St. Mary’s First Nation has announced plans for a casino complex to be built along one of Fredericton busiest thoroughfares. The Wolastoq River Resort Casino would include a 30,000-square-foot casino and bingo hall, an events centre with capacity for 1,000 people and a full-service hotel and spa with more than 100 guest rooms. An artist rendering shows the complex spanning two blocks of Union Street, with a connecting pedway crossing over Cliffe Street. The complex has an estimated cost of $170 million, with plans for it to be built over three phases. Phase one would be the casino, phase two would be the events centre, and phase three would be the hotel. St. Mary’s First Nation signed an agreement with Wolastoq Casino to build, develop and operate the new casino. Chief Allan Polchies Jr. says Wolastoq Casino, which opened in July 2025, has seen “significant growth within just a year.” “Obviously we want to grow,” says Polchies. “We want to grow bigger. We see a need for it. And we see how this would be beneficial, full circle. “We’re going to need accountants, we’re going to need managers, we’re going to need folks that excel in the hospitality industry, we’re going to need security, we’re going to need all kinds of folks in the entertainment industry.” Polchies says the goal is for the project to have its official groundbreaking by spring 2027 and be completed by 2030. According to a news release, the agreement contains financial security provisions to ensure St. Mary’s First Nation receives annual revenues that exceed those generated by the current casino operations, even if future resort revenues do not initially meet projected levels. Negotiations with the City of Fredericton for acquisition of residual portions of four city-owned lots on the east side Cliffe Street will be the project’s next benchmark to meet. St. Mary’s First Nation previously purchased the former Maclean’s Sports property on the west side of Cliffe Street. The City of Fredericton acknowledged CTV News Atlantic request for comment about the casino complex announcement, but did not provide comment by late Tuesday. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
