The Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) of Ontario is taking an industry lead by recommending and supporting a ban on the use of race day medication in Ontario. The HBPA Board of Directors made the final decision after it being raised at an ORC (Ontario Racing Commission) industry consultation meeting and further after reading […]
Sue Leslie
The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association wants candidates who are running for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to sign a pledge indicating they will be a ‘Champion of Horse Racing and Breeding’ if elected on June 12, 2014. “OHRIA has taken this step because we’ve seen the importance of working with MPPs from across Ontario […]
The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA) was not surprised by the findings contained in the Auditor General’s Report on the Ontario Lottery and Gaming’s (OLG’s) Modernization Plan considering the devastation the horse racing and breeding industry has endured since the cancellation of the Slots at Racetracks Program (SARP). “It is troubling when your own […]
The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA) is pleased with the personal attention and progress that Premier Kathleen Wynne has given to ensuring the survival of the province’s horse racing and breeding industry. The recently negotiated five-year deal, which provides the industry with some stability, is much appreciated. The ultimate survival of the industry, which […]
The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA) is concerned that the integration of horse racing into the OLG’s Gaming Strategy will be impossible if the existing OLG Modernization Plan continues to go forward. The OLG’s announcement of the RFPQs (Request for Pre-Qualification) for their Southwest Gaming Bundle puts Ontario’s horse racing industry at further risk […]
Paul Godfrey, chair of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), has been fired. And, as a result, all seven members of the OLG Board of Directors have resigned. Godfrey, who took on the role as chair of the OLG in 2009, has reinvented the organization, helping it become modern and more efficient, according to […]
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 […]
The Ontario horse racing industry received word today that three more tracks – Fort Erie Racetrack, Flamboro Downs and Georgian Downs – had reached deals to host live Thoroughbred racing in 2013, but with the slots at racetracks program set to expire in less than a week, the sustainability question remains. The Ontario Horse Racing […]
The Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association has announced that there will, in fact, be live Thoroughbred racing at Fort Erie Racetrack this year. Details will follow in the next couple of days. In a statement, HPBA Ontario president, Sue Leslie, noted: “As our future is largely dependent on customers wagering on our product, it remains […]
The Federal Budget released on March 21, 2013 contains two changes to section 31 of the Income Tax Act. The Jockey Club of Canada Tax Committee Chair, John Unger, has released the following statement regarding Section 31 of the Income Tax Act pertaining to the horse racing industry in Canada. First, the wording of section […]
The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association is pleased to announce that the Progressive Conservatives and the New Democratic Party are again working together in the Legislature to support Ontario’s horse racing and breeding industry. OHRIA has been working closely with both parties on MPP Natyshak’s motion that calls for the extension of the Slots at […]
Today the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association was pleased to hear NDP MPP Taras Natyshak’s announcement regarding his party’s plan to introduce a motion calling on the suspension of the OLG’s modernization strategy until municipalities have held referendums in conjunction with the 2014 municipal elections, and the re-instatement of the Slots at Racetracks Program. “Time […]
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 […]
The Horsemen’s Benevolent Protective Association of Ontario is pleased to announce that the members have elected a new Board of Directors
Since the Ontario government’s announcement regarding the termination of the Slots At Racetracks (SAR) Program I have been in personal contact with many of our members and would like to thank those of whom I have spoken with for expressing your views and for your support during these challenging times. For the past three months […]