Local Support For Fraser Downs
In light of a revealed BC Lottery Corporation plan which would see another full-fledged casino come into competition with Fraser Downs, local business leaders are forgoing the Surrey Board of Trade and are demanding that expanded gaming be granted solely to the harness raceway if gambling expansion is indeed coming to the area by 2014.
The news comes courtesy of an article by the Cloverdale Reporter, which has explained that both the Cloverdale District Chamber of Commerce and the Cloverdale BIA are citing Fraser Downs and the local horse-racing industry as crucial cogs in area business and economics.
The situation has reportedly been ignited due to the findings that the BCLC has told the Surrey Board of Trade that it has given the green light for a new casino to be erected in South Surrey and, at this point, that it is up to City Council to give its blessing to the plan.
The CDCC and the Cloverdale BIA have requested meetings and explanations from multiple organizations in regard to the developments, and are stressing the importance of Fraser Downs and the horse-racing industry to business. The organizations are saying that if a non-Fraser casino is awarded to the area, the racetrack will then find itself in between a pair of full-blown casinos and will be decimated.
Cloverdale District Chamber of Commerce President Brian Young was quoted as saying that his group wants a sit-down meeting with the BCLC to ensure the gaming corporation is “well aware of the impact that [its] decisions will have on [the local] business community.”
The report also quotes Cloverdale BIA President Lyle MacMillan as saying that the decision will not just affect Fraser Downs, but will also then affect the GCGC-owned and operated Hastings Park in Vancouver.
“Horse racing is at a crossroad in BC, and we cannot afford to lose this vital industry,” said MacMillan.
He also added that a non-Fraser gaming expansion in South Surrey “will impact horse racing here and in Vancouver. Both are going to suffer.”
(With files from the Cloverdale Reporter)
Having had many enjoyable
Having had many enjoyable visits to Fraser Downs, and recognizing how important the horse racing industry - thoroughbred and harness - is to B.C. agriculture, I would add my voice to those who demand that the Cloverdale oval get first dibs on any new gaming in the area. It is encouraging to see this kind of leadership from the broader business community in that area. I would hate to see the B.C. Lottery Corporation run the racing industry off the road the way Loto-Québec did in Québec, and as we are now experiencing here in Ontario.