Overview

• Great Canadian Entertainment said horse racing would cease immediately following the lease termination, while the adjacent Elements Casino remains open.
• The venue, opened in 1976 and rebranded in 1996, leaves B.C. with only one horse-racing track and ends the province’s sole standardbred harness racing site.
• Surrey plans to redevelop roughly 12 acres at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds for new housing, public spaces and expanded recreation to support the hospital project.
• City officials said no horses were on site due to health and safety work on the backstretch, with crews addressing issues that included a rat infestation in the stables.
• Reaction was mixed, with the Vancouver Humane Society welcoming the closure, the Cloverdale District Chamber voicing disappointment, and former mayor Doug McCallum warning of job losses for trainers, drivers and other specialists.