The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) will not be renewing its lease agreement with casino operator Great Canadian Entertainment at Shorelines Slots at Kawartha Downs in Peterborough, Ont.

News reports earlier this week also indicated casino operations at Gateway Casinos Sarnia at Hiawatha Horse Park will cease next year.

The lease agreements will end on March 31, 2026 and will not be renewed, leaving local government officials and racetrack operators in both regions shocked and seeking rationale for the closures. 

"When I heard from OLG that they were not renewing the lease, it was devastating," said Richard Weldon, president of Kawartha Downs, in a Global News report. "I mean, it came as a complete shock, because we were not expecting it. Everything we had heard was that the lease was going to be extended. So this came out of left field and it totally surprised us."

Weldon told Global News he was uncertain at this time what the end of the lease agreement will mean for harness racing at Kawartha Downs.

"I can just tell you that I'm an optimist, I've called an incurable optimist, and it's worked in the past," he said. "I don't know if it'll work this time. So I'll just do my best to keep fighting for the facility, and for the community, and for all the values that we stand for."

(With files from Global News)