Horse Racing New Brunswick (HRNB) announced on Saturday that a memorandum of understanding has been agreed to with the Woodstock First Nation Economic Development Corp., which involves development of a state of the art racing facility for the Saint John market.
The facility will offer patrons many entertainment options and is expected to revive the racing and breeding industries in the province.
Since the inception of Horse Racing New Brunswick in 2008, the highest priority has been to have a facility in Saint John. The Saint John area was the showcase of racing in previous years and has struggled since the demolition of the grandstand at Exhibition Park in 2003. Horse Racing New Brunswick’s mandate of becoming a significant contributor to the provincial economy through agriculture and tourism, while preserving culture and heritage is that much closer to being achieved.
The racing industry is thriving in the neighbouring province of Prince Edward Island where harness racing contributes $30 million annually to the provincial economy.
Details of the agreement in principle are being discussed with the industry stakeholders at this time. Meetings with government officials are pending, and more details will be available at a later date.
(With files from HRNB)
This is great news for racing
This is great news for racing in New Brunswick. It's a shame that the NDP government in Nova Scotia has been unwilling to allow for economic growth in the Halifax area by accepting the proposals for a new track.