Lakeshore Advance, 2013-03-13, Page 1414 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesday, March 13, 2013
- Clinton Raceway signs three-year agreement with Ontario
government for transition funding
Melissa Murray
QMI Agency
Clinton Raceway is one of six
Ontario horseracing tracks to
sign transition funding agree-
ments with the Ontario gov-
ernment, announced Premier
and Minister of Agriculture and
Food, on March 8, at the Grand
River Raceway in Elora.
The agreement is for three
years and for an undisclosed
amount as the government
continues to negotiate with
eight other Ontario racetracks.
"We are working to ensure
that the dates for the 2013 rac-
ing season will be in place and
provide long -terns stability to
the industry, because those are
the two questions that have
been floating," said Kathleen
Wynne during the press
conference.
The transition funding was
offered to assist racetracks after
the liberal government
announced the end of the
Slots -at -Racetracks program
last March, which provided the
horseracing industry with $345
million per year.
"The reality is that the indus-
try is going to be smaller than it
was. We've said that all along,
that a sustainable horse racing
industry is going to be a smaller
industry. 'That's a reality that i
know the industry is
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confronting and we are going to work
through this transition with them."
Clinton Raceway manager Ian Fleming
was in Elora to hear the official announce-
ment after the Raceway's board accepted
the deal in principle last 'Thursday nig lt.
"We got a commitment from the gov-
ernment and we're pretty happy about
that; he said.
Because eight tracks are still negotiating
their transition funding, Fleming said he
couldn't comment on the amount of
money the racetrack would receive for the
three years.
I le did say is the amount "Is adequate to
run the horse racing operation for the
three years:'
Before the Clinton agreement was
official early last Friday morning there
was a bit of back and forth between the
two groups.
"We were getting really close to the first
of April, so it was time to get down to the
end of this," he said.
'ibis was the second piece of the puzzle
to fall into place after the Ot.(', made rental
agreements for the slots to stay in Clinton.
"This is good news for the area, good
news for racing and for entertainment,"
he said.
While the decision was a long time coin-
ing and the raceway's hoard members
were "please, relieved and excited" after
sign the agreement, said Fleming.
The Clinton racing season will begin the
long weekend of May and will nun until the
end of September, with 20 race days.
What's left to determine is the purses for
each of those days.
While Fleming said the announcement
was great news for racing, he feels for the
horse breeders who work on a longer cycle
than just three years.
"in today's world, that's a long time, but
they work on a longer cycle and are look-
ing for more direction. That being said, it's
all good to breed and train horses, but it's
not good if you don't have anywhere to
race:'
Since the announcement of the end of
the Slots -at -Racetracks program, horse-
men around the province have worried
about the future of the industry, which
employs more than 60,000 people. But
Wynne said this arrangement will keep the
industry and the economy alive.
"'There is a full range of jobs that is
supported by this industry and I under-
stand that and that's why Minister
McMeekin set up the transition panel
because we recognize that we really
needed to take a look at the decision that
had been made and we needed to slake
sure that there weren't any enormous
unintended consequences of it decision
that was made last year," said Wynne.
"We had to look at what is in the hest
interest of the industry, how (lo we protect
the animals and protect jobs and how do
we slake sure we have a viable industry for
the people wild want to take part in that
industry? So it's about jobs, it's about tour-
ism, it's about the vibrant industry that has
been in this province evolving to a place
where it can be sustainable. We know as
govemnent we have a role to play in that:'
During the ailrlouncement, Wynne said
the transition funding was to help integrate
horseracing with the Ontario Lottery and
Gaining strategy and to ensure revenue
streams for the industry.
"We hope to integrate horse racing with
the modem gaining strategy," she said.
John Wilkinson, part of the panel that
put together a transition strata gy, told
press the consensus was to create a new
arrangement that incorporated accounta-
bility and transparency.
"Our consensus advice was that any
new arrangement had to be account;
and be transparent. That the indus..
had to be focused on the customer and
that any money from the government to
the industry would be returned plus
more by way of taxes back to the govern-
ment...l'his is based on the customer,
not 00 the slot machines:"
Wynne also announced that each of
the rental agreements between the
municipalities and the slots have been
finalized. The Clinton agreement was to
be finalized Feb. 28.
In response to it question about money
going to health cart' a11(1 education instead
of horsenu'ing, Wynne sai(1 Ontario needs
horseracing as well as strong health care
and education.
"My contention is there is room in
Ontario for horse racing and health
care and education. 1 don't think we
need to make those choices entirely.
'Ihe reality is that the amount of money
that was part of that agreement is going
to change."
Other racetracks that have accepted
transition funding agreements include the
(rand River, Western Fair, Mohawk, I lano-
ver and Woodbine.
The agreements in place represent 80
per cent of wagering in Ontario, said
Wilkinson.
Wynne said she is confident agreements
can Ix• reached with all 14 racetracks.
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