While the Ontario government's plan for horse racing touts stability, those situated in the Eastern part of Ontario feel as though the industry is on extremely shaky ground.
In a feature produced by the Ottawa Citizen, many people involved in horse racing in this part of the province -- a section largely left out of the five-year-plan released last month -- state their lives and livelihoods have been turned upside down by the changes to the industry since the slots-at-racetracks partnership was removed.
The Citizen's feature interviews and profiles are available at the following link: Ontario's horse racing industry on unstable ground.
Earlier this week, rumblings surfaced that Rideau Carleton Raceway in Ottawa, Ont. would be conducting its final race card on Dec. 29. In a statement provided to Trot Insider, Rideau's Secretary/Treasurer Richard Gardiner said “Rideau Carleton is currently in negotiations with OMAFRA and the ORC with the view to continue racing both in 2014 and into the distant future.”