For months, the future of horse racing in Alberta’s capital remained up in the air but on Thursday, Northlands announced it had reached a deal with Horse Racing Alberta (HRA) to keep the sport at its track.
In February, Northlands CEO Tim Reid announced “2016 will be our last year in the horse racing business.” While the announcement was made to sound final, in the summer, Reid hinted Northlands was still interested in keeping the Canadian Derby.
READ MORE: Mixed messages as Northlands CEO hints organization interested in keeping Canadian Derby
Watch below: On Aug. 16, 2016, Northlands’ CEO was teeing up the 87th Canadian Derby when he seemed to leave the door open for the event coming back, despite earlier saying 2016 would be the final year of horse racing at Northlands.
In September, Century Casinos was chosen by HRA to build, own and operate a new horse-racing track in the Edmonton area. That venue is scheduled to open in 2018 which until now, left many wondering whether any horse racing would take place in Edmonton between now and then.
“We are very grateful to Northlands Park for allowing racing to continue into 2018,” Shirley McClellan, CEO of HRA, said in a statement Thursday. “The agreement allows the industry a seamless transition into Century Mile while addressing the unique needs of all breeds. We are very pleased at the spirit of cooperation that is indicated by this licence extension.”
READ MORE: Century Casinos plans to build new horse-racing track south of Edmonton
“This is a win/win/win,” Tim Reid said in a statement Thursday. “It is a win for the HRA in that this deal provides stability and a go-forward plan for the horse racing community.
“It is a win for the City of Edmonton in that it allows administration time to evaluate future Area Redevelopment Plans in accordance with the Council motion and timelines and it is a win for Northlands in that it affords us the time to continue to work on our future development plans.”
Northlands Park will continue racing through 2017 and into June 2018. Century Mile is scheduled to open in July 2018.
Century Casinos plans to build the new track and casino south of the city on Edmonton International Airport land, west of the RedTail Landing golf course.
Northlands Park will continue racing through 2017 and into June 2018. Century Mile is scheduled to open in July 2018.
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