Casino Rama reopens after 16 month closure
Casino Rama employees welcomed back gamblers for the first time in 16 months.
"Thursday is the day, and we couldn't be any happier," said Rob Mitchell, director of communications at Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Limited.
"It's almost like a homecoming both for our guests and our employees," Mitchell added.
The casino reopened its doors Thursday with enhanced safety measures in place.
Upon arrival, guests will have to fill out a contact tracing form and are required to wear a face mask and remain socially distanced from others.
Plexiglass has been installed on tables and some slots to maintain safety measures for employees and customers.
"For those who may be familiar with six spots on a Black Jack table, to make sure we get the plexiglass in between, we are often dealing to three, maybe four, positions, and the dealers will have plexiglass in front of them," said Glenn Trickey, vice president of gaming operations.
Poker tables remain off-limits because of the close-proximity of players.
Trickey said they have a target date of Aug. 19 to reopen the property's hotel. "Which will then introduce the Weirs Restaurant for breakfast and then hopefully in the fall, if regulations allow, reintroduce concerts sometime later in the fall."
According to Mitchell, the lengthy closure during the pandemic allowed Gateway Casinos to "take a look at the gaming floor."
Crews moved machines and tables to optimize space and lessen the amount of congestion in the casino.
"It's much more accessible now. It's easier to navigate the floor to access amenities," Mitchell said. "We have a very, very diverse variety of play that our patrons can enjoy, so we are quite please with the refurbishment."
The casino will limit capacity to 1,000 people to ensure social distancing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.