Editor:
I have been a member of the Delta Town & Country Tennis Club for over 10 years. I, along with many other active seniors and players in our community, play tennis at the bubble three to four times per week from August to June each year. As a recreational tennis enthusiast, I highly value the indoor tennis facilities currently provided at the Town & Country.
In reviewing the plans provided by Gateway which outline the proposed casino on the Town & Country property, it is evident the current tennis facility is to be demolished without being replaced. Needless to say, I find this situation disconcerting.
For over 50 years the Town & Country tennis facility has served tennis players from all over the Lower Mainland. There are currently approximately 330 active members, along with a Junior Academy for youth with roughly 50 players, some of whom who are at an elite level. The facility hosts league and tournament play throughout the year.
Currently the City of Delta is severely lacking in racquet sport facilities of any kind. In the Lower Mainland alone, Vancouver, Richmond, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby, Abbotsford, Coquitlam and even Chilliwack have indoor tennis facilities for their citizens. A 2016 report from the Delta Racquets Society estimates replacement costs of four indoor tennis courts (the current number of courts at the Town & Country) to be $1.6 million.
According to recent reports in the Optimist, the City of Delta could receive annual revenues of approximately $5 million from the BC Lottery Corporation once the $70-million Gateway casino is operational. While I will not argue the merits or morals of constructing a casino in Delta, I do wish to point out a few salient facts from a 2013 study produced by the Wellesley Institute entitled "The Real Cost of Casinos: A Health Equity Impact Assessment" wherein the social and economic impacts of gambling are discussed.
In Ontario, two per cent of gross gaming revenues are set aside for problem gambling prevention, research and treatment. The research indicates that the annual cost associated with a single problem gambler ranges from $20,000 to $56,000 with a high proportion of such costs being public expenditures.
In view of this information, I must ask the question: If a $70-million casino can be built in Delta with annual societal costs of between $20,000 and $56,000 per problem gambler and if Delta is to be receiving $5 million in casino revenues, should there not be money expended on a tennis/racquet facility which promotes the health and wellness of our citizens?
Surely it is only common sense to place a value on sport and healthy living as our taxpayer funded Participaction Canada advertisements tell us to, when the annual costs of gambling are clearly in excess of one time capital costs to build a venue that will provide and promote healthy living for years to come.
In conclusion, I wish to express my heartfelt hope that Delta council will consider balancing the casino equation with something healthy and positive which will provide Delta with a tennis/racquet sports facility to keep out taxpaying citizens enjoying the benefits of active living in our community.
Jane Hindmarch
