Ontario's horse racing industry spoke out on March 30 at rallies across the province against the decision announced by the Liberal government and Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) to end the Slots-At-Racetracks program by March 2013

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The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA) hosted rallies in support of Ontario horse racing and the Slots-At-Racetracks program at the offices of 11 Liberal MPPs including Christopher Bentley (London West), Laurel C. Broten, (Etobicoke—Lakeshore), Kim Craitor (Niagara Falls), Dwight Duncan (Windsor—Tecumseh), Jeff Leal (Peterborough), Dave Levac (Brant), Ted McMeekin (Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale), John Milloy (Kitchener Centre), Liz Sandals (Guelph), Joe Dickson, (Ajax—Pickering), and Deborah Matthews (London North Centre).

"This is one step of a multi-faceted plan to attempt to influence the government decision," OHRIA's Dave Drew was quoted as saying at the Niagara Falls rally in a video report by the Fort Erie Times. "Our hope is that the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association can sit down with the government and have some constructive discussions about alternatives. We understand there is a deficit that has to be dealt with, but we would like the opportunity to sit down with the government and review other options, other possibilities, other than the current plan related to Slots-At-Racetracks."

Horse racing industry representatives shared stories of their own personal involvement in racing and contributions to their local economies at the various rallies. Representatives also presented the facts and figures illustrating Ontario’s horse racing industry’s value to the overall provincial economy while dispelling the inaccuracies presented by the Liberal leaders in recent weeks. Among the speakers were owners, drivers, trainers, and breeders from the standardbred, thoroughbred and quarter horse breeds.

“Minister Duncan, it's time to put the facts first. It's time to stop this shameful attack on our industry that brings $2 billion to the Ontario economy," standardbred owner Lou Liebenau was quoted as saying by InsideToronto.com at the Etobicoke—Lakeshore rally.

Liebenau addressed the misrepresentation of facts about Ontario horse racing by Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, who had publicly questioned the figure of 60,000 jobs supported within the industry. Liebenau pointed to reports by Duncan’s fellow Liberal ministers that supported those figures.

During Winsdor’s rally, Brian Tropea, general manager of the Ontario Harness Horse Association (OHHA), provided those reports to Duncan’s office.

“Part of the reason we’re here today is to clear up some misconceptions, some misinformation, some downright lies about our industry that you’ve been hearing,” Tropea says in a video report from the rally by the Windsor Star. “You’ve been hearing the word 'subsidy' a lot. It’s not a subsidy. The horse racing industry receives 20 per cent of the revenue from the Slots-At-Racetracks [program]. If anyone is being subsidized it’s the government. They take 80 per cent of the revenues.”

“The way this was handled by the Liberal government and Dwight Duncan was very underhanded,” added long-time horseman Bob McIntosh. “They pushed it through using the OLG because they knew it wouldn’t pass in the legislation and they sprung it on us with no time to adjust really. Everybody has a three year business plan and they’ve given us one year or less to adapt.”

Bob Broadstock, president of Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario, also spoke of the short-sightedness of the Liberal government's decision to end the Slots-At-Racetrack revenue sharing agreement.

"We're fighting for the survival of horse racing in Ontario," he was quoted as saying on DurhamRegion.com. "The Liberal government's plans to cancel the Slots-At-Racetracks program will decimate our industry. Very few racetracks will be able to survive."

Meanwhile in Guelph, Emerald Ridge Farms’ Anna Meyers, president of the Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association (SBOA), addressed the lack of insight the Liberal government appears to have on how far-reaching their decision is.

“There are elements of the business that the government didn’t think about or understand,” Meyers was quoted as saying in the Guelph Mercury. “It’s the scariest thing most of us in the industry have ever been through. We’ve poured everything into our farm and into our livestock. To think that with one announcement that can all be jeopardized -- it’s horrifying.”

In Kitchener, Meyers’ husband Pat spoke of the losses their farm has already seen since the announcement was made that the revenue sharing agreement would be ending.

“So far, we’ve had 10 to 12 mares leave our farm because the owners of those horses are moving them down to New York state because they’re afraid of the future and what’s going to be here in Ontario. We’ve been hit hard already,” the longtime veterinarian and breeder was quoted as saying in The Record. “We buy feed. We buy hay. The ripple effect throughout the whole industry is unbelievable.”

Ontario Federation of Agriculture's Mark Reusser elaborated on how the agricultural industry as a whole will feel those ripple effects.

"A deadening of economic activity in rural Ontario...fewer people buying hay and straw, fewer people providing feed, a downturn in the industries that support the race horse industries,” he was quoted as saying at the rally in a CTV Southwestern Ontario video report.

Horse racing is the second largest sub-sector of Ontario’s agricultural economy. The industry received $345 million last year from the Slots-At-Racetracks program, which sustains over 60,000 jobs, produces over $2 billion in expenditures and $261 million a year in taxes. Meanwhile, the Ontario government’s share of revenues from the profitable program is over $1.1 billion, used to help fund education and health care.

“This has been a partnership that has benefited everybody,” OHHA director David Gibson was quoted as saying at the Peterbourough rally by the Peterborough Examiner, which also features video coverage.

“It’s a revenue-sharing agreement, which was entered into 14 years ago with the PC government and it’s worked fabulously for the Province of Ontario and all people involved with it,” trainer Mark Horner was quoted as saying at one of the London rallies by the London Community News.

“It’s just money. [The province now] is getting 75 to 80 per cent. They want it all,” Central Ontario Standardbred Association's Jim Wellwood was quoted as saying at the Brant rally by the Brant News.

More information from other ridings will be added as it becomes available.