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
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse 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.
'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.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Record-breaking N.B. lottery winner kept winning ticket on dresser for nearly a year
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.
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.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.