Summerside Racetrack

Time for action at raceway
The Journal Pioneer
Once again, the people of the City of Summerside are left waiting. This time, it’s those in the harness racing industry who are waiting for news on much-needed improvements to the Summerside Raceway. For months, the provincial government has promised an announcement would come soon regarding upgrades to the aging grandstands at the historic raceway. But now the entire gaming industry on the Island is under review, a review that could ultimately impact the future of both the SRW and the Charlottetown Driving Park Entertainment Centre and quash any plans to improve the Prince County harness racing complex. So, for those in the harness racing industry in Summerside, hoping and lobbying for improvements at the SRW, it’s now a waiting game. The city has been pressuring government, meeting almost weekly over the winter behind closed doors on the issue of raceway upgrades. It had received a $3-million financial commitment from the former Pat Binns government for a new facility. But, when the government changed, that deal was no longer on the books. While the current Liberal government says it supports the harness racing industry in Summerside, it has done little to back up its commitment. The last money to be spent at the raceway was in 2006 when $2 million was used to improve the track surface, install new lighting and a new tote board. Since then, not even a nail has been hammered. It would appear with harness racing seeing a resurgence in western P.E.I., apparent by the turnout for Governor’s Plate week in Summerside, that taking the opportunity to improve upon the product here would be the obvious next step.But Provincial Treasurer Wes Sheridan, who holds the Province’s purse strings and is also the minister responsible for harness racing on the Island, is simply saying those factors are being taken into consideration. It’s time for the Province to finally commit, one way or another, to a decision regarding the Summerside Raceway, whether that’s to make the necessary upgrades to ensure the industry here is viable or to quash any plans for a new grandstand.

My Comments:
This is a project that the City of Summerside and the Prince County Horsemen have been working on for at least 4 years now. This is an important project, in terms of infrastructure, for City tourism and recreational opportunities. This project needs to move forward now.