Religious leaders in the city say they're joining a legal appeal planned by other anti-casino opponents to try to block rezoning of land on The Kingsway to permit the gambling establishment.
“Greater Sudbury’s multi-faith leaders are ready to act following the city council decision on April 10,” a press release from the religious leaders said. “Should council support the recommendation of the planning committee, the Greater City of Sudbury multi-faith will join Casino Free Sudbury as a party to appeal the casino rezoning, and the casino official plan amendment to LPAT (Local Planning Appeals Tribunal).
“As stated in our March 25 statement, we are deeply concerned that the relocation and expansion of the casino to the Kingsway will have a serious and disproportionately negative impact on vulnerable communities in close proximity to the proposed Kingsway location.
In a statement from Sudbury Interfaith Dialogue in support of the appeal, Rev. David Nichols wrote that the interfaith leadership and “followers of several different faiths have responded strongly in opposition to the expansion of a casino in Sudbury.
“We recognize that the ‘winner’ goes home with someone else's money, all too often someone who can't afford to lose it,” the statement said. “As always, the games are designed that the owner is the biggest winner. We also agreed that a casino would not bring more business to Sudbury but only to the casino itself and its related businesses.”
The Rt. Rev. Anne Germond, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Algoma, said that the Synod of the Diocese of Algoma passed a unanimous motion in 2013, which is still in effect.
The motion recognizes that the clergy and people of the Anglican Churches in Algoma, “oppose the future building of casinos in the communities of the Diocese of Algoma and of Northern Ontario” and goes further, urging “elected officials in said communities and the clergy and people of our congregations and in all faith communities similarly to oppose such projects.”
In her statement supporting that appeal, Sister Bonnie MacLellan, General Superior for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste Marie, said a similar motion was passed by leadership team of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie. The motion unanimously opposes “the future building of casinos in Northern Ontario communities and,” like the Synod of Algoma motion, “urges elected officials in these communities to oppose such projects”
The Most Rev. Marcel Damphousse, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sault Ste Marie, said in his statement of support for the appeal “that building a new casino in Sudbury is going to create much more problems than benefits.”
Damphousse said although he understands “the benefits to be basically economical for the city, many small business owners have challenged that opinion.”
Damphousse said “gambling behaviour and addictions will only impoverish and destroy the lives of our families. How do you put a price on that?”
Finally, in his statement supporting the appeal, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Michael J. Pryse, Bishop for Eastern Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, which includes the Evangelical Lutheran Churches of the City of Greater Sudbury, said “governments have become addicted to the revenue generated by state-sponsored gaming. Those revenues come, however, at a very high social cost. As faith leaders we see the great price paid and often by the most vulnerable members of society. People are being manipulated and taken advantage of and in my view, it is simply immoral."
“By joining as a party to the appeal of the rezoning and amendment to the Official Plan to allow for the development of a casino on the Kingsway, the spiritual leaders of more than 100,000 people of faith are signalling to their communities and the wider civil society our profound opposition to the Kingsway casino and more importantly, our unified commitment to not only speak as individuals and communities of faith against this casino but to act collectively as citizen’s to stop this development,” the release said.
Multi-faith Leaders Party to Appeal (confirmed as of April 5, 2018)
Dr. Christopher J. Duncanson-Hales, Chair Nord500North Committee for the Commemoration of the Reformation
Rev. David Nicol Sudbury Interfaith Dialogue
Most Reverend Marcel Damphousse Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie
Rt. Rev. Anne Germond Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Algoma
Rt. Rev. Dr. Michael J. Pryse, Bishop of the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
Sister Bonnie MacLellan, The General Superior for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste Marie
The Rev. Robert Derrenbacker, Ph.D. Church of the Ascension (Anglican)
The Reverend Monsignor James Hutton C.S.S. St. Patrick Catholic Parish
Mrs. Catherine Hopper Roman Catholic
Diane Pagan St. Patrick’s Catholic Church
Rev. Diane Trollope United Church of Canada
Rev. Bea Arnill United Church of Canada
Sister Bonnie Chesser, Sisters of St. Joseph,St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, Sudbury
Anthony Chezzi, Adult Faith Facilitator St Patrick Parish
Dorothy Klein RN BScN, RN Emeritus, Roman Catholic
Howard Wideman, Mennonite
Mary Wideman, Mennonite
Dr. Lucien Pelletier Roman Catholic Parish of St. Ignatius of Loyola, University of Sudbury
Paul J. Allard, DLM United Church Canada
Madeleine Paquette Roman Catholic
Sheila Murdock parishioner Church of the Ascension, Anglican
Fr. Peter Moher Holy Redeemer RC Parish
Mrs. Anne Gervais Roman Catholic
Krista Frederiksen Waters Mennonite Church
Sister Sharon Miller Sisters of St Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie
Sister Priscilla Solomon, Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie
Art Bast, deacon Waters Mennonite Church, Lively, ON
Rev. David Shulist, S.J. St Ignatius Parish at the University of Sudbury
Rev. James Ketzler Church of Christ the King - Sudbury
Rev. Melody Duncanson-Hales, Mission and Stewardship Animator Manitou Conference, The United Church of Canada
Dr. Albert J. Bouclin St. Jean de Brébeuf Roman Catholic Parish
Rev. Marie Bouclin Bishop, Roman Catholic Women Priests of Canada
Todd Manuel, Lead Pastor Glad Tidings Pentecostal Church
Rev. Dr. Spencer Boersma First Baptist Church of Sudbury
Rev. Jason Tripp Valleyview Community Church
Rev. Aidan Armstrong Church of the Ascension -Anglican
