With an announcement last week that a number of previously scheduled race dates for New Brunswick have been cancelled, participants in the province are trying to remain optimistic.

"We're trying to have a positive side and praying some relief will come our way," Debbie Mahar told CTV News. Mahar is one of the principals behind a fundraising auction to help raise money to resurface the Exhibition Park half-mile oval.

Last Thursday, the Maritime Provinces Harness Racing Commission announced that it approved the cancellation of 12 scheduled race dates for New Brunswick. That announcement pushes back the start of the season to July, and that news clearly wasn't welcome to past O'Brien Award winner Gilles Barrieau.

"They say we're supposed to start first of July in Fredericton, and we have a couple of dates here Exhibition Week (August 25-29) apparently," said Barrieau.

"We're just hoping for the best, we're just hanging on by a thread."