“This is a victory for the Fort Erie Race Track and for the hundreds of local jobs it supports.” – Wayne Gates, MPP for the Riding of Niagara Falls that includes Fort Erie and Niagara-on-the-Lake
A News Release from the Constituency Office of Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates
Posted June 29th, 2026 on Niagara At Large
Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates, representing Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Fort Erie
FORT ERIE in Niagara, Ontario –– Ontario NDP MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls) released the following statement after Ontario Racing confirmed the Ford government has finalized the funding agreement that has been stalled over the last few months, and will infuse the horse racing industry with $35 million annually for the next five years:
“This is good news for Fort Erie, good news for rural Ontario, and more than anything, it is great news for the workers and all the communities who depend on this industry,” said Gates. “This is a win-win-win for everyone involved.”
MPP Gates raised this issue to Doug Ford at Queen’s Park (https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcanadianthoroughbred.com%2Fmagazine%2Fbusiness%2Ffunding-delay-sparks-industry-tension-political-pressure-builds%2F&data=05%7C02%7CBMaki%40ndp.on.ca%7C6afae13414964ed84f2408ded3903e41%7C6b9fd2ec77a64ae0822a6bb9108fb274%7C0%7C0%7C639180813646410612%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Ofwqz0V59iwIAI6jQRdZZ9UiH60gIdLWJLf2PTUVKZU%3D&reserved=0) after the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society wrote to the Premier on April 10, warning that the proposed funding agreement had stalled because of Woodbine Entertainment Group’s position.
“When we worked across the aisle and kept the focus on people’s jobs, this deal moved quickly from delayed to done. We’ve worked with and would like to thank the ministry, the sector, and our Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium (FELRC) for getting the funding to start flowing to the tracks and the people who keep Fort Erie’s Race Track thriving.”
This funding agreement supports 15 Ontario tracks, nearly 18,000 jobs, and contributes more than $1.9 billion annually to Ontario’s economy.
“This is a victory for the Fort Erie Race Track and for the hundreds of local jobs it supports, and we can all look forward to another exciting season of horse racing here in Niagara,” added Gates. “This deal means that the track now has a long-term funding solution in place and we’re on the path to undoing the damage that was done from the delay.”
ADDITIONAL QUOTES:
“We want to thank MPP Wayne Gates for continuing to raise Fort Erie’s voice at Queen’s Park and for making sure that this deal got done quickly. This is an important investment from the provincial government for the Fort Erie Race Track that will build on Ontario’s long-term plan to make Niagara a world class tourism destination. We appreciate the provincial government, Ontario Racing, OLG, and the industry partners who worked to get this agreement in place. This funding gives our sector more stability, and we look forward to continuing the work to keep horse racing strong in Fort Erie and across Ontario.” – Jim Thibert, CEO of the Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium (FELRC)
“This funding agreement is an exciting step forward for the horse racing industry in Ontario. This gives owners, trainers, breeders and horse people the confidence to continue to invest and support the industry for the foreseeable future. We thank everyone involved in making this agreement a reality.” – Icon Racing Stables
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