Ford sits on hands while corporation tramples rural Ontario’s horse racing industry

WINDSOR-TECUMSEH — Percy Hatfield, MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh and the NDP’s critic for OLG and Horse Racing, responded to a decision by Great Canadian Gaming to further limit the horse racing features at Flamboro Downs:

“Families in and around Hamilton have long brought their children to watch horse racing at Flamboro Downs, viewing it as a fun, safe and welcoming venue for a family outing.

But decisions by Great Canadian Gaming, the major corporation that, as of 2005, owns the track, continue to contribute to the destruction of Ontario’s small horse tracks industry, and take crucial opportunities from rural Ontario’s harness horse racing industry.

Meanwhile, the Ford government continues to sit on its hands.

When Great Canadian Gaming announced recently that it was banning children under 19 from watching the horse racing from Flamboro’s main grandstand, I asked the Ford government to step in. I heard nothing back. Now, Great Canadian Gaming has announced it will renovate Flamboro Downs so that the casino portion is expanded and the horseracing features are even further limited. The renovations will make it harder for people to place a bet on a horse or watch the track.

Doug Ford needs to do what he promised and stand up for the little guys involved in Ontario’s rural horse racing industry. He needs to protect a longstanding industry that so many rural Ontarians have both enjoyed and relied upon for economic opportunities, not allow big business to trample the rights of rural Ontario communities.

I sincerely hope that Doug Ford and his ministers don’t show up at next week’s International Plowing Match and brag about how much they care about rural issues.”