Word on Fort Erie season getting down to the wire

Just weeks before the anticipated opening day at the Fort Erie Race Track, and the gates are locked. The back stretch is deserted and the main building is dark. There is no funding contract from the government to guarantee that racing can begin.

Jim Thibert: “If we don’t have a commitment from the government then the lease automatically terminates.”

In question period Thursday, NDP leader Andrea Horwath demanded to know when the deal would be signed: “The race track has done everything asked of them. Now we’re just days away from a looming deadline of April 1, when a quarterly rent cheque needs to be paid. It’s time to stop the dithering.”

Kathleen Wynne responded by saying there will be a 2014 season. “There absolutely will be. I understand there was a meeting yesterday, and I understand there wasn’t a resolution at that point.”

But Jim Thibert, head of the live racing consortium says he hasn’t met with anyone from the Ontario government this week: “We have no details, we have no signed contracts.
Nobody has talked to me directly about the festival.”

There are 200 track employees, hundreds of horse people who work in the back stretch, all waiting on pins and needles for a decision on whether they have a job this season.

The Fort Erie Race Track says it needs a contract similar to last year. That would secure 41 race days and 385 races.

Fort Erie Mayor Doug Martin: “Through everything that’s happened over the last six months on this, we’ve had nothing but promises and absolutely zero action.”

Now aside from the living lease deadline, the horse people need to know very soon what is happening because the y need to make some decisions — whether it would be worth their while to stay in Fort Erie, or to go somewhere else.