The First Nation of Metepenagiag, New Brunswick’s Oldest Village will finally push ahead with the original plan of building a casino. Under Atlantic Lottery Corporation classification, the planned casino would be a “Coaster,” a gaming site that has 15 to 25 video lottery terminals (VLTs).

The new facility is an addition to the Riverside Entertainment Centre (REC) in Miramichi, NB, which the Metepenagiag First Nation opened in May 08, 2014. Prior to the untimely demise of the former Metepenagiag chief Noah Augustine in year 2010, the REC project was for the building of a casino. The plan changed thereafter as there were some in the community opposed to the idea of cashing in on gambling in order to achieve economic growth and independence. The centre became more of an entertainment venue that features a restaurant, a pub, a gaming lounge and a multi-purpose event room.

Nonetheless, the REC was able to achieve its goal of employing more than 100 residents in the area, many of whom are from the Metepenagiag First Nation.  The achievement is still in keeping with the vision of former chief Noah Augustine, of seeing his community become self-sufficient, by providing employment to the community members, rather than relying on government-sponsored programs.

Now the community has finally agreed to the adding of a casino facility, which was “a tough sell for some people” according to Adam Augustine, the Director of Operations at REC. However, it turned out that the REC site has not been designated as an Indian reserve, being located 30 kilometres away from Metepenagiag. Adding the property to the First Nation’s territory takes about 18 to 24 months to process, although already underway.