Latest news with #GreatCanadianEntertainment
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Why horse owners have filed a lawsuit to keep a rat-infested B.C. racetrack open
At night, a sea of rats can be seen overtop of horse manure piles. Inside the stables, they crawl atop gates, scurry from stall to stall, and burrow beneath the ground. That's according to Donna Scrannage, a decades-long horse owner and user of the Fraser Downs racetrack in Surrey, where she says the infestation began about five years ago and has only gotten worse. "They're in their feed tubs. They're in their water buckets. They're in the stalls constantly," she told CBC News. "They wreak a lot of havoc in there, and it's messy and it's not nice to deal with." The Fraser Downs is owned by the gambling company Great Canadian Entertainment, which has ordered the stables to shut down for at least three months for pest control. The only problem: the facility is unique in Metro Vancouver, and horse owners depend on it to both house the animals and train them for the upcoming fall racing season. Horse owners have filed an injunction in B.C. Supreme Court in hopes of keeping it open, proposing alternative rat eradication plans that would allow for continued use of the stalls. "We've come up with alternate solutions so that our members are not left with nowhere to go; there are no other training facilities in the province of B.C.," said Scrannage, who is also the vice president of Harness Racing B.C. (HRBC), which is leading the lawsuit. "Our young horses are in jeopardy of not being ready for our fall meet," said Scrannage. In an emailed statement, Chuck Keeling, a vice president at Great Canadian Entertainment, charged HRBC with attempting to impede pest control efforts. "We intend to vigorously defend the litigation so that we can ensure the health and safety of HRBC members, our team members, and guests," said Keeling. Closure ordered The Fraser Downs is one of two horse racing tracks in B.C., and the only racetrack for standardbred horses. HRBC says it has paid GCE to use the site over the summer for 35 years. It says 218 members would be affected by a closure of the Fraser Downs, including 75 to 100 people who work there during the racing season. In a memo to owners from GCE, now a court exhibit, horses were ordered to vacate the premises by May 9, with the pest control project expected to last 60 to 90 days. HRBC says the closure date was recently moved to May 30. Scrannage says GCE has suggested the stalls could reopen Aug. 15. The fall racing season is expected to begin on Sept. 4. Scrannage says horses typically need six weeks of training before the season opens. "Basically, they're giving us two weeks to condition horses, where normally we would have all summer," said Scrannage. "If we don't start conditioning young horses July 1, our September start is in jeopardy," she added. HRBC says dozens of families rely on the income generated from training and horses. Pest control GCE did not elaborate further on its pest control plans, but Scrannage suggested it involves poison to eradicate the rodents over several months. HRBC says it has proposed an alternative plan for carbon monoxide fumigation that would allow for the continued use of some stalls and the race track. "We can do this and have horses back in the barn within 24 hours," said Scrannage. "Theirs is that you need to be out in 60 to 90 days, but they're not giving us a definitive timeframe." In a statement, HRBC president Kelly MacMillan said other proposals were also rejected. "As a last-ditch effort to keep our workers and animals on-site, we asked GCE to keep at least one barn open through the summer months to keep them onsite and continue training, but they rejected this," said MacMillan. "We even asked them to just keep the training facilities open if the barns had to be closed." Their case is expected to be heard in front of a B.C. Supreme Court judge on May 28.
CBC
23-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Why horse owners have filed a lawsuit to keep a rat-infested B.C. racetrack open
At night, a sea of rats can be seen overtop of horse manure piles. Inside the stables, they crawl atop gates, scurry from stall to stall, and burrow beneath the ground. That's according to Donna Scrannage, a decades long horse owner and user of the Fraser Downs racetrack in Surrey, where she says the infestation began about five years ago and has only gotten worse. "They're in their feed tubs, they're in their water buckets, they're in the stalls constantly," she told CBC News. "They wreak a lot of havoc in there and it's messy and it's not nice to deal with." The Fraser Downs is owned by the gambling company Great Canadian Entertainment, which has ordered the stables to shut down at least three months for pest control. The only problem: the facility is unique in Metro Vancouver, and horse owners depend on it to both house the animals and train them for the upcoming fall racing season. Horse owners have filed a supreme court injunction in hopes of keeping it open, proposing alternative rat eradication plans that would allow for continued use of the stalls. "We've come with alternate solutions so that our members are not left with nowhere to go, there are no other training facilities in the province of B.C.," said Scrannage, who is also the vice president of Harness Racing B.C. (HRBC), which is leading the lawsuit. "Our young horses are in jeopardy of not being ready for our fall meet," said Scrannage. In an e-mailed statement, Chuck Keeling, a vice president at Great Canadian Entertainment charged HRBC with attempting to impede pest control efforts. "We intend to vigorously defend the litigation so that we can ensure the health and safety of HRBC members, our team members, and guests," said Keeling. Closure ordered The Fraser Downs is one of two horse racing tracks in B.C., and the only racetrack for standardbred horses. HRBC says it has paid GCE to use the site over the summer for 35 years. It says 218 members would be impacted by a closure of the Fraser Downs, including 75 to 100 people who work there during the racing season. In a memo to owners from GCE, now a court exhibit, horses were ordered to vacate the premises by May 9, with the pest control project expected to last 60 to 90 days. HRBC says the closure date was recently moved to May 30. Scrannage says GCE has suggested the stalls could re-open August 15. The fall racing season is expected to begin on Sept. 4. Scrannage says horses typically need six weeks of training before the season opens. "Basically they're giving us two weeks to condition horses, where normally we would have all summer," said Scrannage. "If we don't start conditioning young horses July 1, our September start is in jeopardy," she added. HRBC says dozens of families rely on the income generated from training and horses. Pest control GCE did not elaborate further on it's pest control plans, but Scrannage suggested it involves poison to eradicate the rodents over several months. HRBC says it's proposed an alternative plans for carbon monoxide fumigation that would allow for continued use of some stalls and the race track. "We can do this and have horses back in the barn within 24 hours," said Scrannage. "Theirs is you need to be out in 60 to 90 days, but they're not giving us a definitive timeframe." In a statement, HRBC president Kelly MacMillan said other proposals were also rejected. "As a last-ditch effort to keep our workers and animals on-site, we asked GCE to keep at least one barn open through the summer months to keep them on-site and continue training, but they rejected this," said MacMillan. "We even asked them to just keep the training facilities open if the barns had to be closed." Their case is expected to be heard in front of a supreme court judge on May 28.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Multi-Michelin Starred Chef Gordon Ramsay Celebrated Grand Opening of Canada's First Gordon Ramsay Steak at River Rock Casino Resort
Soccer legend Christine Sinclair joins Chef Gordon Ramsay to celebrate the Grand Opening RICHMOND, British Columbia, February 22, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Culinary icon and multi-Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay made a grand entrance into Vancouver's dining scene with the official opening of Gordon Ramsay Steak at River Rock Casino Resort Friday night. The waterfront restaurant welcomed approximately 200 VIP guests to an unforgettable evening, marking the official Grand Opening of Chef Ramsay's first fine dining restaurant in Canada. The partnership with Great Canadian Entertainment was announced in 2023, with the popular and more casual Gordon Ramsay Burger opening at Great Canadian Vancouver in December 2023, before construction on the highly anticipated steakhouse was complete. Since taking its first reservations just a few short weeks ago, the 266-seat Gordon Ramsay Steak - the centrepiece of a reimagined lobby at River Rock Casino Resort - has been met with rave reviews. With a dining experience that seamlessly blends Ramsay's culinary excellence with breathtaking waterfront views, it has quickly become a must-visit destination for delighted diners. Great Canadian Entertainment CEO Matthew Anfinson and Canadian soccer legend Christine Sinclair joined Chef Ramsay for a ribbon-cutting ceremony prior to the red carpet. During a champagne toast, which included welcome remarks from Anfinson and Chief Wayne Sparrow of the Musqueam Indian Band, Sinclair presented Ramsay with a Team Canada soccer jersey and a scarf from the brand-new Vancouver Rise women's soccer team of the Northern Super League. He immediately endeared himself to the 200 invited guests, acknowledging Canada's Four Nations Cup overtime win, and praising his entire local 150-person team. "Getting to spend time with the chefs, the front of house, back of house, receptionists, waiters… the passion and the desire that's running this restaurant is just extraordinary," said Ramsay. "Chefs depend on their brigades, we're only as good as our brigades, so thank you." "I'm blessed to confirm that 85% of our ingredients are sourced locally," said Ramsay to massive applause. "That's quite rare. I fell in love with Richmond and Vancouver BC over 20 years ago, and this whole area blew my mind. So, on behalf of the entire Gordon Ramsay team, from Vegas to London to Richmond, it's very special to be here, and now it's my turn to help continue this legacy and respect the ground it's been built on." The evening began when Chef Ramsay, alongside Anfinson and Sinclair hosted a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. After entering the party, he graciously spent time meeting the guests, taking photos and encouraging them to try the restaurant's specialties. Guests indulged in an exquisite menu featuring Ramsay's signature dishes, including Beef Wellington, Miso Glazed Sablefish and Tuna Tartare, a tower of fresh seafood including lobster, crab and oysters displayed in a massive ice sculpture, alongside expertly crafted cocktails. Among the highlights was the cheekily named "Notes from Gordon", a cocktail served with a rolled-up note featuring a punchy message from Chef Ramsay. Dessert naturally included his signature Sticky Toffee Pudding. During a brief ceremony to officially inaugurate the restaurant, Ramsay led a champagne toast and was joined by Chief Sparrow, City of Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie, Anfinson and Sinclair. "This process started about three years ago. Gordon Ramsay has 88 restaurants around the world, and we thought, "why not give Canada a shot? And here we are today," said Anfinson. "As a kid growing up just 15 minutes from here, kicking a soccer ball around, this was definitely not on my bingo card," said Sinclair. "I am a very proud Canadian. My Canadian roots, my Vancouver roots run deep. So, Gordon, thank you for choosing to open your first fine dining restaurant here in my backyard in Richmond. Welcome to the lower mainland of BC." While presenting a Team Canada soccer jersey to Ramsay, she quipped, "I'm sorry that it's not Chelsea Blue, it's more of a Liverpool red," teasing him about his well-known reverence for the Chelsea Football Team. She went on to proudly remind everyone that Canada is about to launch its first ever women's professional soccer league, and after presenting him with one of the first official team scarves, invited Ramsay to join her for the opening match on April 16, and promised she would bring the team for dinner at Gordon Ramsay Steak afterwards. Earlier in the day, Chef Ramsay made a memorable journey on the Canada Line and praised the ease of travel between downtown Vancouver and River Rock, with the Bridgeport Station conveniently located on-site. At lunchtime, Ramsay hosted a fun and interactive burger making competition for eight lucky guests at Great Canadian Casino Vancouver. Throughout the day, Chef Ramsay spent time in the kitchens with his teams, ensuring every menu item and service met the restaurant's elevated standards. Gordon Ramsay Steak is open for dinner daily from 5:00 PM. Reservations are recommended and available via OpenTable. For more information, please visit or follow River Rock Casino Resort on Instagram and Facebook. About River Rock Casino Resort Located along the scenic Fraser River, River Rock Casino Resort is British Columbia's premier gaming and entertainment destination. Home to the newly opened Gordon Ramsay Steak, the first fine dining restaurant in Canada from Michelin-starred chef and television personality Gordon Ramsay, the resort offers an unparalleled culinary experience alongside world-class gaming and live entertainment. With thrilling casino action featuring 1,150 slots and e-tables, over 80 live table games, live racebook, poker room, nearly 400 hotel rooms, a tranquil spa, and exceptional service, River Rock continues to set the standard for hospitality in the region. About Great Canadian Entertainment Founded in 1982, Great Canadian Entertainment is Canada's premier gaming and hospitality company with gaming, entertainment, hospitality and resort facilities in Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Committed to investing in and offering opportunity to those in the communities in which it operates, Great Canadian supports over 1,400 charitable and non-profit organizations across Canada under its PROUD program; "PROUD of our people, our business, our community". A significant portion of gross gaming revenue from Great Canadian's gaming facilities is retained by Crown partners on behalf of their provincial governments for the purpose of supporting programs that benefit healthcare, education, and social services in Canada. To learn more, please visit or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or X. About Gordon Ramsay North America Gordon Ramsay North America comprises the U.S. and Canada restaurant business of acclaimed chef, restaurateur, TV personality and author Gordon Ramsay. The company currently has restaurants across Las Vegas, New York City, Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, Indiana, Orlando, North Carolina, Atlantic City, Baltimore, Lake Tahoe, Kansas City, Miami, Oklahoma City, Lake Charles, and Vancouver, several of which are in partnership with Caesars Entertainment. The group is scaling dining concepts as the company taps into several of Gordon Ramsay's successful U.S. and international key brands including Gordon Ramsay HELL'S KITCHEN, Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay, Ramsay's Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay Steak, Gordon Ramsay Burger, Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza, and Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips. Including Gordon Ramsay's North America restaurants, there are 60 international restaurants, in the Gordon Ramsay Restaurants portfolio world-wide and 34 in the UK. To date Gordon Ramsay holds a total of 8 Michelin stars, including the flagship Restaurant Gordon Ramsay which has held 3 Michelin stars for over 20 years. For more information, please visit **For high-res images, click here** View source version on Contacts MEDIA CONTACTS: Naomi Strasser or Hannah Rastricknaomi@ | hannah@
