MINISTER OF FINANCE – DWIGHT DUNCAN (top), DON DRUMMOND, 302 cash-saving RECOMMENDATIONS COMING TOMORROW
BREAKING NEWS…**Newstalk 1010′s GERRY AGAR this morning will discuss horse racing and its future in Ontario…listen on line at www.newstalk1010.com, between 9 -12
**The Twitter-world, Facebook world are alive with comments and worries…let the Ontario government know!! See link below
ONTARIO HORSE RACING INDUSTRY ROCKED BY POSSIBILITY OF ONTARIO ‘LEAVING HORSE RACING’ BUSINESS
If you were not living under a rock yesterday, you know that the rumblings from Ontario Finance Minister DWIGHT DUNCAN startled the horse racing community, all 60,000 of us in quarter horse, standardbred and thoroughbred racing. The feed mills, the blacksmiths, the mushroom growers for heaven’s sakes!
The Minister of Finance, speaking in advance of an economic report that will be released on Wednesday, said money allotted to the industries could be reviewed.
Late Monday, Woodbine Entertainment group offered up this email:
Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) is the engine of the Ontario horse racing industry – an industry which in 2010 was responsible for approximately 60,000 jobs and over $2 billion of expenditures annually.
WEG is very proud of its partnership with the Province of Ontario. WEG entered into a contract with the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation (OLG) in 1999. WEG has invested significantly in providing the venue, the infrastructure and many of the support services for the OLG’s slots-at-racetracks operations at Woodbine and Mohawk.
The result has been a fantastic partnership which has generated significant revenue for the Province of Ontario. WEG is committed to working with the Province as it undertakes this review of job creation and economic growth.
Nick Eaves
President & CEO
Woodbine Entertainment Group
MEANWHILE…STANDARDBRED CANADA REPORT – including OHRIA’s response…
While the official word is expected to be announced on Wednesday, Ontario’s Finance Minister Dwight Duncan revealed details of Don Drummond’s economic report that could mean changes for the province’s horse racing industry.
In addressing the Economic Club of Canada ahead of Wednesday’s release, Duncan stated that the cash-strapped government will review the $345 million allotted to quarter, thoroughbred and harness racing in Ontario each year through the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Commission’s slots-at-racetracks partnership.
“We are considering if government should be in a specific line of business or service delivery,” said Duncan. “If not, then we will get out of that business.”
“The OLG slots at racetracks program is not a subsidy, it is a successful revenue sharing partnership between the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Horse Racing Industry and the municipalities that host OLG slots at racetracks,” said Sue Leslie, President of the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA) in a statement issued Monday afternoon.
A November, 2011 report for OHRIA on the economic impacts of Ontario’s horse racing industry demonstrates the significant economic benefit the industry continues to have on rural Ontario. Some of the key findings include:
Ontario’s Horse Racing Industry employs an estimated 60,000 Ontarians and pays a total of $1.5 billion dollars of wages and salaries each year in Ontario. The horse racing industry is the second largest sub-sector of the agricultural economy with a contribution in excess of wheat, eggs, poultry and hogs, combined in 2010.
Over the last decade annual expenditures by the horse racing industry has increased by 67% to $2 billion dollars in 2010 from $1.2 billion in 2000. Approximately 80% of this expenditure occurs in Ontario’s rural agriculture communities where it provides much needed economic growth.
Government revenue from Ontario’s horse racing revenue has increased by 27% over the last ten years with the province of Ontario receiving $261 million dollars a year from industry not including OLG profits from slot machines.
“Eliminating the OLG slots at racetrack program would substantially reduce jobs in rural Ontario and take $138 million dollars of funding from the municipalities that host OLG slots at racetracks,” continued Leslie. “We are hopeful the government of Ontario will recognize the damage that would be done to both the rural and municipal Ontario economy if they were to change or reduce the OLG slots revenue sharing program.”
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/news/2-13-12/ontario-review-racing-partnership.html
The TORONTO SUN’S CHRISTINA BLIZZARD had this to say:
“While the horse-racing subsidy may sound like tax money to rich people, in fact, it helps many small farms around the province. But it was pre-slot machines. If the tracks can’t fund themselves from gambling, perhaps they should reconsider their future.”
So last night, Monday evening on NEWSTALK 1010 – the Friendly Fire show with John Downs and Ryan Doyle discussed the issue -
The latter, a racing fan, was certainly on the horse racing side. He mentioned farms, all the jobs associated with the business. The former agreed – why mess with a self sustaining industry? Although Downs wasn’t sure all day kindergarten should be picked on.
Horse racing industry members should take this seriously at this point. Get on the phone or compueter and make your opinion known to your local councillor or go right to DWIGHT DUNCAN’S contact page and send a note.
This is no time for industry members to complain amongst each other and not do anything. OHRIA is working for you, but work for yourselves too!
http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/about/contactus/
Tomorrow we will know more, there are surely hundreds of recommendations of ways to cut the debt in Ontario, let’s leave the important and beautiful horse racing industry alone.
FASTEST CANADIAN BREDS 2012 SO FAR, by Beyer Speed Figures
Black N Beauty AQU 06 Jan 1M 70Y 97
Well Positioned AQU 28 Jan 1 1/16M 96
Hollinger GP 11 Feb 1 1/8M 96
Hollinger GP 14 Jan 1 1/16M 95
Yummy With Butter GP 14 Jan 1 1/16M 95
Thanks to Dave Agar and Ryan Doyle for just sharing the truth with the CFRB listeners….this is “revenue sharing and not a subsidy”.
Email to Finance Minister D.Duncan…
Dear Mr. Minister,
I believe Ontarians deserve clarity in yesterday’s speech/announcement with the Economic Club of Canada. The Ontario taxpayer needs to understand that this is a revenue sharing agreement and not a subsidy. I ask that you please convey the message accurately.
The revenue sharing that makes its way to the Ontario horse racing industry, as you well know, employs in excess of 60,000 Ontario taxpaying individuals. The effect in eliminating this shared revenue exceeds well outside the boundaries of the racetracks themselves. By eliminating this fluctuating shared revenue the domino effect will be drastic, drastic not only to those directly involved with the horses on the tracks themselves but thousands on the outside. This list can go on forever but one important one that should not be overlooked is the communities that these tracks operate in, the monies that is spent in these communities by employed persons of the racing industry will disappear resulting in further erosion to much that surround these venues.
I understand that this is only in the review stages but I hope you will consider all that is required,
• Revenue sharing not subsidy.
• 60,000 plus Ontario tax paying employees.
• Communities that these tracks operate in.
Because of the limitations on the response size to the link Jenn shows I suggest you use the Minister’s direct email….
dduncan.mpp@liberal.ola.org
you may also want to copy Tim Hudak, Leader of the Opposition….afterall this is a Minority Government.
tim.hudakco@pc.ola.org
and your local MPP.
Thank you Dennis for sharing your note (I have sent one as well) and the email addresses.
Send a note to your MPP or Mr. Duncan, CC it to another 50 people you can think of – let’s get this message out THERE THAT THIS WOULD BE A SERIOUS MISTAKE!
Dear Minister Duncan-
I can’t help but express my grave concerns over statements made by you yesterday. I am 52 years old and the horse business has been my only source of revenue since graduating from the University of Guelph in 1981.
At no point would I ever have thought of the slots at racetracks program as a “subsidy”. The partnership that was created between government and the horse breeding and racing industry has been a model arrangement and is heralded throughout North America. 75% of revenues go to the provincial government, 5% to the municipalities and only 20% goes back to the horse business which is split between 3 breeds, 18 racetracks and countless horse owners and breeders. The monies that have been retained by the horse industry have resulted in dramatic investment within the province by both horse people and racetracks alike. If these monies don’t find their way back to our industry there is no question that you will see the substantial growth and the associated economic benefit to the province quashed instantly.
Here is a rough example of my own investment just last year alone within the PROVINCE OF ONTARIO in 2011-
-veterinary care-3 vets, plus numerous technicians and assistants
-trainer-assistant trainer, grooms, hot-walkers
-hay and straw delivery
-fencing repair
-barn repair
-University of Guelph (medical services)
-Milton Equine Clinic (medical services)
-stud fees
-2 farm mangers, 5 full time employees, 25 sales employees
-tractor and equipment repairs
-commissions
-van companies
-blacksmith
-farm co-op
-tack shop
-shavings for bedding
-etc.
This is a small sample of what it takes for just 1 farm owner to be involved in the horse business in Ontario. There are a great many expenses not listed.
An attack on the slots program would be devastating to the rural economy. I would hope that more thought and a great deal of consultation would go in to any decision that has the potential to annihilate a business that supplies 60,000+ jobs to the Ontario economy.
Yours Sincerely,
R. Glenn Sikura
Hill ‘N’ Dale Farms
Tim Hudak is key, as someone said, this is a minority government and Hudak is from the Falls/ Fort Erie area. Everyone should contact Hudak and remind him what horse racing means to not only Ontario but also to his home area. He could be key to fighting this…