Editor, the Times:

As president of the Abbotsford Bingo Association, I would like to express my disappointment with the Abbotsford City Council meeting of January 23.

At last Monday's council meeting, council rejected a staff report favouring giving first reading to an application to allow the British Columbia Lottery Corporation to increase the number of gaming machines within the Community Gaming Centre's existing building to meet customer demands.

The reasons for the rejections ranged from religion to addiction concerns, to a mistaken belief that allowing additional machines would preclude Abbotsford from obtaining a casino.

I am in possession of a letter from BCLC, as is the city, which clearly states that there is no demand for a full casino in Abbotsford and also there are no existing plans to build one.

This short-sighted decision, based in part on false information, not only precludes the charities involved from increasing their revenues, thereby limiting the services they are able to provide to the community but also precludes the city from increasing the host government revenue received from the facility, which is one of its primary non-property tax revenue sources.

Additionally, it shows a lack of regard for the needs of the charities and the services they could have provided through this funding source, and shows a lack of regard for the input of the community, which might have been heard if this had properly been sent to a public hearing.

However, staff's report favouring giving a first reading for a primary liquor licence was passed.

I am pleased to report that a public hearing will be held on Feb. 20, commencing at 7 p.m. at City Hall. Abbotsford is the only Community Gaming Centre in the entire province that serves no alcohol.

Please support us at the public hearing.

Jerry Gosling President Abbotsford Bingo Assoc.