized the use of smaller home like facilities. Later the centre shifted to serving adults and senior citizens.  The facility closed in 2008 following the government's decision to move from institutional based services to a community based approach.   Since closing, the facility and park-like property has fallen victim to neglect, vandalism and weather.  I call it a “crying shame” and a good example of how the government of Ontario under all leadership waists money.  There were rumors over the past few years that the facility would be brought back to life as a correctional institution, a seniors retirement centre and even a theme park but nothing ever came of these ideas.   Remember where I lived before returning to Chatham? Yes, I lived for half a dozen years in “Sin City” Las Vegas where there are more casinos than any other city in the world.  So it was only natural for me to think that the best use of the closed Southwestern Regional Centre was for a casino.  Add to that a seniors housing facility and a RV park and the old lady has a new face.  Where better to locate Chatham-Kent’s first and only casino, but in “Dealtown!”  You don’t need to be a rocket scientist or even a visionary to arrive at this conclusion.   I discussed my idea of a Dealtown Casino with some forward thinking Chathamites  who like the idea but say the government would never support such a venture because it made too much sense!  Why would the government want to support an initiative that would, could and will bring 600 to 1000 full and part time jobs to a municipality with 14% unemployment?  Why would the government want to stimulate the economy of Chatham-Kent which just lost its biggest employer; especially after they spent millions of dollars of  tax payer money in a failed attempt to keep it alive.   I have never been one to walk away from an idea when people said it couldn’t be done.  If no one else will carry the flag or should I say “Roll the Dice”, I certainly will! With that said, I have named myself the Chairman of the Dealtown Casino Initiative (DCI) and will gladly invest my valuable time to bring this idea to life in our community.  Please share your thoughts with me on this initiative.