The local horse racing community is in shock following the closure of the Fraser Downs racetrack in Surrey, B.C.
The news came just weeks before Harness Racing B.C. races were set to start.
Kelly MacMillan, spokesperson for the group, said there was no prior warning about the closure.
“It was just a complete shock. We had no idea this was coming,” MacMillan said. “We were expecting to start racing on September 4 and people have … incurred great expenses, just have that pulled out at the 11th hour.”
Great Canadian Entertainment, which owns and operates the track, said Friday the closure takes effect immediately, though the adjacent Elements Casino Surrey will remain open.
The decision follows notice from the City of Surrey, which owns the Cloverdale Fairgrounds where the racetrack is located, that it is terminating the lease.
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The City of Surrey has decided to terminate a lease to operate the racetrack in order to make way for redevelopment plans for Cloverdale Fairgrounds.
Fraser Downs was B.C.’s only standardbred horse racing facility and had been in operation since 1976. While the grandstand and adjacent Elements Casino will remain open, the racetrack, stables and backstretch will be shut down.
Development plans
In a statement, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said the decision allows the city to begin critical planning to “revitalize the Cloverdale Fairgrounds and Town Centre.”
It’s part of a broader redevelopment plan for Cloverdale Fairgrounds, which include new housing, a $3 billion hospital, public spaces, cultural facilities and expanded recreation amenities.
However, it is unclear what exactly will be built at the nearly five-hectare site.
MacMillan and others in the industry argue the decision fails to consider the impact for workers, horse owners and breeders.
“Some of the staff are going to be on the street,” he said. “The people that support horse racing [like] feed stores, hay stores, they’ve just lost a huge client without notice and no ability to plan around it.”
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Doug McCallum, the former mayor of Surrey and former CEO of Harness Racing B.C., is calling the closure “a devastating blow to Surrey’s economy, heritage and working families.”
“Locke has steamrolled an entire industry in Surrey,” he said in a statement Monday. “Trainers, breeders, jockeys, and workers with unique skill sets are now out of work. These aren’t jobs that can be replaced overnight.”
Surrey Coun. Linda Annis supports the city’s decision, stating that housing is desperately needed for the city’s rapidly growing population.
Fraser Downs racetrack in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
“The city needs to look at what we can do with the lands that would be best for the residents of Surrey, what can we do to better utilize the lands there in terms of housing, improving public spaces,” she said.
Locke says the redevelopment will help protect Old Cloverdale as a “historic precinct,” but critics question how ending a nearly 50-year-old racing tradition achieves that.
“What better way to preserve the early way of life in the heritage than to continue on racing?” said David Milburn, president of the Horsemen’s Benevolent Protective Association of B.C. “It’s only five hectares we’re talking about here …they can go ahead with their development and still continue the race track there.”
One remaining racetrack in B.C.
Milburn says his association has “great sympathy” for the standardbred community and plans to help them find new racing opportunities.
With Fraser Downs closed, Hastings Racecourse at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) fairgrounds is B.C.’s only remaining track.
The lease for Hastings is set to expire in May 2026, and there has been talk of redeveloping the site for a potential Whitecaps stadium, but Milburn remains confident about the track’s future.
“We’re of the view that [the Hastings] lease is going to get renewed,” Milburn said. “We believe we’re on solid ground here at Hastings.”
David Milburn, president of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association of B.C., says he’s committed to supporting standardbred trainers affected by the racetrack’s sudden closure. (Srini Madhavan/CBC)
Fraser Downs faced uncertainty earlier this year when Great Canadian Entertainment ordered the closure of its stables to deal with a longstanding rat infestation.
The society challenged the move in court, arguing it would cause irreparable harm to the industry. However, the B.C. Supreme Court ruled in May that the temporary closure for pest control did not meet that threshold.
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No horses have been stabled at the site since late May but the racing community had held out hope for a September return.
“Had we been given notice, we could’ve prepared,” MacMillan said.
Despite the setback, he says the association is exploring alternatives.
“We have funds in place to race,” he added. “We may not be racing in Cloverdale, but there may be options.”