This is the first in a series of articles examining the plans for an equine centre for
Summerside.
SUMMERSIDE - The city of Summerside and Prince County Horsemen's Club have begun a major undertaking to bring the Maritime horse industry to unprecedented levels.
The city, with input from horsemen, have developed the concept of the Summerside Equine Centre, a facility designed to enhance and grow the horse industry on P.E.I. and, particularly, Prince County.
The new centre proposal has a number of components: the Summerside Equine Training Centre; the Agriplex Show Centre; and the Summerside Race Track and Entertainment Centre.
"It's an unbelievable positive step," said long-time horseman and planning committee member Wendell Shaw. "We're looking to attract new people and to attract new people you must have nice facilities. This would be a state-of-the-art facility… It's a major boost for Summerside and Prince Edward Island."
If the plan is going to be successful and attract enough interest to make it viable, the image of the harness racing industry needs enhancing. Shaw believes if people would come and see the work being done at SRW, it would create interest and a positive image for harness racing.
Preliminary work on the construction of the new Summerside Raceway grandstand, gaming room and stables is already under way.
"Our facility has served its purpose," Shaw said of the Summerside Raceway. "It's over the hill. When I walk around town now, I have people asking me questions about the new facility who have never been to the races for 30 years. There is just a positive image coming forward."
Shaw said the key to bringing out the true image of the industry is marketing and communication.
"Probably, horse people were not as actively promoting as they would have liked because we were operating in poor facilities. It's difficult when you're in that to put a positive spin on it," he said.
Terry Murphy, the city's chief administrative officer, said to make the track successful requires other groups to support the Prince County horsemen.
"The horsemen, to date, had to operate, manage and oversee the whole facility here in Summerside, and it's all on a volunteer basis. It has been difficult," Murphy said. "This is the first time we've gone out and tried to get groups together and look to use this equine industry as a development tool for the city."
The task before the group is a daunting one. But is it too much for a city the size of Summerside to maintain?
Shaw doesn't think so.
"The industry is larger on P.E.I. than probably in any part of Canada, per capita," he said. "It's a long way from a dying industry. It's just looking to blossom."
Looking to expand raceway to become major equine centre
Concept drawing of Summerside Raceways entertainment centre by whw Architects.
- Published on Febuary 6th, 2009
- Published on June 21st, 2010
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Mike Carson
SUMMERSIDE - The city of Summerside and Prince County Horsemen's Club have begun a major undertaking to bring the Maritime horse industry to unprecedented levels.
The city, with input from horsemen, have developed the concept of the Summerside Equine Centre, a facility designed to enhance and grow the horse industry on P.E.I. and, particularly, Prince County.
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Comments
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- VLT House
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:08:11
It's just another gambling place, racino west. After the Canada Games' ceremony is over, this location will go back to its seventy or so regulars and those who will go there to 'pay' the vlts. So there will be those 'tax' dollars generated.
It's not like harness racing is suddenly going to become wildly popluar because there is a new place to sit. -
- Nostradamus
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:08:06
How many months til the first Government bail-out??...Hmmm, let me think.....14!! I wonder how much of the profits will be rent and/or grocery money?? Hmmm...62%.. This place going to be a black eye for the community. Considering, though, the state of the community, a black eye may just be what the place needs to gussie her up bit.
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- climate
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:07:24
I don't know why you are all so upset about progress. It will be a wonderful facility and in a decade or two whenever the Antartic ice melts and water rises 6 meters it will serve as a great marina or fairy dock between east and west PEI
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- Wasted tax payers money
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:07:22
If it was that easy to create work as to put a casino/raceway in s'side well it might create work while it's being built and for a few people but it will not be a big success since the one in Charlottetown is having problem and over all not that popular other than the restaurant...
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- Silver
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:07:19
Wasting money on a dying industry!
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- big
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:06:41
great news for summerside and all of pei.build it and they will come.
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- lucky.
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:06:15
this is a very important announcement for s,side and prince co. this will create jobs full and part time. the harness industry on prince edward island is close to a 30 million dollar industry. every dollar thats spent creates tax revenue. for example, spend the dollar six times. that dollar is now back in the pockets of government . if the dollars are no kept in circulation, where do the tax dollars come from, for health care and education? for the people who think this is a bad deal, check out any race night on the backstretch at s,side or chtown. the trucks and trailers. they burn gas they have to be serviced. its not just about the jobs at the tracks, its about the jobs everywhere. its called economic spin. so for the people who think this is a waste, do a little more research. you will soon find, without these industries. your personal income tax will began to rise.
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- Wasted tax payers money
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:05:22
If it was that easy to create work as to put a casino/raceway in s'side well it might create work while it's being built and for a few people but it will not be a big success since the one in Charlottetown is having problem and over all not that popular other than the restaurant...
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- DON
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:05:17
way to go silver, that is the right attitude to have, shut it down before it's open, with people like some of you, I guess we quit before we start.
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- Pogey
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:05:05
Why should we go wasting money on something that may boost the economy. We should be handing that money out in welfare! Let's just keep having big deficits and distributing our equalization payments to people who don't work because there are a limited number of jobs.
It's prepostrous that we would try to create employment and revenue! We should put every dollar that we DON'T have into our failed socialist economic model. -
- Mimi
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:04:24
Oh yeah that's what we need....How about using the money to spruce up the soup kitchen, They could use the help, Oh I guess the hungry families don't matter, Give the gamblers something else to take money away from the dinner table...This town is weird!!
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- George
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:03:07
Annnnd they are off, and its future debt in the lead with taxpayer fuming bringing up a close second, and bringing up the rear is everybody benefits. Personally this raceway dosent affect me whatsover, I just thought Id inject a little humor very little based on other comments.
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- jamie
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:02:43
this is a another great step for the island and summerside....rather than using tax dollars to pay the unemployed, use it to put them to work. is there risks, sure...but doing nothing gives you nothing right back!. looking at the facility now is like looking at a pretty girl with half her teeth missing...
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- Eddie
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:02:25
Great looking place and great idea, i think i will start going to the track again.
Cant wait for it to open.
