Gov't $ "Too Little, Too Late"
Oct 13, 2013 11:02:14 GMT -5
Post by Evelyn on Oct 13, 2013 11:02:14 GMT -5
Will this happen in the US if slots dollars are not allocated to racing?
Big purse from province ‘too little, too late' for horse racing
By Molly Hayes
The Hamilton Spectator
A $400-million boost is not enough to repair Ontario's damaged horse racing industry, local breeders say.
Premier Kathleen Wynne announced Friday the government will inject up to $80 million a year into the horse racing industry over the next five years to help cover purses and the cost of live racing.
But Brian Tropea, general manager of the Ontario Harness Horse Association, said the announcement comes "too little too late."
"A lot of horse people have already left the province and I haven't read anything in the report that would drive them to come home," Tropea said.
The five-year plan was devised by a Liberal government-appointed panel last year to map out a blueprint for the industry after the cancellation of the Slots at Racetracks program, which brought in about $345 million a year for racetracks.
The three panel members — Elmer Buchanan, John Snobelen and John Wilkinson — are former Ontario cabinet ministers.
The panel also calls for a standardbred racing alliance to operate a "world class racing circuit" with eight tracks — Flamboro, Hanover, Clinton, Grand River, Western Fair, Georgian, Mohawk and Woodbine.
According to local breeder Jim Whelan, who has spent a lifetime breeding, training and racing horses, the industry will not bounce back.
"That way of life is, from my perspective, gone. I can't sustain a livelihood in Ontario based on this program," said Whelan, who has downsized from 45 horses to just five in two years.
"Literally, at 57 years old, I don't know what I'm going to do."
Racing days across the province have been slashed, tracks have laid off employees and horses are racing for lower purses.
The horse racing industry employs between 20,000 and 30,000 people full time in the province, many in small, rural communities.
Before, Whelan said, "we had $170 million for standardbreds alone … now we're going to get $80 million to be spread across the whole province? The math just doesn't work."
Tropea said industry workers weren't impressed by the panel's report.
"Most people I've spoken to are not happy. They felt they've made huge investments … that they'll have no chance of recovering."
Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, which runs Flamboro Downs, declined to comment Friday.
The provincial plan will reduce industry costs and enhance revenues by concentrating all resident-based thoroughbred live racing at Woodbine, the report said.
The panel doesn't support a full race calendar at Fort Erie's track, based on its business plan and quantity and calibre of racing. But it endorses the current 30-day calendar at Ajax Downs.
Tropea said the limited racing circuits will do little to reverse the "double negative" within the local industry.
"We used to attract foreign investment … people sent their horses here to be trained, to race … now we're spending our money in the U.S.," he said.
The government also plans to restructure the Ontario Racing Commission into two divisions: one that will continue to regulate the industry and a separate one to distribute funding and work with the OLG on industry develop-ment.
"The devil's in the details," Tropea said.
"The hard work happens now, you know. If you truly believe this is going to sustain the industry, now you'll have to make it happen."
Big purse from province ‘too little, too late' for horse racing
By Molly Hayes
The Hamilton Spectator
A $400-million boost is not enough to repair Ontario's damaged horse racing industry, local breeders say.
Premier Kathleen Wynne announced Friday the government will inject up to $80 million a year into the horse racing industry over the next five years to help cover purses and the cost of live racing.
But Brian Tropea, general manager of the Ontario Harness Horse Association, said the announcement comes "too little too late."
"A lot of horse people have already left the province and I haven't read anything in the report that would drive them to come home," Tropea said.
The five-year plan was devised by a Liberal government-appointed panel last year to map out a blueprint for the industry after the cancellation of the Slots at Racetracks program, which brought in about $345 million a year for racetracks.
The three panel members — Elmer Buchanan, John Snobelen and John Wilkinson — are former Ontario cabinet ministers.
The panel also calls for a standardbred racing alliance to operate a "world class racing circuit" with eight tracks — Flamboro, Hanover, Clinton, Grand River, Western Fair, Georgian, Mohawk and Woodbine.
According to local breeder Jim Whelan, who has spent a lifetime breeding, training and racing horses, the industry will not bounce back.
"That way of life is, from my perspective, gone. I can't sustain a livelihood in Ontario based on this program," said Whelan, who has downsized from 45 horses to just five in two years.
"Literally, at 57 years old, I don't know what I'm going to do."
Racing days across the province have been slashed, tracks have laid off employees and horses are racing for lower purses.
The horse racing industry employs between 20,000 and 30,000 people full time in the province, many in small, rural communities.
Before, Whelan said, "we had $170 million for standardbreds alone … now we're going to get $80 million to be spread across the whole province? The math just doesn't work."
Tropea said industry workers weren't impressed by the panel's report.
"Most people I've spoken to are not happy. They felt they've made huge investments … that they'll have no chance of recovering."
Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, which runs Flamboro Downs, declined to comment Friday.
The provincial plan will reduce industry costs and enhance revenues by concentrating all resident-based thoroughbred live racing at Woodbine, the report said.
The panel doesn't support a full race calendar at Fort Erie's track, based on its business plan and quantity and calibre of racing. But it endorses the current 30-day calendar at Ajax Downs.
Tropea said the limited racing circuits will do little to reverse the "double negative" within the local industry.
"We used to attract foreign investment … people sent their horses here to be trained, to race … now we're spending our money in the U.S.," he said.
The government also plans to restructure the Ontario Racing Commission into two divisions: one that will continue to regulate the industry and a separate one to distribute funding and work with the OLG on industry develop-ment.
"The devil's in the details," Tropea said.
"The hard work happens now, you know. If you truly believe this is going to sustain the industry, now you'll have to make it happen."