As part of the province's revised gaming strategy released on Friday, the harness racing community was dealt a harsh blow with the news that the government would not green-light a proposed racetrack and casino project for the
Halifax area.
The strategy, released on Friday afternoon, outlines a number of other measures including "reaffirming that Nova Scotia will not expand into internet gambling such as online casino games" and "declining to endorse a proposal to develop a racino in the province."
“Realistically, we have two casinos now in Nova Scotia and I don’t really think and the government doesn’t feel that we could sustain a third casino in the province," said David Wilson, one of the ministers responsible for the Gaming Control Act. “We are declining to endorse a proposal for a racino, however, government will continue to work with the harness racing industry to support this rural industry that is important to so many communities throughout Nova Scotia."
Despite the news, Dan Mailman, executive director of Harness Racing Nova Scotia stated that plans for a Halifax racetrack without slots are still on the radar.
“We’re not done. We’ll continue to try to get a track closer to the largest populated centre in Atlantic Canada," said Mailman to the Chronicle-Herald. “It’s been tough in North America overall. The real growth in the industry has come with racinos. In fact, I think it was the fastest-growing sector of gaming for the last few years."
Miss those hay days
Miss those hay days Graham.They were the best.Hope they will build and promote it but have basically lost all optimism over the years.
Shawn,I still love this game too and your dad was the best catch driver I got to watch every week times three.
I still go to Truro Raceway every week,at least when they are able to race and wish this proposal had of gone through.I really believe lots of prior racefans would have came back and potential new ones would have checked it out and who knows how they would have taken to it.This really would have worked for all parties involved.
PEI racing and Texas Holdem for now until this great sport flourishes again in NS.
The thing that really
The thing that really bothers me is that when the closure of Sackville Downs occurred, Harness Racing had a huge voice in the gaming industry but we spent too much time arguing amongst ourselves instead of coming together for one common goal. As a result, the government has basically kept us shut with welfare money as we eat our own young and in doing so, our numbers are so reduced that we are no longer a large group but a very very minor clog in the huge gaming wheel. We need to build ourselves up, and that can only be done by everyone in this industry setting one common goal and going to our politicians as one huge voice. We must do what will make us sustainable in the long run and not be happy with short term welfare payouts that barely sustain the industry from one year to the next, which by the way now seems be only 7 months of racing if we are lucky.
We all have to work together and we will no longer be trying just to survive but to be a role model for gaming industry in the Maritimes.
ya thanks peter, i was
ya thanks peter, i was looking so forward to it getting built, i guess another year in saskatchewan , i talked to alot of people in the horse buiness and they were looking foward to it as well, i think u would of seen alot move back home. hopefuly change in goverment and a change of heart.
It is time the racing
It is time the racing interests looked at it from the other side. Imagine if racing had to support some other form of gambling that less than 1/100th of 1% of the population were intrested ine, imagine how they would howl!!
the goverment turning this
the goverment turning this down isnt a shock to me, they are still going to help harness racing, nothing against truro raceway, but the goverment can give them millions and it still isnt going to help, there are what 30, 40 thousand people in truro area, that is not enough people to have a good poker game. it is sad that the ndp goverment thinks this way about our game we all love so much, i wish i could help , but i dont think there is anything anyone can do. looks like ontario will be the only place to race in the near future.
In reply to the goverment turning this by shawn w
Shawn I remember your Dad
Shawn I remember your Dad driving Lingan Parker and Hawthorne Danny at Sackville Downs. Probably the best catch driver Nova Scotia has ever seen. I only met him once, but I think he would have loved to have had the opportunity to make a good living strictly in harness racing. That is what a racino could do for Nova Scotia, it could provide good purse money for the horse people to make a decent living. What a shame>
I think I speak for many
I think I speak for many people when I say that this is very disappointing. The Nova Scotia government seems to make a lot of very questionable decisions. The fact that Halifax doesn't have a large outdoor stadium or a racetrack just seems ludicrous. The money that both of these venues could generate, combined with the fact that they would both give tourists incentive to come to Halifax, makes the decision a no-brainer. Perhaps you can chalk some of these decisions up to the "old boys" mentality that seems to be fully intact on the east coast, and particularly Nova Scotia.
I feel bad for you guys,it
I feel bad for you guys,it is an uphill battle . I think i remember racing behind the Halifax forum, definitely the Halifax Commons where i got my degree but failed QEH and of course was present for the opening of Sackville Downs and worked there until i grew up and got transfered away. In my early years we would go to Sackville Downs Monday,Wednesday and Saturday and drive to Truro Tuesday and Thursday and on special days there would be an afternoon race at one place and an evening at the other and a mad drive in between .I guess those were the hay days, they are gone but they were the good days . Good luck Halifax because there is certainly a ton on money in Halifax compared to what there was in the 60's and 70's all you have to do is build it and promote it and they will come .