Enoch's future full of hope and promise

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It was a day to celebrate hard work, persistence and struggle for members of the Enoch Cree First Nation as the sod was turned on a multi-million dollar gaming and entertainment project to be located on the eastern edge of Enoch territory on the fringes of west Edmonton.

There was much talk of hope and promise on Oct. 7 as Chief Ron Morin welcomed leaders of industry, government and Alberta's Aboriginal population to the ground breaking ceremony of the River Cree Resort and Casino.

Under blues skies and bright sun, Morin spoke of the hope of a future of prosperity for his people and the promise of other ventures springing from the $140 million construction project and the $75 million in revenues expected from the resort annually.

Profits realized by Enoch would be put to use, said the chief, to create other business and employment opportunities in the community, while improving civic infrastructure, including police, fire and ambulance services at Enoch.

When complete in the summer of 2006, the development will include a 255-room, four-star Marriott hotel, a sports complex with two NHL-sized ices rinks, several restaurants and bars, meeting and conference space, and a 60,000 sq. ft. casino with 600 slot machines, 40 table games and a high-limit gaming lounge.

Robert Morin, the president of the Enoch Community Development Corporation, said 90 per cent of the construction costs will stay in the greater Edmonton area. The project will bring 865 construction jobs and, over the duration of construction, a payroll of $35 million is estimated.

It has been a long road for the creation of the casino and resort project with years of often-tense negotiation with the province and the non-Aboriginal communities that border the reserve lands.

Though the words at the ground-breaking were congratulatory and conciliatory, there have been a number of very public battles that threatened the forward motion of the project.

Chief Morin alluded to those battles in his closing remarks before adjourning to a champagne reception for guests and dignitaries. He offered some comfort to the surrounding communities who complained the casino would bring crime and other problems to their area of the city. Morin said the Enoch people were generous by nature and the community leagues and other such organizations would be sure to benefit as the First Nation prospers.

The chief said the Enoch project experience will be used by other Aboriginal communities in Alberta and across Canada as a model as others struggle to find benefit for their members in the Canadian gaming economy.

The Enoch Cree Nation has partnered with Paragon Gaming, a Nevada corporation with gaming-based projects in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Nevada, which also operates the Augustine Casino in Palm Springs, California for the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians. Paragon is also in the final steps of a licensing process with Alexis First Nation.

Special guests at the day's ceremony included Assembly of First Nations vice chiefs Jason Goodstriker and Bill Erasmus.