Horse industry fights back

(Video updated) Hundreds of people from across Ontario are expected at a protest this afternoon organized by Ontario’s horse racing industry.

At a news conference earlier today, the Ontario Harness Horse Association urged the government not to scrap their share of racetrack slot revenues, because their survival depends on that revenue.

The cash-strapped government has signalled that it may withdraw the money as part of its efforts to balance the books.

Race track operators and local horse farmers receive about $345 million a year, about 20 percent of the $1.7 billion Ontario slots generate annually.

OHHA general manager Brian Tropea says the increase in slot machines at casinos has taken consumers away from spending cash on horse racing.

“If the government hadn’t become our competitor, we would be able to look after ourselves quite well. The government put slot machines in our facilities, they expanded gaming in Ontario and negatively affected our traditional revenue streams.”

Conservative MPP Garfield Dunlop had these harsh words for Premier McGuinty: “We didn’t expect there’d be a time when Dalton McGguinty’s hatred of rural Ontario would want to put the horse racing industry right out, and that’s what we have right here, he hates rural Ontario and he wants to drive the horsing industry out.”

Video: Cristina Tenaglia reports: