$15M racetrack development planned for North Bay's east end.

After a 30-year absence, harness racing may be welcomed back to North Bay.

Local developer Don Fudge and a group of investors have plans to establish a $15-million racetrack in the city's east end by 2006.

Fudge, who heads a group known as Nipissing Entertainment Inc., has been working on the track proposal for a year and has acquired 99 acres on Birches Road in the city's industrial park.

He unveiled the plans before North Bay city council on April 19.

"I was a kid who just loved to go the horse races," says Fudge, reflecting on North Bay's rich racing past at the Sonny Dale Raceway. The track operated until the early 1970s when it closed like many others in Ontario.

With the sport's popularity back on the rise with live racing and simulcast racing broad-cast through tele-theatres, Fudge felt the timing was right to re-introduce the concept to the city.

Situated next to Highway 11, Nipissing Raceway plans call for a 5/8-mile racetrack, a 500-seat indoor grandstand, tele-theatre, restaurant, stables and a 640-car parking lot.

The operation would employ 250 people at the track and other horse breeding and training facilities will likely spring up around North Bay, he says.

As well, there will be economic spinoffs for hotels, restaurants, stabling and feed services.

With government approval, the group hopes to begin construction next spring and commence racing in April 2006.

"It'll start with 50 race days a year and we're hoping it will expand," says Fudge.

In working on the proposal for a year, Fudge says a North Bay track would serve as a "link in the chain" of a northern circuit, connecting Sudbury Downs with the 15 tracks in southern Ontario.

"It's a huge industry in Ontario," he says of the $1.3-billion horse racing circuit that employs more than 60,000 people.

"We're pretty excited about this. It's a chance to bring a sport back to North Bay that we once had, and there's seems to be a lot of enthusiasm about it. We certainly felt that at council."

The possibility of marrying a racetrack proposal with a casino concept, similar to Sudbury Downs, is not on the table with a provincial moratorium on casino expansion in effect, says Fudge.

"This proposal is about horseracing."

With the endorsement of North Bay city council, along with added support from the Northern Horsemen's Association and other horse racing organizations, the group's plans are to immediately make a formal application to the Ontario Racing Commission.

"It looked like a very good entertainment venue," says councillor Sarah Campbell, who acknowledged the development would economically benefit the community and would enhance events such as the North Bay Heritage Festival.

But Campbell, who lives near the proposed location, indicated her support would wane if the raceway proposal were to include a 24-hour casino operation.

"I personally won't support slot machines," says Campbell, "If it moves to a gambling facility with slots machine I don't think the community will embrace it."

www.nipissingraceway.com