A Brief Foreword from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper
It looks like the Fort Erie Race Track – a venue for horse racing for more than a century – is dead.
There will be those in animal activist circles who see this as a good thing, but many others see it as a tragedy for the Town of Fort Erie, Ontario, for those who work at this old track and for those who breed and care for horses around the horse track industry.
There is no doubt about it, wherever you stand on whether horses should be there for people to ride and race on or whether they should run free, this is another great blow to a Town of Fort Erie that has already seen the province pull the plug on a Slots venue for gambling, on a tourist centre and other private company jobs within the past two or three years.
Niagara At Large now invites you to wade in, following the posting of reaction to this news this Friday, October 11th from the province’s NDP and Conservative Parties. Not so surprisingly, there was no word on this one from the governing Liberal government in Ontario. Apparently Premier Kathleen Wynne has no problems with gambling or “gaming” as her government calls it, but not here.
Fort Erie has been written off.
From the Office of Niagara Area MPP Cindy Forster, October 11th, 2013
Wynne’s Horse Racing Plan Tramples over Fort Erie Race Track
Welland, October 11th, 2013 – NDP MPP Cindy Forster said Premier Kathleen Wynne’s horse racing 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.
If Kathleen Wynne truly believes that a ‘festival weekend’ makes for a sustainable horse racing industry in Niagara then she hasn’t bothered to talk to any track workers or horse people down here.”
Liberals created the crisis in the Ontario horse racing industry when they ended a successful profit-sharing arrangement as part of a plan to increase casino privatization. New Democrats have stood up in the Legislature and called for long-term stable funding for the Fort Erie Race Track.
“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.
“With today’s announcement this government is ripping one of the jewels out of the Canadian Triple Crown. The Kentucky Derby wouldn’t be the Kentucky Derby if it wasn’t run at Churchill downs. Same goes for the Prince of Wales Stakes at the Fort Erie Race Track,” said Forster. “The Premier’s promising a ‘different kind of season’ for Fort Erie Race Track, alright. It’s no season at all.
From the Office of Ontario Conservative Leader Tim Hudak
October 11th, 2013, For Immediate Release
FORT ERIE RACETRACK DEALT FINAL BLOW
Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak today reacting to what appears to be the latest in the Wynne government’s pattern of putting their own political interests ahead of Ontarians, the final blow for the Fort Erie Racetrack.
“What deeply saddens me is this is probably the final death knell for the Fort Erie Racetrack. A town I grew up in. And Kathleen Wynne, aided by the NDP, are probably going to shut the doors on a 125 year old, beautiful old (facility),” said Hudak.
(click here for audio clip http://d.pr/v/Byck)
Citing a report released today, Premier Kathleen Wynne made it clear, Fort Erie’s future is looking bleak, “The panel didn’t see a clear path forward for Fort Erie.”
The timing of today’s funding announcement by the Liberals, disguised as an attempt to help sustain the industry they themselves orchestrated the demise of, has Hudak questioning their motives.
“They eliminated the slots at racetracks program and tossed 65 thousand people out of jobs. Kathleen Wynne, now that she’s concerned about an election campaign, has discovered bags of money that she’s going to throw back at the industry. I don’t think the hardworking people in the horseracing sector in rural Ontario are going to be fooled by that.”
(click here for audio clip http://d.pr/v/d19Q)
(Now Niagara At Large encourages you to join n the debate on this issue. Remember that NAL only posts views, shared in the comment area below, by individuals who also share their first and last names. Anonymous or fake names are not welcome on this site which stands for each and every one of us being accountable for our views.)
Niagara At Large 
Maybe, just maybe we, humans that is, can use this amazing thing we have, otherwise known as a brain, and come up with jobs, an industry, a WORLD! that doesn’t involve exploiting animals. Oh, and remember when gambling used to be seedy and frowned upon? Now our livelihoods depend on it! Times have certainly changed…
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let folks throw their money wherever they wish – have their flutter – leave the horses out of the equation. For them it is indeed a trip to, as you say, the glue factory….but first comes the horrendous trip to and inside the slaughterhouse.
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