Horse racing ends in Surrey ‘effective immediately’ after city takes back land for development

There’s lots of reaction to the surprise announcement that Fraser Downs Racetrack in Surrey is ceasing operation.

The Fraser Downs Racetrack announced there would be no more horse racing “effective immediately” after the City of Surrey, which owns the land, decided to terminate its lease.

The Cloverdale Fairgrounds track is one of two in B.C. and the only one that hosts standardbred harness racing.

“We know this decision touches everyone who has been a part of Fraser Downs’ long and proud history, from the racing community and our dedicated team members to the many people across the region who share a passion for standardbred racing,” said AGM Rodrigo Perez, in a statement announcing the closure on Friday.

“We are grateful for the commitment and contributions to horse racing in British Columbia. Our priority now is supporting our team members through this transition and collaborating with the City of Surrey on the requirements to complete the property transition.”

This announcement has horse trainers and breeders like Katherine Reggelsen, the owner of Stride Away Thoroughbreds, frustrated.

“There was no discussion, no negotiation, no saying, ‘you know, after this season, we’re going to close. You guys got this season and that’s it.’”

Reggelsen, who provides boarding for the horses at Fraser Downs, said this will dramatically impact her bottom line.

“We could lose $2-to-3,000, $4,000 a month in boarding revenue,” she said.

She called this decision shortsighted. “This is devastating news to the B.C. equine community.”

In a statement to CTV News, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said the city is reclaiming the land as part of a broader redevelopment of the Cloverdale Fairgrounds area.

“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,” the statement reads.

Developments in the area will include housing, the currently under-construction Cloverdale hospital and new public spaces, Locke said.

“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,” she wrote.

“We respect the long history of horse racing in Surrey and the people connected to it. We carefully weighed those impacts against the city-wide 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.”

Amy Morris, the executive director of the Vancouver Humane Society, told CTV News they have been rallying for this for several years and are grateful this decision was made.

“There’s essentially gambling out there that can be done that does not cause harm to animals,” she said.

Former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum took umbrage with the decision to close the track.

“It’s one of the worst things I’ve seen in my career in Surrey, in politics,” he said.

McCallum said Fraser Downs has played an integral role in creation of the fabric of Surrey.

“We have to have a balance between development and having parks. we can work together with communities,” he said.

He highlighted the economic impact the closure will have not only on those who worked there but those across the province. “We lost a lot of jobs there. It’s going to be many families suffering.”

The Fraser Downs Racetrack had operated since 1976, and the casino opened in 2004.

The grandstand which houses Elements Casino Surrey is not part of the lease termination and will continue to operate normally, according to Great Canadian Entertainment.