The first step in deciding whether or not Vaughan will be home to a casino will be taken Thursday evening.

A public information meeting will be held at the Hotel Novotel at 200 Bass Pro Mills Road, from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m. in the Concord Room. All Vaughan residents and business owners who have concerns are being asked to attend.

Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua told 680News the purpose of the meeting is “to get their feedback, to get their input, and to see if in fact we as a city want to go down the road of having a world class entertainment and cultural district with a component being the casino.”

“The responsible thing to do as a council is when there is an opportunity such as this one, or an option for a city, you need to make people aware,” Bevilacqua added. “You simply can’t say yes or no without public input.”

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has included Vaughan in one of 29 preliminary gaming zones.

Bevilacqua explained that the outcome of Thursday evening’s meeting with help determine the next step.

“We will assess what people have to say. We will assess what their concerns are, what the benefits are, to make sure that more and more people are engaged,” he said.