Last week, the Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel released their final report, “Building a Sustainable Future Together; Ontario’s Five Year Horse Racing Partnership”. Pages 9 and 10 dealt specifically with the Fort Erie Thoroughbred track. It stated; “In short, the Panel can find no path to sustainability for a resident racing program…”. The Panel in […]
Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel
Ontario has released a five-year plan for a sustainable horse racing industry in the province based on the final Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel report. The plan will strengthen the industry and support future growth by: Providing up to $400 million over five years to sustain a wide range of racing opportunities that are supported by strong […]
Rural Ontario knows the pain the Region of Waterloo is feeling as they brace for the massive layoffs Blackberry has recently announced. Since the cancellation of the Slots at Racetracks Program last year, job losses and business closures in Ontario’s horse racing industry are more than double the expected worldwide losses of Blackberry as they […]
According to the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA), since the end of the slots-at-racetracks program in 2011, approximately 9,000 jobs have been lost and 3,000 owners have pulled out of the industry. Taking into consideration stats from 2010, which indicated that each owner invests an average of $279,000 per horse annually, with the loss […]
The following letter was written by Premier Kathleen Wynne regarding the state of horse racing in Ontario: The new Ontario government believes in a strong, sustainable future for the horse racing industry in this province. We have a plan, guided by the report of the Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel, for a way forward that […]
As reported on May 13th, Ontario’s Premier, Kathleen Wynne, has tasked the Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel with producing a draft plan for integrating horse racing into the Ontario gaming strategy by June, and a final plan by October. Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA) president, Sue Leslie, recently did an At the Gate podcast […]
Ontario has asked the Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel to bring forward a long-term plan to implement recommendations from its final report. As transition funding negotiations with track operators are now substantially complete, the province has asked the panel for a plan that sets a clear path forward on: • modernizing the governance and regulation […]
With the Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel’s March 31st deadline for negotiations with racetracks fast approaching, there is still word on the fate of Fort Erie Racetrack. The Horsemen’s Benevolent Protective Association of Ontario is involved in the ongoing discussions with OMAFRA’s Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel and various Ministries to maintain Fort Erie Racetrack […]
Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association president, Sue Leslie, was Norm Borg’s guest, on November 1st, for a special edition podcast of At the Gate, Racing at the Crossroads. Leslie expressed her thoughts and concerns on the recent release of the Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel’s final report. First and foremost, regarding the Sustainable Horse Racing […]
James J. Lawson, Chairman of Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) released the following statement upon WEG reviewing the Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel Report and discussing it at its Board of Directors meeting today. “Woodbine Entertainment Group is pleased that the Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel has reaffirmed that a vibrant, world class horse racing industry […]
The Honourable Ted McMeekin today released the Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel report containing the final recommendations for a new partnership between the government and the horse racing industry in Ontario. While the Panel’s new Sustainable Horse Racing Model leaves many questions unanswered, OHRIA believes this is an opportunity for the industry to commence meaningful […]
The three member Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel has submitted their final report to the Honourable Ted McMeekin, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The prorogation of parliament will not affect the discharge of the report and its recommendations which is anticipated to be officially released by the end of the month. In an […]
