MGM hosts job showcase for its proposed casino project

CTV Toronto: Promoting jobs before building casino According to estimates, MGM says a casino built in Toronto would create around 10,000 jobs. Natalie Johnson reports.

Toronto council isn’t due to vote on whether it will allow a casino to be built at Exhibition Place until April, but MGM Resorts International, one of several companies that has put forward a bid, went ahead with a job fair Saturday.

The company was accepting resumes, and promised to hire local residents if its three-year, $3-to-$4 billion project is given the go-ahead.

Alan Feldman, MGM's senior vice-president of public affairs, said the Vegas entertainment giant isn’t acting prematurely, but rather, just trying to inform the public.

“We'd really like for people to have a better understanding of what opportunities exist,” he said. “As long as the end result is based on fact and sound information. Then city council will decide what city council decides, we'll abide by it.”

MGM said the building of its proposed “integrated resort” would bring 10,000 permanent and mostly unionized jobs to Toronto, with an average salary of $60,000.

Approximately two-thirds of the jobs on display at the event, which attracted several hundred people by 2 p.m., do not involve working in the casino itself. Positions in human resources, hotel operations, as well as food and beverage, were among the opportunities presented.

Richa Peters said one of these jobs may just lure her back into the hotel business.

“This could be a good company, it's a big group so I’m sure they'll look after the employees and have good opportunities for us.”

Coun. Mike Layton, a casino critic, said he is skeptical about how these jobs will be generated.

“These jobs aren't going to be created out of thin air. There's money being taken from other sectors of the economy to pay for these jobs. Many of that are going to be in current service jobs and small businesses across the city of Toronto.”

MGM argued the opposite, saying that a casino would actually boost business for the rest of the city.

Earlier this month, MGM Resorts and Cadillac Fairview unveiled the design of their proposed project, which includes 10 restaurants, a permanent space for Cirque du Soleil, a curvy sail-shaped 1,200-room hotel and a shopping mall. It is set to be 3 million square feet.

Other Vegas giants interested in building a casino in Toronto include Onex, Caesars and Wynn Resorts.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. has the final decision on which project is chosen.

With a report from CTV Toronto’s Natalie Johnson