FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 23, 2012
MPP Bailey Hosts Roundtable Discussion
Discussion regarding future of Sarnia’s Hiawatha Horse Park &
the Ontario Horse Racing Industry; future roundtables announced.
SARNIA – Today, Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey hosted a roundtable discussion with PC Economic Development Critic Monte McNaughton regarding Sarnia’s Hiawatha Horse Park and the future of the horse racing industry in Ontario. Lambton County Warden Steve Arnold attended along with track administrators and employees, Sarnia City Councillor Jim Foubister, Garry MacDonald of the Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of Commerce, Marlene Wood of Tourism Sarnia-Lambton and Peter Core of the Ontario Horse Harness Association. Prior to the discussion MPPs Bailey and McNaughton toured the track facilities.
“Today, we heard from members of the community, business and municipal leaders and they told us clearly that Dalton McGuinty’s risky casino gamble is putting over 260 jobs at risk in Sarnia-Lambton,” said McNaughton.
“The Ontario Horse Racing Industry and facilities like Sarnia-Lambton’s Hiawatha Racetrack have worked with the Government of Ontario for decades to provide revenue, jobs, and entertainment in communities across the province” said Bailey. “This is an important industry that provides thousands of real jobs for Ontarians; the McGuinty Government needs to keep its hands off the Slots at Racetracks Program and instead focus on real solutions in order to fix its books. In many respects it seems like this decision by Dalton McGuinty’s Government is merely to change the channel on the ORNGE Air Ambulance scandal and the seemingly continuous loss of good jobs in Ontario under his leadership.”
“At a time when Ontario can least afford it, Dalton McGuinty is needlessly risking 60,000 good jobs by walking away from the table. The government’s decision in Fort Erie, Sarnia and Windsor will spell the end of these race tracks. It is devastating for these communities and I sympathize with workers who are losing their jobs,” said McNaughton.
Bailey told McNaughton that over the last year Sarnia has been hit particularly hard by the McGuinty Liberal Government in Toronto with the loss of loss of 80 jobs at the local jail, 100 jobs at Lambton Generating Station and numerous others due to high energy costs on local businesses competing with American firms across the river. “This is the third time in recent memory where McGuinty has simply announced from Toronto that he was firing hard-working Ontarians in Sarnia-Lambton without any consultation with local officials,” said Bailey.
Earlier this week MPP McNaughton visited the Fort Erie Horse Track and plans to visit the Windsor Raceway (Saturday). Looking ahead McNaughton will be visiting other horse tracks and facilities including Dresden, Woodstock and Mohawk Raceway in Campbellville.
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For more information, contact:
David Donovan | 416-325-1715 | david.donovan@pc.ola.org | www.bobbaileympp.com
