After having spent a good portion of time away from the pulse of the Ontario standardbred industry, the province's new Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Carol Mitchell, wasted no time getting reacquainted with peers at the recent Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association awards banquet and auction
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The previous Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Leona Dombrowsky, had been scheduled to be the keynote speaker for the annual event, but due to a cabinet shuffle less than one week before the banquet, the landscape changed dramatically with few days to spare.
"We didn't have any sort of quarrel with the previous Minister whatsoever," Jim Bullock, President of the SBOA, told Trot Insider. "Minister Mitchell was appointed the position and was informed that Leona Dombrowsky was scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the banquet. Carol Mitchell didn't just come to the banquet, but it was her first activity as Minister."
With her wealth of knowledge in the provincial horse racing industry, Minister Mitchell didn't just step up the plate and hit a home run with her speech, she won over the crowd.
"We got a lot of positive feedback from her words," Bullock explained. "She stayed around for over an hour afterward and talked with many of the individuals in attendance."
Mitchell was elected to the Ontario legislature in 2003 and re-elected in 2007. She first served as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture. Subsequently, she served as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal.
In her 12 years in municipal government, Mitchell was on Clinton council and was Reeve of Central Huron. She was the first Warden of Huron County to serve two terms in more than 100 years.
"She was involved in the initial process where it was determined that host municipalities of slot parlour locations would receive their five per cent cut from Ontario Lottery and Gaming," Bullock explained. "She's good for the industry."
Bullock said that Mitchell's fluid knowledge of Ontario's slots/racing program -- widely acknowledged as the best in North America -- is a great asset to the industry now and moving forward.
"She's also been an instrumental individual with regard to the REACH facility, which is basically a learning and meeting place for equine enthusiasts," Bullock explained. "We're quite pleased. We know that she knows her horse business, especially the standardbred side of things."
Bullock said that the government's relationship with the province's horse racing industry is still in fairly good shape, and that mood remains upbeat and supportive.
"Many of the Ontario industry's organizations -- ourselves and OHRIA to name a few -- keep telling the government that the existing deal is a win-win, no matter which way you look at it, which is completely true," he explained. "It's regarded as the best program in North America for both sides, and rightfully so."