Gates says delayed race track funding threatens local jobs

A delayed $35-million funding deal for Fort Erie Race Track is putting local jobs at risk, MPP Wayne Gates told the Ontario legislature Thursday as he pressed the province to complete the agreement.

Gates used his member’s statement at Queen’s Park to argue the hold-up threatens one of Fort Erie’s largest employers and the wider network of trainers, jockeys, farmers and suppliers tied to the historic track. He said the province should finalize an agreement developed with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and Ontario Racing.

Gates blamed the delay on Woodbine Entertainment Group, saying one stakeholder is holding up the proposed funding package. He did not cite a provincial response during the statement.

“We’re hearing about restrictions that prevent horses from moving freely between tracks and scheduling decisions that push the Prince of Wales out of the peak summer season,” Gates told Queen’s Park.

Gates said workers at the track have gone nearly a decade without purse increases and are facing rising costs. He said those pressures could force workers to leave the community.

“Workers at the track haven’t seen a purse increase in nearly a decade,” Gates said.

Fort Erie Race Track and allied racing groups have urged the province to approve the funding agreement. No response from Woodbine Entertainment Group was included in the materials provided Thursday.

“I’m calling on the government to finalize the agreement as intended,” Gates said. “Protect jobs, ensure a fair and balanced horse racing industry.”

The track has supported employment in Fort Erie for more than a century and remains a major economic driver for the town.

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