Trot Insider has learned that the New Brunswick Harness Racing Symposium held last week was quite successful. Much was taken away from the meetings, including the creation of a working group developing a blueprint for the provincial industry.
The working group has been described by insiders as being in its infancy stages, but it has also been referred to as the largest single impact for the New Brunswick industry in more than 100 years.
Symposium participants, which represented every sector of the industry, were invited to the event by the Honourable Ronald Ouellette, minister of Agriculture and Aquaculture.
The creation of the working group was a government-driven initiative -- something which arose to deal with industry requests which have come up over the past few years. The group, which consists of provincial government officials and industry stakeholders, is in the process of crafting a working plan for the New Brunswick industry. The working plan is to be presented in three months.
The development of a governance model is in its infancy stages right now. The governance model, currently tagged with the working name 'Harness New Brunswick,' would oversee total responsibility for the administrative and day-to-day operations in St. John and Fredericton, including fair racing.
Trot Insider has also learned that a working group meeting is scheduled for next week.