It was recently announced that the names Charlottetown Driving Park Entertainment Centre and Summerside Raceway will soon be a thing of the past. Upset horsemen and racing fans have sent in feedback on the Standardbred Canada website. Now, SC director Eric Johnston has also let his feelings be known
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"With a stroke of the pen, the folks at Atlantic Lotto have chosen to ignore a fabric of Island life,” Johnston was quoted as saying in an article by The Guardian. The report also cites Johnston as suggesting that whoever recommended the names -- Red Shores Racetrack and Casino (Charlottetown) and Red Shores at Summerside -- should be demoted and whoever signed off on the names should be fired.
The article states that although Tom Clark, vice-chair of the Prince Edward Island Harness Racing Industry Association, doesn't personally like the name changes, he can see the possibility of a positive in the change. According to the report, he states that it appears the ALC will become more active in introducing new products, which could benefit racing. His concern is that harness racing officials will not be consulted.
Click here to vote on whether or not you like the new names for CDPEC and Summerside Raceway. Also, SC encourages its readers to leave comments on the subject as well.
Click here to the read The Guardian article in its entirety.
(With files from the The Guardian)