Fort Erie Race Track not sustainable
Oct 12, 2013 13:08:42 GMT -5
Post by Evelyn on Oct 12, 2013 13:08:42 GMT -5
Fort Erie Race Track not sustainable
By Tony Ricciuto, Niagara Falls Review
The future looks dim for 116-year-old Fort Erie Race Track, after the provincial horse racing transition panel announced on Friday Oct. 11, 2013 that the track is not 'sustainable.'
FORT ERIE - Ontario’s horse racing industry is getting $400 million over five years, but Fort Erie Race Track’s future appears to be quite dim.
The 116-year-old border oval has not been deemed sustainable as a full-time racing venue. It is being considered to host a festival meet with thoroughbreds shipped in on race days only, instead of being stabled there full time.
Premier Kathleen Wynne outlined a new five-year sustainability plan for the horse racing industry Friday morning at the Grand River Raceway in Elora.
“The panel didn’t see a clear path forward for Fort Erie in terms of being a thoroughbred track, but they did make a proposal,” said Wynne. “It’s a proposal that will have to be worked out, but the idea of having a festival that Fort Erie could work with the industry to put forward a business case for a different kind of season. I don’t know exactly what that will look like, but certainly the panel has said they saw a future for Fort Erie, but it will be a different kind of future.”
The plan is based on the final Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel report.
The province will inject up to $80 million a year over five years, starting next April, mainly to help cover purses and the costs of live racing.
It also calls for integrating horse racing with Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. modernization plan, which includes researching potential horse-themed lottery products and leveraging the corporation’s business, marketing and responsible gambling expertise within the horse racing industry.
Fort Erie Mayor Doug Martin said he doesn’t understand the reasoning for the panel’s decision and he would like to see where all the information has come from for the reports.
“If there’s to be open and transparency, let’s have a look at everybody so we can see what they did and what they received in funding and how that’s going to be distributed,” said Martin. “Our group have worked their tails off over the last year or two to make this sustainable. Revenues have been up and I think we are the model of what should be, and for them to just dismiss this entirely as if we are going to talk about it later.”
The mayor said he has no idea what holding a festival would entail. He has not been provided with any specifics and is hopeful more information will be made available.
“The track is important to this community, but apparently the premier doesn’t see it the same way,” said Martin. “We did everything that they asked, but it seems that it really doesn’t matter.”
Jim Thibert, CEO of Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium, said the bottom line here is that you need to compare “apples with apples” and that was not done in this case.
“We are the only track that is the closest to sustainability. There’s no track in north America that is sustainable, some are closer than others, and every jurisdiction puts money into them.”
Thibert said there were a number of things that weren’t talked about in the report including how much the Fort Erie track earned, the economic impact on the community and that they didn’t stop the slots, the OLG did.
“I don’t know what Fort Erie did to these people, but it’s not nice being treated like this.”
Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak said this is another example of the Wynne government’s pattern of putting their own political interests ahead of Ontarians.
“What deeply saddens me is this is probably the final death knell for the Fort Erie Race Track,” Hudak said in a statement.
Welland NDP MPP Cindy Forster said this announcement will mean devastating job losses for track workers and horse racing families in Niagara.
“Liberals are experts at letting down the people of Fort Erie. They closed the Fort Erie ER. They closed the Fort Erie Tourist Information Centre. They closed the Fort Erie Race Track once and now they're gutting it once and for all,” said Forster.
"Wynne talks about horse racing as a part of the history and culture of Ontario yet she's willing to shut down one of the oldest and most celebrated tracks in the province. Horses have been racing at Fort Erie since 1897.”
By Tony Ricciuto, Niagara Falls Review
The future looks dim for 116-year-old Fort Erie Race Track, after the provincial horse racing transition panel announced on Friday Oct. 11, 2013 that the track is not 'sustainable.'
FORT ERIE - Ontario’s horse racing industry is getting $400 million over five years, but Fort Erie Race Track’s future appears to be quite dim.
The 116-year-old border oval has not been deemed sustainable as a full-time racing venue. It is being considered to host a festival meet with thoroughbreds shipped in on race days only, instead of being stabled there full time.
Premier Kathleen Wynne outlined a new five-year sustainability plan for the horse racing industry Friday morning at the Grand River Raceway in Elora.
“The panel didn’t see a clear path forward for Fort Erie in terms of being a thoroughbred track, but they did make a proposal,” said Wynne. “It’s a proposal that will have to be worked out, but the idea of having a festival that Fort Erie could work with the industry to put forward a business case for a different kind of season. I don’t know exactly what that will look like, but certainly the panel has said they saw a future for Fort Erie, but it will be a different kind of future.”
The plan is based on the final Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel report.
The province will inject up to $80 million a year over five years, starting next April, mainly to help cover purses and the costs of live racing.
It also calls for integrating horse racing with Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. modernization plan, which includes researching potential horse-themed lottery products and leveraging the corporation’s business, marketing and responsible gambling expertise within the horse racing industry.
Fort Erie Mayor Doug Martin said he doesn’t understand the reasoning for the panel’s decision and he would like to see where all the information has come from for the reports.
“If there’s to be open and transparency, let’s have a look at everybody so we can see what they did and what they received in funding and how that’s going to be distributed,” said Martin. “Our group have worked their tails off over the last year or two to make this sustainable. Revenues have been up and I think we are the model of what should be, and for them to just dismiss this entirely as if we are going to talk about it later.”
The mayor said he has no idea what holding a festival would entail. He has not been provided with any specifics and is hopeful more information will be made available.
“The track is important to this community, but apparently the premier doesn’t see it the same way,” said Martin. “We did everything that they asked, but it seems that it really doesn’t matter.”
Jim Thibert, CEO of Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium, said the bottom line here is that you need to compare “apples with apples” and that was not done in this case.
“We are the only track that is the closest to sustainability. There’s no track in north America that is sustainable, some are closer than others, and every jurisdiction puts money into them.”
Thibert said there were a number of things that weren’t talked about in the report including how much the Fort Erie track earned, the economic impact on the community and that they didn’t stop the slots, the OLG did.
“I don’t know what Fort Erie did to these people, but it’s not nice being treated like this.”
Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak said this is another example of the Wynne government’s pattern of putting their own political interests ahead of Ontarians.
“What deeply saddens me is this is probably the final death knell for the Fort Erie Race Track,” Hudak said in a statement.
Welland NDP MPP Cindy Forster said this announcement will mean devastating job losses for track workers and horse racing families in Niagara.
“Liberals are experts at letting down the people of Fort Erie. They closed the Fort Erie ER. They closed the Fort Erie Tourist Information Centre. They closed the Fort Erie Race Track once and now they're gutting it once and for all,” said Forster.
"Wynne talks about horse racing as a part of the history and culture of Ontario yet she's willing to shut down one of the oldest and most celebrated tracks in the province. Horses have been racing at Fort Erie since 1897.”
