Battlefords Tribal Council has big expansion plans for Gold Eagle Lodge and the existing area starting in 2011, with plans in the works to considerably increase accommodations available.
Up to 100 new rooms are being planned for the hotel, with BTC still to determine whether this will involve the expansion of the existing Gold Eagle Lodge or the building of a new 150-room hotel. A new mall is also being planned for the initial development, and long-term plans are still in the works for a potential First Nations Heritage Park and the possible replacement of the existing casino with a new facility.
Many of the development plans presented at the Nov. 4 presentation by BTC officials last Thursday afternoon at Gold Ridge Centre have long been on the drawing board. Plans for a mall and convention centre had been outlined a year ago when BTC announced a $2.75 million commitment towards the multipurpose facility project, later named the Credit Union CUPlex.
This time BTC appears determined to begin bringing those plans to fruition. Russ Brown, chief operating officer for BTC, told the noon-hour gathering it was the organization's intention to build more "high-quality accommodation in this market."
He said they are still in the early stage of the planning process and more than one option is being considered and evaluated.
One approach under consideration calls for a new full service hotel and conference centre with up to 150 rooms and the amenities associated with it, including banquet and convention facilities.
The more conservative approach being considered, Brown said, calls for expansion of the existing Gold Eagle Lodge as part of a connecting corridor to convention and banquet facilities, as well as significant expansion in meeting space and in the number of rooms by 80 to 100.
"The bottom line is we will be building new accommodation facilities," Brown said, with construction targeted for 2011.
The hotel development is in line with other longstanding plans BTC has for the area. BTC CEO Randy Wallace said plans include a new shopping mall as well as the First Nations Heritage Park and possibly a new casino to replace the existing Gold Eagle Casino structure.
The replacement of the existing casino has been discussed for a number of years but would require the green light from the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority to go ahead. That has not yet happened.
Wallace said they are looking at an initial $40 to $50 million investment that would connect the CUPlex facility with the hotel and the existing casino. With a possible new casino complex and a First Nations Heritage Park added to that, the expenditure will be $60 to $80 million total. Wallace said he hopes this will all be completed in a five to seven year period.
Wallace said the goal is to "create a bona-fide tourist destination for Western Canada,"which would attract tourists from Asia and Europe.
Wallace also spoke about the creation of an independent management trust that would manage the operations and planning of BTC first nations falling under that trust.
The Northwest Territorial Trust would consist of chiefs and council, BTC senators, lenders and investors, community leaders, local services and agencies. It's intended to provide a stable structure for BTC that would manage its operations over the next several years.
