The Navegante Group of Las Vegas and its Canadian partner, Trillium Gaming received approval-in-principle for the development of the final gaming destination casino in the Canadian province of British Columbia, according to Employment and Investment Minister Mike Farnworth. The $10.6 million (CDN) "Coquihalla Casino," is being developed in conjunction with the Lower Nicola Indian Band on the Joeyaska Indian reserve near Merritt. The city of Merritt is located in the heart of the Nicola Valley approximately 170 miles northeast of Vancouver.

World renowned for its diverse mix of wildlife, outstanding fishing, natural beauty, sunny and mild climate and a wide array of outdoor recreational activities the region has fast become one of British Columbia’s favorite tourist destinations.

The casino complex will be strategically located on the Coquihalla Highway near one of British Columbia’s busiest highway junctions – connecting Calgary with Vancouver. With over 2.6 million vehicles passing through the area annually, the Coquihalla Highway has become British Columbia’s most traveled thoroughfare.

The Coquihalla Casino is one of three new gaming developments in British Columbia approved by the government.

These approvals conclude the request-for proposal process started by the British Columbia government in July 1997. Forty-nine proposals were submitted to the government for approval. A total of ten proposals received approval in principle. "These [ten] proposals will create more than 2,300 full-time jobs, 1,200 person years of construction employment and involve more than $130 million in new investments in gaming and other facilities," said Farnworth.

Navegante and Trillium were awarded three of the ten projects. In May they received approval-in-principle for the development of the Casino of the Rockies located in the southeast part of the province. In August, Navegante/Trillium received approval for the Campbell River Casino located on Vancouver Island.

"It is our goal to blend the splendid tourism and diverse locale of the Nicola Valley with the appeal of a comfortable and convenient gaming and entertainment center to create a more complete tourism product, penetrate new markets and accelerate the growth of tourism for all of the Nicola Valley," said Larry Woolf, CEO of Navegante. Woolf went on to add, "It is an honor to be the only company granted approval to operate three destination casinos in British Columbia."

The Navegante Group was contracted by the Lower Nicola Indian Band to prepare the proposal to the government, including financial projections and marketing plans, the architectural design and renderings, gaming operations and employment strategies.

The Coquihalla Casino will include 20 table games and 200 slot machines as part of a complex that includes a restaurant, information and visitor center, gift shop, gas station and convenience store. Unique features of the development include a rest stop, Recreational Vehicle ("RV") park and a children’s activity center.