The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority has broken ground at the Northern Lights Casino in Prince Albert for an expansion project that has been in the works for over five years.
The project was proposed in 2019, and the Prince Albert Grand Council has been pushing for the expansion for years, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the project came to a halt.
“We’re glad to be back on our feet now and ready to reinvest and just create a whole new experience for our customers and our employees,” said SIGA president and CEO, Zane Hansen.
The enhancement includes more floor space in both the main gaming floor areas and the smoking room, a high-limits slot space, and more food and beverage spaces.
Right now, the Northern Lights Casino is about 37,000 square feet. The expansion is set to add 31,000 square feet to the building, and roughly 24,000 square feet will go towards more floor space in the gaming areas.
The Northern Lights Casino is located on Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in Prince Albert, and it was important for SIGA to include Indigenous designs into the building when creating its new design.
“We understand the importance of the northern lights theming within the building, and we think it’s very strong, so we wanted to work with that as we developed the exterior of the building,” explained architect Jason Hurd from aobdt, which is the company that designed the expansion.
(Photos: conceptual renderings of the casinos new design supplied by aodbt)
SIGA redistributes its net revenue yearly, with 50 percent going to the First Nations Trust, which gets distributed to 74 First Nations in the province.
“Saskatchewan benefits, our people, the 74 First Nations, benefit from the trust fund that’s there, and of course the community also benefits separately through the Northern Lights Development Corporation,” stated Prince Albert Grand Council Chief Brian Hardlotte.
The casino is the city’s biggest tourist attraction, and SIGA and the City of Prince Albert hope the expansion will help grow tourism even further.
“It’s a great thing for our community, and we’re very proud of it,” said Prince Albert mayor Greg Dionne.
The expansion is expected to cost north of $30 million. Construction will begin in late September and will be completed in roughly 18 months. Hours and operations of the casino are expected to stay the same throughout construction, and employment opportunities may be available after completion.