Academic, ridden by jockey Justin Stein, crosses the finish line first during the 86th running of the Canadian Derby at Northlands Park in Edmonton, Alta. on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015. Codie McLachlan/Edmonton Sun
The horse hasn’t yet left the barn when it comes to the departure of horse racing at Edmonton Northlands.
And local industry insiders hope decision-makers — including Northlands and its shareholders — in the new year consider exactly what the industry’s past has meant to the city’s present and what the future might hold. “From a personal perspective and from an industry perspective, it’s fairly negative,” said Wesley Oulton, past president of the Alberta Quarter Horse Racing Association, when asked about provincial funding for horse racing at Northlands being slashed as plans for the future of the site make way for the downtown arena.
BY DAVE LAZZARINO – EDMONTON SUN –Â DECEMBER 29, 2015.