Latest news with #JenThomas
Global News
10-06-2025
- Global News
After deadly speedboat crash, Tsleil-Waututh Nation calls for stiffer enforcement
The Tsleil-Waututh First Nation says it wants to be part of increased enforcement on the water in the wake of a speedboat collision on Saturday that killed a 10-year-old boy and left a second child with critical injuries. The tragedy happened in the waters of Burrard Inlet, just off North Vancouver's Cates Park and in Tsleil-Waututh territory. 'Speed is definitely an issue. The number of boats are an issue,' elected Chief Jen Thomas said of the boating activity near the park. 'Enforcement is key. Tsleil-Waututh Nation uses these waters every single day. We have our boats that go up ndian Arm, … our members out in the canoes training every single day.' 2:19 Suspect in Cates Park boat incident released from custody Thomas said the area is often crowded with vulnerable water users, including kayakers and paddleboarders, but that boaters in the area are frequently reckless. Story continues below advertisement 'The boats just go whipping on by. We see it all the time. They don't adhere to the five knot speed limit,' she said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The deadly collision happened around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday as the children were being towed in the water on an inner tube. The victim has been identified as Lionel Klassen-Hall, who would have turned 11 next month. The speedboat operator was arrested at the scene and has since been released on conditions. North Vancouver RCMP says it is investigating speed and alcohol as possible factors in the collision. 1:58 Child killed in Cates Park boat incident Thomas said she fears a similar tragedy could happen again in the future, and that she wants to see officials at the Cates Park launch checking to ensure people have proper boat licences. Story continues below advertisement She also believes there should be a place for the nation in keeping the water safe. 'This is something our nation is going to talk to the government about,' she said. 'Let us have a little bit of jurisdiction in our territory and do some enforcement ourselves, especially if our members are on the water every single day.' Bruce Heyne, executive director of Boating B.C., said the number of accidents on the water remains statistically small, but that tragedies do happen and that education and enforcement remain critical. 'We encourage municipalities and local police forces to do as much as they can with marine safety,' he said. He added that recent federal changes have made it easier for municipalities to approach Transport Canada to ask for speed limits or other vessel restrictions in specific areas. 'But really, what it comes down to is people operating pleasure craft need to be responsible and need to be respectful of the people around them,' he said. Thomas, meanwhile, wants to see a visible enforcement presence on the water. 'There should be somebody down here every single day watching these boaters, especially this time of year,' she said.
Vancouver Sun
09-06-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Tsleil-Waututh Nation reveals plan to buy casino at Hastings Park
A Vancouver-area First Nation is looking at getting into the gambling industry, with a plan to purchase the casino at Hastings Park in east Vancouver. The Tsleil-Waututh First Nation announced Friday that it has signed a non-binding tentative agreement to buy the casino from Great Canadian Gaming Corp., and the related real estate, a roughly 16-hectare piece of the larger PNE grounds, from the City of Vancouver. 'It's something we've been looking at for almost 20 years, trying to get into the casino business,' Tsleil-Waututh Chief Jen Thomas said in a phone interview Monday. 'We've seen nations, and tribes across the border do this, and now this opportunity came across our table and we couldn't say no to having a discussion with Great Canadian.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. In April, the Vancouver Whitecaps said it's in talks with the city about potentially building a new stadium on part of the city-owned Hastings Park, which is also known as the PNE grounds and encompasses about 66 hectares including the horse-racing track, casino, the Playland amusement park and the Pacific Coliseum . Thomas said that the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation hasn't had any discussions about a new soccer stadium. The First Nation would be subject to the same rules as any other entity operating a casino, and would be regulated by the B.C. Lottery Corp., Thomas said. 'We'll just have to dive right in and learn how to run it accordingly.' In the coming months, the nation will work with its financial adviser KPMG to analyze the deal, Thomas said, and the parties will continue to work on finalizing the terms. The deal doesn't include the racetrack beside the casino, Thomas said: 'It has nothing to do with the horse racing.' But it's unclear what the future will hold for horse racing at Hastings Park, which has hosted the sport since the late 19th century. David Milburn, president of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association of B.C., said his group found out about the pending sale through the Friday news release but they hope that horse racing will continue at Hastings Park. In an emailed statement, the city said the sale of this property, as with any real estate owned by the City of Vancouver, would require approval by city council. Asked for details about how the Tsleil-Waututh announcement connects with city hall's discussions about a potential new soccer stadium on the PNE grounds, the city replied that it 'cannot disclose specific information regarding potential land-use matters.' Vancouver Coun. Mike Klassen said news of the pending deal with Tsleil-Waututh speaks to the strong interest in 'the future of Hastings Park as a destination for entertainment.' Klassen said that between discussions of a possible new soccer stadium at Hastings Park, and the new Professional Women's Hockey League team that will play out of the Pacific Coliseum starting next fall, plus the construction now underway on a new PNE amphitheatre that will host watch parties for next year's FIFA World Cup, 'there's just so much happening on those grounds right now.' Klassen chairs the PNE's board of directors but said he doesn't speak on behalf of the PNE, only as a city councillor. Klassen said it's not clear right now what the future of horse racing at Hastings will look like, but that question has been a subject of public discussion since long before the recent news about the Tsleil-Waututh deal. 'Horse racing obviously has an extremely long history at Hastings Park, but it's a form of entertainment that's not as popular as it once was,' Klassen said. Chuck Keeling, an executive vice-president at Great Canadian, said in an emailed statement that the company was 'excited to reach this first step with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation.' 'It is business as usual in the interim for us and our team at Hastings, and there is much work to do before any definitive agreement may be reached,' Keeling said. SEwen@ dfumano@
CTV News
07-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Tsleil-Waututh First Nation looking to acquire Hastings Park casino in Vancouver
The racetrack in Hastings Park and the Pacific Coliseum are seen from the air in May 2019. (Pete Cline / CTV News Vancouver) The Tsleil-Waututh First Nation may soon be the owner of a casino in the City of Vancouver. The nation announced Friday that it had entered a 'non-binding memorandum of understanding' with Great Canadian Gaming Corporation that – if completed – would see the nation acquire the casino business and 'related real property interests' at Hastings Racecourse & Casino. 'We are thrilled to take another important step towards economic self-determination for our nation in our traditional territory, and we are eager to work with the senior management team at Great Canadian Entertainment to finalize due diligence and execute a definitive agreement, as well as working with the City of Vancouver to ensure the best long-term use of this important asset within the city,' said Chief Jen Thomas, in a statement. 'We believe that this opportunity is historic for us in many ways, and we look forward to entering the gaming industry in due course.' The agreement is subject to further due diligence and 'finalization of financial terms,' according to the statement. 'We are excited about working with TWN on their potential acquisition of the casino operations and related real property interests at Hastings Racecourse & Casino,' said Matt Anfinson, CEO of Great Canadian Entertainment, in the statement. 'Recognizing that Hastings is part of the TWN's traditional territory, we can think of no better entity to inherit this asset, and we look forward to supporting them in the transition after the anticipated close of the sale.' Any sales agreement that comes together is expected to be subject to 'customary approvals by gaming regulatory and other authorities,' the party said. One of those authorities would be the City of Vancouver itself, which owns the land on which the casino is located.
Cision Canada
06-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Tsleil-Waututh Nation Announces Historic Memorandum of Understanding to Purchase Casino Business at Hastings Racecourse & Casino
səlilwətaɬ (TSLEIL-WAUTUTH NATION), BC, June 6, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) (" TWN") announced that it has entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding for an agreement in principle to acquire the casino business and related real property interests at Hastings Racecourse & Casino (" Hastings") in the City of Vancouver from Great Canadian Gaming Corporation (" Great Canadian Entertainment"). "We are thrilled to take another important step towards economic self-determination for our Nation in our traditional territory, and we are eager to work with the senior management team at Great Canadian Entertainment to finalize due diligence and execute a definitive agreement, as well as working with the City of Vancouver to ensure the best long-term use of this important asset within the City," stated Jen Thomas, Chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. "We believe that this opportunity is historic for us in many ways, and we look forward to entering the gaming industry in due course," she concluded. "We are excited about working with TWN on their potential acquisition of the casino operations and related real property interests at Hastings Racecourse & Casino," stated Matt Anfinson, Chief Executive Officer of Great Canadian Entertainment. "Recognizing that Hastings is part of the TWN's traditional territory, we can think of no better entity to inherit this asset, and we look forward to supporting them in the transition after the anticipated close of the sale," he concluded. The agreement is subject to further due diligence, finalization of financial terms and the execution of a definitive purchase and sale agreement. Once a definitive agreement has been executed by the parties, it is anticipated that the transaction will be subject to customary closing conditions as well as customary approvals by gaming regulatory and other authorities, including certain approvals by the City of Vancouver given its ownership of the real property. It is expected that Great Canadian Entertainment will provide transition services to TWN for a period of time following the anticipated closing. KPMG Corporate Finance Inc. is acting as financial advisor and McCarthy Tétrault LLP is acting as legal counsel to TWN. McMillan LLP is acting as legal counsel to Great Canadian Entertainment. About səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) are known as People of the Inlet. səlilwətaɬ is a Coast Salish Nation whose territory centres around Burrard Inlet in the Greater Vancouver region. Tsleil-Waututh people carry a Sacred Trust, a responsibility, to care for and restore traditional territory to its former state. Today, Tsleil-Waututh is more than 600 people strong and growing. The community draws on knowledge from ancestors to remedy past wrongs, reclaim territory and traditions, and advance into a bright future. For more information on Tsleil-Waututh Nation, visit About Great Canadian Entertainment Founded in 1982, Great Canadian Entertainment is Canada's premier gaming and hospitality company with gaming, entertainment, hospitality and resort facilities in Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Committed to investing in and offering opportunity to those in the communities in which it operates, Great Canadian Entertainment supports hundreds of charitable and non-profit organizations across Canada under its PROUD program; "PROUD of our people, our business, our community". A significant portion of gross gaming revenue from Great Canadian Entertainment's gaming facilities is retained by Crown partners on behalf of their provincial governments for the purpose of supporting programs that benefit healthcare, education, and social services in Canada. To learn more, please visit or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
CBC
06-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Tsleil-Waututh reach tenative deal to acquire Hastings Racecourse casino in Vancouver
Social Sharing The Tsleil-Waututh Nation says it has reached a preliminary deal to purchase the casino business and related real estate at Hastings Racecourse and Casino in Vancouver from Great Canadian Entertainment, the country's largest gaming and hospitality company. The First Nation announced Friday that it has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with the company and is now working toward a formal agreement. "We are thrilled to take another important step towards economic self-determination for our Nation in our traditional territory," said Tsleil-Waututh Chief Jen Thomas in a statement. "We believe that this opportunity is historic for us in many ways, and we look forward to entering the gaming industry in due course." The Hastings site is located in the First Nation's traditional territory around Burrard Inlet. The deal is still subject to due diligence and final approval from regulators, including the City of Vancouver, which owns the land. In the same statement, Great Canadian CEO Matt Anfinson said the company supports the sale. "Recognizing that Hastings is part of the TWN's traditional territory, we can think of no better entity to inherit this asset," he said. The company says it will continue to provide transition services to the First Nation following the anticipated closing of the deal. No timeline for the final agreement or anticipated closing date has been announced. Earlier this year, Vancouver Island's Snuneymuxw First Nation completed a similar move in January, acquiring Casino Nanaimo and Elements Casino Victoria from Great Canadian Entertainment after receiving final regulatory approval. At the time, the First Nation said the transition would generate sustainable wealth and bolster Snuneymuxw's influence locally, nationally and globally.
