Celebrating Chances

There was some backslapping, some speech making and plate upon plate of fine food, as the Chances Entertainment Centre spent the weekend celebrating its Grand Opening.

From a Community celebration on Friday night, to the Grand Opening VIP invite affair on Saturday, Prince Rupert’s newest entertainment destination was feted in fine style.

To wrap up the weekend of celebration there was even a pancake breakfast on Sunday morning, just the tonic for those that may have over celebrated on Saturday.

The Grand Opening allowed the new Gaming and Convention Centre to show off its capabilities and talents, highlighting for many in the community a new direction for entertainment and socializing in the city.

The Daily News featured all the events of celebration weekend as part of their front page story in Tuesday’s paper.


SUPPORTERS FEEL FORTUNATE TO WELCOME CHANCES TO TOWN
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Pages one and three

The development of a first-class entertainment facility set on the scenic edge of the Prince Rupert waterfront had nothing to do with luck.

Rather it was the unique partnership between 35 local charities and a group of entrepreneurial developers that brought the vision of Chances Prince Rupert to life.

This weekend, a little more than two years after announcing their intention to build the facility, the Prince Rupert Bingo Association and its partners celebrated the official opening of the Chances Community Gaming Centre and convention facility.

"Chances Prince Rupert is a facility that offers more," said Craig Briere, business manager for the Prince Rupert Bingo Association. "If you haven't noticed, it's not a bingo hall with slot machines. We have a full entertainment facility with wide-ranging entertainment experiences. It's not just for people who participate in gaming. It's for everybody. We have fine dining, great food, a convention space, bingo, slot machines and we are looking at live entertainment."

Some 300 people from around the region and as far away as Alberta and Alaska were at the VIP dinner Saturday.

“We are so proud of what the partners have achieved here in this facility,” said Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond.

“This is an asset for the city of Prince Rupert. It is an asset that will attract people to this community. It is an asset that will attract conventions to this community, conferences we couldn’t do in the past. And already some have booked and are coming as a result of this facility.”
Other events this weekend at Chances included a community celebration dance Friday night and a Prince Rupert Bingo Association Community Appreciation Pancake Breakfast on Sunday morning.

Set on the former site of the Royal Canadian Legion, Chance Prince Rupert includes a gaming facility with 115 slot machines and 10 seat shuffle master black jack seats, the Lush Lounge and Bar, and 10,000 square foot convention centre, with full kitchen.

The project was originally proposed as a $8 million facility, but expanded over time to include the convention centre and a $13- million budget.

Susan Marsden, president of the Prince Rupert Bingo Association thanked their 35 member charities, many of whom spent long hours on the project, as well as the business partners who made the facility a reality.

“Especially important to me personally is the commitment they made to make something aesthetically pleasing and a real asset for the community at large and they have done a fantastic job,” said Marsden.

This includes a wonderful use of the waterfront site, the design of the building itself and the development of the beautiful convention centre on the lower floor, she said.

Both Marsden and Briere thanked Charles Maddison of Boni-Maddison Architects for his design, John Marogna of Marcan Construction as well as the many other contractors who worked on the project.

“We are very proud to be here in the traditional area of the Tsimshian Nation, on the former site of the Royal Canadian Legion, to unveil a facility that is first in class, that rivals anything in the province of British Columbia, let alone North America,” said Briere.

So far, Chances Prince Rupert has hired 120 people locally. In addition to receiving additional property taxes from the development of the facility, the city will also receive a portion of funds generated by gaming. And last year, 41 local organizations received $612,000 in grants associated with gaming funds.