While several Ontario tracks are running right now, horse racing in Ontario is still struggling and the future is fraught with uncertainties. Standardbred racing has been hit particularly hard, and political wrangling around casinos going in, then not, in southern Ontario has those in the industry wondering what the next few years look like for… Read More
If you judge a politician’s strategy by where they choose their photo ops, Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne has her sights firmly set on rural Ontario. Typically the domain of the Progressive Conservatives, Wynne appointing herself ag minister after winning the premiership was a very strategic move in winning the hearts and votes of rural Ontario.In… Read More
Horseracing in North America is facing tough times, a result of years of decreased attendance and betting. In Canada, tightening of government budgets in at least three provinces, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, has put heavy pressure on tracks to either evolve, find new business partners or face extinction. Ontario is far and away the largest… Read More
In September, Bernard Tobin, RealAgriculture.com’s Ontario correspondent, explained in this interview that the Slots-at-Racetrack program was ending and ending quickly. As of March 31, 2013, the slot machines would be pulled from Ontario racetracks, and the revenue generated by the slots (and shared with the province) would walk out the door with the machines. The… Read More
Each year, the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation holds an annual conference that brings together over 100 agriculture journalists to offer an up close and personal look at agriculture. The conference is held in a different province each year in order to highlight many different aspects of food, feed and fuel production in the country. This… Read More
Horses and horse racing may not always be top of mind as big business agriculture, but the recent announcement of Ontario pulling the plug on the Slots-at-Racetrack program as of March 31, 2013 is set to rip a huge hole in the equine industry and the economy of rural Ontario. The demise of a horse… Read More
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