SAR Decision Tops Sudbury News

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Published: December 31, 2012 10:55 am EST

While the OLG's decision to end the slots-at-racetracks partnership with Ontario's horse racing industry was clearly the headline stealer within racing for 2012, the modernization strategy also topped local headlines.

On Monday, the Sudbury Star announced that decision to cease the slots-at-racetracks program was the newspaper's story of the year.

"This story politicized a segment of the community that wasn't normally that outspoken," said Star Managing Editor Brian MacLeod. "We heard from many people we hadn't heard from before. The decision to essentially wipe out an entire sport and its economic benefits astounded a lot of people."

It's estimated that the slots-at-racetracks program means $5 million a year to the Chelmsford racetrack, with the annual economic windfall to Sudbury coming in around $10 million.

"It's a top story to us, but it may not be to the rest of the community," said Sudbury Downs' Pat MacIsaac. "We like to describe it as a little industry, but it's an industry that also supports another industry in our community: the agricultural sector," he said. "It's not huge, but it's still there.

"The little incremental increases in revenue had a pretty positive impact on a lot of individuals and businesses."

The track hosted its final program of 2012 in November, and with the future of racing in Ontario uncertain MacIsaac couldn't say whether it was the last card in track's 38-year history.

"It's kind of a fluid situation," he said. "The situation, as it is right now, would indicate there will be no harness racing in 2013. That's not to say there isn't an initiative in place that could change that ... We could see something from that."

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