The closure of Fraser Downs racetrack is going to have a massive trickle-down effect on the Surrey community, said horseman Rod Therres.
Horse racing is in his blood. Therres was born and raised in Surrey and has been going to the track since it opened, working various jobs around the track, and has been racing there for 40 years.
On Tuesday (Aug. 19), Therres loaded his horses into his trailer and drove throughout Cloverdale, visiting many of the local businesses that have supported him over the years. He attached several signs to his trailer, including one that read, "Help prevent track closure, save Fraser Downs."
Therres said he was sick to his stomach when he heard about the closure from a horseman in Alberta.
On Friday (Aug. 16), Great Canadian Entertainment (GCE), the organization that runs both Elements Casino and Fraser Downs on Cloverdale Fairgrounds, announced that the City of Surrey exercised its option under something called “lease recapture rights” and terminated the lease for the racetrack. The termination includes the backstretch, the stabling facilities, and the track, which has been open since 1976.
Therres told Black Press Media that news of the closure came as a surprise.
The six barns and backstretch have been closed since May while GCE has dealt with a rat infestation, subject of a lawsuit that Harness Racing B.C. brought against GCE, with the HRBC losing that suit earlier this year. But the racers "were getting ready to race," Therres said. "We're supposed to race on September 4, starting the 25-26 season."
The move impacts racers, horses and also the community, Therres said. His 84-year-old mother would often come to the track to watch the races.
"She told my sister she just wants to die as that was her last source of entertainment, and she's been around the racetrack for a lot of her life, too," Therres said.
The closure will also impact many feed and tack businesses in the area. Therres spends $50,000-60,000 annually on grain for the horses. This grain, along with the hay and supplements, is all purchased at local businesses.
Maia Howlad, who worked at the race track, travelled with Therres on Tuesday and interviewed many of the business owners, asking them what sort of impact the closure would have on them.
Jeff Paterson from New Mac Animal Feeds said it will have a potentially huge impact on their business. "It will make the ongoing viability of our retail store questionable. We relied a lot on the racing community, and it is going to take a big bite out of our business."
Brian from Vanderveen Hay Sales said the financial impact will be "crappy."
"It is (also) going to be detrimental to the people who do race and their livelihood."
Howlad also created a poster featuring a QR code, allowing people to sign a petition to prevent the track from closing.
Therres said while Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke may have decided that this was the right option for Surrey as it continues to grow, it was not the right one for Cloverdale.
Many horsemen will likely have to move to Alberta or give up horse riding altogether, he said. "When you work with horses, it's something you do your whole life, like horsemen don't usually retire, but unless you want to change provinces, they're forcing you."
In an earlier emailed statement to the Cloverdale Reporter, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said while the city grows rapidly toward one million residents, the lease was recaptured to help the city as it gets ready to start the process for the future redevelopment of the Fairgrounds.
“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,” the mayor said. The lease recapture is the first step toward “turning (the Fairgrounds) into a regional destination and formally enshrining Old Cloverdale as a protected historic precinct that showcases our city’s heritage.”
Former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum called Locke out, stating, “Brenda Locke has steamrolled an entire industry in Surrey.”
The press release from GCE also noted the grandstand, which includes Elements Casino, is not included in the lease recapture. GCE added the casino and racebook will continue to operate “without impact” going forward. Yuk Yuk's Surrey is also located within Elements and they will be unaffected as well.
-With files from Malin Jordan
