BURST
And then there was one.
Fraser Downs announced it was closing down Friday after the City of Surrey terminated its lease with Great Canadian Entertainment (GCE), the organization which runs the harness racing track at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds, meaning the immediate end of racing at the oval after 49 years.
It was one of two Horse Racing tracks in B.C., which now leaves Hastings Park as the only remaining facility. And it too, faces an uncertain future, with increasing traction around the site’s redevelopment for a future stadium for Major League Soccer’s Vancouver Whitecaps and other neighbourhood plans.
In Cloverdale, the Fraser Downs executive said it was “blindsided” by the city’s decision, and would be reserving any further comments until next week, once they’ve had a chance to consult with its board and stakeholders. The stabling facilities, backstretch and track would be closing down, but the grandstand — which includes Elements Casino and the racebook — would continue to operate as normal, as well as Yuk Yuk’s comedy club.
The track had been shut down while the GCE worked to eradicate a rat infestation — a move that prompted Harness Racing B.C. to file an ultimately unsuccessful lawsuit against Great Canadian — and no horses were currently on site while the work was in progress.
Mayor Brenda Locke didn’t specify the reasons behind the lease termination, but pointed to a larger development picture and a more efficient use of the property.
“Surrey is growing rapidly toward one million residents. To plan responsibly, the city is ending its lease with Fraser Downs so we can begin the critical planning and pre-construction work to revitalize the Cloverdale Fairgrounds and town centre, turning it into a regional destination and formally enshrining Old Cloverdale as a protected historic precinct that showcases our city’s heritage,” said Locke, who has also been vocal about building a new 10,000 seat arena .
“This revitalization will deliver new housing and public spaces, support the $3-billion hospital, expand recreation like the Sports & Ice Complex, and create a stronger venue network for cultural events. The racetrack and backstretch occupy more than 12 acres at the heart of the fairgrounds. Releasing that land now allows us to build the internal road grid, utilities, and sites for recreation and cultural facilities that the community needs.
“We respect the long history of Horse Racing in Surrey and the people connected to it. We carefully weighed those impacts against the citywide benefits of revitalization. This is a city-building decision about using public land for the greatest public good, taken within our contractual rights and with proper notice.”
With the likely demise of Fraser Downs, the eyes of the Horse Racing community turn to Hastings Park as its last bastion. The lease for Hastings ends in May 2026, and there is serious potential for 133 years of Horse Racing at the site to come to an end.
When Whitecaps announced they were up for sale in November 2024, and have been on the block since, they sweetened the deal with the announcement that they were in high-level talks with the City of Vancouver to develop plans for a new stadium on the same site. They have since changed their plans from selling, to attracting a new investor , as their confidence in making a new start at Hastings Park has grown.
Don Garber, the MLS commissioner, recently called the stadium “unsustainable,” saying “we’ve got to get a new stadium situation for the Whitecaps.”
David Millburn, President of the Horseman’s Benevolent and Protective Association of B.C., says there are still several hurdles in place that would make killing off the track a difficult transaction. The gambling licence at the casino is baked into the existence of Horse Racing there, there are would be mass unemployment of the employees with specialized training, and the 50 or so of those employees who live on site would also be displaced.
B.C. Place, the Whitecaps’ current home, is in the middle of several transit routes, while Hastings is not. The Whitecaps lease at B.C. Place ends this year, and the club is in negotiations for a new one.
The Tsleil-Waututh Nation has also expressed serious interest in taking over the casino licence at Hastings Park, and Millburn is bullish on the plans they envision for the area.
The figurative ground underneath Hastings is firm, he said, although he admits he can feel some minor tremors.
“We’re on stable ground,” he said. “W e’re of the view that the slot machines at Hastings Park are tied to racing, so you can’t have one without the other. The original provincial authorizations … they were granted on that basis. … So it was never intended to be a stand-alone casino.
“So absolutely, absolutely, we’re going to do whatever we can do, within our power, to stop (a new stadium) from occurring. We’re going to do whatever we can do, in our power, to ensure the continuation of racing, in addition to all the jobs that racing supports.”
More to come …