Hiawatha Horse Park will host harness racing for the upcoming 2012 season despite the closure of the slots facility, racetrack management confirmed after a meeting with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) this week

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According to an article in the Sarnia Observer, Hiawatha Horse Park owner Jim Henderson and general manager Ryan Trusler met with OLG officials this week for the first time since the mid-March announcement was made that slots will cease operating at the track on April 30, 2012.

“It was stated unequivocally that the slots program at Hiawatha will end April 30. That is non-negotiable,” Trusler was quoted as saying in the article.

However, the OLG had stated it intends to continue to make reasonable payments to the operators of the racetracks where slots will be closed until March 31, 2013, as long as live horse racing events continue. The article states that Hiawatha Horse Park and its horsemen will receive the same payments as it did in 2011, which totals approximately $3 million for the track and $3 million for horsemen.

While expansion of Hiawatha Horse Park's entertainment facilities are underway, $500,000 in upgrades to the barns were put on hold after the slots closure announcement was made due to uncertainty of the track's future. According to the article, the viability of the track is an issue management is addressing as they have been in negotiation with two interested parties that could allow racing to carry on.

Hiawatha Horse Park will feature live racing this season every Thursday and Saturday from May 3 to September 29.

(With files from the Sarnia Observer)