Yesterday the Horse Racing Industry Transition Panel met with a number of Ontario industry groups in Guelph to sketch out in generality the plan it has devised to transform horse racing in the province.

Present at the gathering was Rod Phillips the high profile CEO and President of Ontario Lottery & Gaming whose presence signaled that Premier Kathleen Wynne’s mandate that horse racing must be included in a new strategy for gaming in the province in fact was for real.

While the information session was short on detail, it was confirmed that on Sunday, June 30 full details of the plan will be released and made available on the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ website (www.omafra.gov.on.ca).

The panel is requesting public imput on the framework it has devised and will also schedule public meetings as follows: July 8 (1-4 pm) at Western Fair District, July 9 (1-4 pm) at Woodbine Racetrack, July 10 (1-4 pm) at Ajax Downs and July 11 (1-4 pm) at Rideau Carleton Raceway.

In today’s segment of Harness Central, The Harness Edge interviews panel member John Wilkinson, OLG CEO Rod Phillips and then fosters reaction to the session from Hugh Mitchell, CEO of Western Fair District and Bill O’Donnell, President of the Central Ontario Standardbred Association.

(The Harness Edge)