A Call To Action

To my Canadian Brothers & Sisters in Harness Racing. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Your very successful Slots at the Tracks program has been copied extensively in the United States, and the envy of all. It is a win - win situation for everyone. Now you have been deliberated blind sided by your government. The speed of this attack leaves no doubt it has been well planned over some time. I have read all the articles and comments on the CTA site. All correct and well intentioned, but preaching to the choir. Time is against you. You must quickly bring all your leaders, harness and flat, together at one table, and unite in one voice. You must forget past differences and pick a leader, and mount a no holds barred counter attack, or you will all be destroyed. We have numerous multi-millionaire and influential people in our sport. Call on them for financial support. You must inform the public of the truth. Full page ads in as many newspapers as possible. Let them understand how much is at stake, not just for the horsemen, but Canada.

The Slots at the Tracks program has been extremely profitable to Canada, nationally and locally, while lottery and casinos have had a hard time showing profitability. Why would more casinos change this? The racetracks provide a great environment. Casinos are generally to large, and one reason you see many elderly attending the tracks. The man generally likes the challenge of the horses, the women prefer the slots action. Government is famous for under estimating cost, and over estimating income. The racetracks are Canadian owned, while casino profits end up in Las Vegas, USA. Is Las Vegas still the old Las Vegas, all dressed up in white corporate clothes? These are arguments which will reach the common person who is hard pressed to make a living. But, it takes money to communicate to them. Next, get some GOOD, HUNGRY lawyers to do whatever is necessary to slow the enemy. Once the slots leave, which is scheduled very soon at three tracks, it will be almost impossible to get them back. Unless stopped, they will be the first casualties, the loss of Windsor, Sarnia, and Ft. Erie. I don’t know Canadian law, but in the US injunctions are used many times to slow down projects, until common sense prevails. Horsemen and women, it is our sport and livelihood that is on the line. The politicians almost cost us The Meadowlands. Lets pray it’s not to late to save Canadian racing. Norm McClurg (Toledo Red)

As an American fan of harness racing, I have already written to the Ontario Finance Department to protest these dangerous and short sighted recommendations. I would encourage other American fans to support our Canadian friends. After all, state governments in the U.S. such as Pennsylvania are also looking to cut out support for the horse racing and breeding industries. I'm sure they'll watch Ontario with great interest.
Best of luck in your efforts to support your industry.

Heres a thought. One person from each shedrow has each person in the shedrow sign a petition. If this is done at each stable, training center, farm, racetrack and paddocks on racenight. Go to the feedstores for the farmers it helps to subsidize etc. It would take no time at all to have thousands of signatures to send to the government.

If Sue Leslie or someone at one the the many horse associations could provide a contact to fax the petitions to them they could forward them off to Ottawa. They could even be available for the protest if we act now.

You have the potential for thousands of signatures within a weeks time.

Just a thought.

Greg Parke

I was wondering if the CanAm Equine Emporium held at Western Fair Mar 16-18 would be a good place to reach horsepeople from other venues. After all if the race business goes under they will have to pick up the shortfall at vets, tack shops, blacksmiths etc. We need their support as well as our own membership's. Perhaps some of our high profile drivers, trainers and owners could speak before some of the more popular events when the arena is full. I know that many pleasure/show people had no idea until perhaps the news stories this week that they themselves could be affected. The more people we have in support of our plight the better, right? I just hope it's not too late.

ONE MORE IDEA

Find a spokesperson that Ontarians will pay attention to. This could be a sports figure such as Matts Sundin who has racing connections but is not dependant on racing for a living ( I read somewhere that Dion Phaneuf's grandfather is a trainer). Maybe there's even a newscaster out there who has some racing ties. This person must be able to explain the situation clearly to the public and show them that it is not in the best interest of this province to lose another industry. They must make it clearly understood that slot money is NOT A SUBSIDY and once again we are being mislead by government speak.

Although there are many personable and articulate people in the racing industry I don't think the non racing public will be interested in listening unless it comes from a prominent individual NOT PRIMARILY involved in the industry . Everyone in the racing community must know of such a person - beg for their help if necessary.

Sue Hutton

I would suggest everyone also contact The Hon Ted McMeekin, MPP (Ancaster--Dundas--Flamborough--Westdale), Ontario Liberal Party - Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs .. either via email, phone, fax, mail or in person at his constituency office.

His constituency office is at 299 Dundas Street East, Waterdown (in the back).
Mailing address:
299 Dundas Street East
P.O. BOX 1240
Waterdown, Ontario L0R 2H0

[email protected]
Constituency Phone: 905-690-6552
Constituency Fax: 905-690-6562

Everyone should take 10-15minutes and do exactly what Nicole Henry has contributed: write your 'e' mails as requested and be sure to contact your own MPP. No doubt legal manuevers are an option but expensive and lengthy and yes we could win but after the damage is done. A full out grass roots approach will insure a broader base of politicians and media will understand the outcry and potential damage. My many experiences on these types of issues have made me understand that failure to rally will see many politicians believing this is not a big issue as no one is writing or calling them. Don't assume someone else is going to fix this problem and encourage all your horse people contacts to respond. A simple call to the local MPP office is better than hoping for the best. Whenever the Minister of Finance sends out a trial balloon (as he did on Monday) it usually indicates they are measuring the outcry and in many cases preparing the targeted industry for the predetermined decision they plan to proceed with. Mr Dummond did in fact confirm what Duncan has already stated and the racing industry could be the first example and casualty of the Liberal austerity program. The OLG has the ear of finance and are actually driving this agenda so they can deliver additional gaming dollars from the addicted Ontarians at a cheaper cost. We all must find it somewhat concerning that many race track owners in Ontario are not weighing in or crying foul as they may already have a deal with the OLG and have been asked to be quietly supportive. It is time for the employees to speak out and they are the drivers, trainers, breeders, blacksmiths,vets and grooms and work with your associations to follow the scripts and messaging. To do nothing will result in the finality of many tracks in Ontario but remember it will not be the end of slots or casinos as the government has a hidden and agreed agenda. Let's get going!

as tim bates says we should be prepared for court. all our groups must get their act together and come together as one voice and that voice should be a well known and respected lawyer. i suggest justice James Donnelly be asked to take leave of absence from his current position and be retained as the horsemens lawyer. just a thought.

I totally agree with Bob Burgess and think our harness reps need to co-ordinate with thoroughbred, quarter horse and municipalities to build a team to respond.

Drummond report recommendation "re-evaluate, on a value for money basis the practice of providing a portion of net slots revenue to the horse racing and breeding industry and municipalities in order to substantially reduce and better target that support"

Value for money is the newest buzzword in budgets and I think we can justify every dollar spent in horse racing as good value for money for the government- just use Quebec racing as an example of the opposite. We can beat them at their own game.

For Dwight Duncan to state it is a "subsidy" displays a "lack of knowledge". I had harsher words but wanted to get by the editor..

We need to engage opposition as very few rural ridings vote for liberals.

I am looking to our harness reps to take the lead in developing a team and strategy which needs to include advertising. As Bob has stated we need lawyers on this team to ensure our negotiated rights are protected.

If we need to do a short term fund building by taking a small % of purse distribution and stud fees then we need to do it.

EVERYONE who has a facebook or twitter, ADD these politicans as your friend. whats the sense in posting stuff on there if the person we are trying to get through to doesnt see it... if he doesnt accept our request it can be held against him.. lets fill his news feed with our posts....

I beleive that we should start a petition to try and stop them in as many ways possible. I have emailed both the people listed that we should email but, when you think about it are they really going to open all of our emails that are being sent? i know we are trying everything we can but i think we need to take more than one approach then through technology.

Will the government be shutting down the slots at the tracks? Why would the tracks allow competition for the gambling dollar at their facilities to SUBSIDIZE the government with no benefit for the racing business.

Our provincial government has announced that it intends to expropriate (without compensation) the horse industry's share of the funds earned pursuant to the terms of the various siteholders' agreements with the tracks.

These individual siteholders' agreements were entered into by each track with the Government,the local municipality, and the OLG at the time the slots program was initiated. They have subsequently been renewed by all parties.

It goes without saying that these agreements were reviewed by legal counsel for each of the parties and by legal counsel for their respective lenders. These agreements therefore represent legal and binding obligations of our current provincial Government. They cannot be changed or amended in any way without the written consent of all parties, including the horsemen.

By indulging in threatening and careless talk about "subsidies" and about "wanting to get out of the horse business" Mr.Duncan has purposely misrepresented the facts of the situation to our customers and to the general public and exposed our industry to ridicule.

His comments have damaged our racing product and threatened our future. In law, this gives rise to a claim for damages by the racing industry against his Government for anticipatory breach of contract.

The horse industry must continue to take a hard line and continue to stand firm and united. We have nothing to negotiate.

The Government is not above the law when it enters into contractual obligations.

We can continue the inward blame-game for not promoting the Industry better, or the ORC for not playing hardball with racetrack owners (valid), but the bottom line is that the entertainment dynamics have charged dramatically in the last 20 years. No matter how fancy our grandstands, or how well promoted our product is, to think pari-mutual betting will ever grow enough to offset the slot agreement is nothing but fallacy.

The reasoning behind the Province allowing the slot agreement 15 years ago, is no different than the reason it continues to be a necessary evil (public perception) today. ITS ALL ABOUT JOBS.

We can decry and criticize this industry -- we certainly shoot each other in the foot more than enough -- but the fact is 60,000 jobs have a huge, huge spinoff effect.

The government offers major incentives, tax breaks and rescue plans for Auto Assembly plants (ie bailout package 2 years ago). And that was/is in order to protect some 40,000 jobs in Ontario's auto assembly sector. The government has/does provide significant subsidies and incentives in most other agricultural sectors, and most Industrial sectors. That they structured a deal with the Racing Industry to keep those jobs (and a significant sector of rural Ontario) viable isn't a shock. That they would consider sacrificing those jobs is.

Fact is we can all be nay sayers and look like easy prey for politicians, but where does that get anyone? A quick trip to the unemployment line where everyone collects a different type of government subsidy, and one that has very little spin-off.

Sell/convince the media, public and government the importance of the 60,000 jobs (not to mention spin-off employment), and the argument is very, very substantial.

Cam McKnight

Cam is 100 percent correct because we are talking about the whole pie not how we split up the pie. The constant fighting in this industry has been about how the slots money is split not whether it is needed. I think it is very important the industry leaders highlight the hundreds of millions of dollars that the provincial and municiopal governments recieve from both the slots and the paramutuel wagering throughout the province. The Finance minister wil try to shine the light on the 20 percent that is given to the racing industry and not discuss the 80 percent that is going to the different levels of government. Having read a number of the posts by Sue Leslie I am very confident that she understands the issues and it is important that industry stands behind all of Ohria's efforts.

The Toronto Star has published a favorable article in today's sports section. I personally have sent them an email thanking them for doing so.

Anyone with influence in the press should do the same and encourage more coverage even beyond the sports pages. Followers of business news and local economy would also be interested in this information. On line petitions would be a great help but the general public must be made aware of how to sign them.

The standardbred community has some notable sports personalities who are involved. Perhaps they could be influenced to keep up the momentum by talking to the press.

Also the thoroughbred community has some very rich and powerful members. Some of these people have ties to standardbred racing as well. Anyone who knows these types could get them involved (after all this affects them as well). These would be the people who could possibly influence the bigger tv news stations to carry some coverage.

Trainers, drivers, owners must use all your connections to the "rich and famous" to keep this story before the public in a positive light.

It's important not to let this phony story about the money going to health care overshadow the very real stories of honest hard working people being robbed of their livlihood and forced to join the ranks of the unemployed or welfare recipients.

To all participants of this wonderful sport: This may very well be your last chance to save the industry you love. As a devoted fan, I will only be very sad if horse racing dies but you will be devastated both personally and financially. Stand up and fight this for all you're worth!!!

Please do not let what happened to Quebec happen in Ontario because of politicans. If I had any influence with the powers that be, I would certainly use them, however I don't so I will email everyone I know to keep this subject current.

On July 1st, 2017, we will not only be celebrating Canada's 150th birthday, but we will also be celebrating the 250th Anniversary of Canadian Horse Racing! I say on July 1st, 2012, we all take a stand to ensure that when 2017 comes, there will be a grand opportunity to celebrate!! Mark the date....July 1st, 2012!! Let your voices be heard! We are a vibrant racing community and horses have taught us to be patient, determined, and strong. We must delve deep within ourselves to find that strength and band together to get our message heard! 07-01-12, mark the date!

This Industry can unite when it must! In the 24 hours since the Duncan statement there has been more positive press about horse racing and its importance to the agricultural sector than I have heard for years.

While the positive press is great, and the emails, tweets and texts are a must, I believe face to face meetings with Minister Duncan and Premier McGuinty are also extremely important -- and time is of the essence.

Getting face time with the Premier or Minister of Finance will not be easy, but I am absolutely certain there are people connected to this industry who have enough contacts within the Liberal ranks to arrange such a meeting. I also believe that while Sue Leslie of OHRIA should lead such a delegation, it would have a real impact if two or three high profile professionals (eg. Dr. Cal Stiller) who are associated with the racing industry were also involved.

High profile types (and there are many involved with the racing/breeding industry) travel in circles where there is a strong possibility they could pick up the phone and arrange face to face meetings. I know it is asking a lot of people, but desperate situations call for desperate measures.

I would encourage anyone who does have these kind of contacts (or knows someone who might) to contact Sue Leslie at OHRIA (416-679-0741) and offer to try and set up a meeting asap.

Cam McKnight