Horse racing ends in Surrey as city reclaims Fraser Downs land for redevelopment
Great Canadian Entertainment, which owns and operates the track, said Friday the closure takes effect immediately though the adjacent Elements Casino Surrey will remain open.
The decision follows notice from the City of Surrey, which owns the Cloverdale Fairgrounds where the racetrack is located, that it is terminating the lease.
Mayor Brenda Locke says the land, which occupies about five hectares of the Fairgrounds, will be folded into the city's broader redevelopment plans for Cloverdale Fairgrounds, which include new housing, a $3 billion hospital, public spaces, cultural facilities and expanded recreation amenities.
"Our city is growing rapidly toward one million residents," she said in a statement to CBC News.
"Ending the lease with Fraser Downs allows us to begin critical planning to revitalize the Cloverdale Fairgrounds and Town Centre…this is a city-building decision about using public land for the greatest public good."
The Fraser Downs is one of two horse racing tracks in B.C., and the only racetrack for standardbred horses.
WATCH | Rat infestation shuts down popular Surrey horse racetrack:
It opened in 1976 as Cloverdale Raceway and was rebranded in 1996.
"We respect the long history of horse racing in Surrey and the people connected to it," Locke said. "We carefully weighed those impacts against the city-wide benefits of revitalization."
The announcement comes months after Great Canadian Entertainment ordered the stables closed to address a longstanding rat infestation at the site.
Horse owners and trainers said the facility was unique in Metro Vancouver and critical for housing and training animals ahead of the fall racing season.
At the time, Harness Racing B.C. said the closure would affect about 218 members, including up to 100 people employed during racing season.
The organization launched a legal challenge against the closure but lost after the B.C. Supreme Court ruled in May that the temporary closure to address the infestation did not constitute "irreparable harm" to the industry.
No horses have been stabled at Fraser Downs since late May.
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