I have received a lot of inquiries concerning the current state of Marquis Downs and how Prairieland Park is handling this facility.
When the Dakota Dunes Casino opened in 2007, Prairieland Park was required to close the Emerald Casino. As a result, SIGA agreed to pay an annual amount of $2,600,004 to to Prairieland Park, in monthly instalments, to compensate for the lost income from the casino closure. The term of this agreement is a period of thirty years. According to some sources, a significant part of this payment was to go to maintain the operations of Marquis Downs. However, I have been advised that Prairieland Park seems to have continually withheld most of these funds for use in expanding their convention space.
There has been a definite shift in the operations of Prairieland Park over the last decades. While they continue to show some agriculture based exhibitions over the years, it is also clear that they are a smaller player now in this AG marketplace, with much larger farm shows like AG in Motion taking the lion’s share. The Prairieland Park property is zoned as an AG-Agricultural District and has a fifty year lease with the City to April 30, 2045 whereby their annual rent to the City is $100. (I also note that the AG-Agricultural District zoning does not include “tavern” as a permitted use, which I believe that Sports on Tap would fall under.)
In the last number of years, Prairieland Park is really being rebranded and refocused to be the World Trade Center Saskatoon. This direction sees them pushing hard for things that compete directly with some of the hotel industry and other civic enterprises like SaskTel Centre and TCU Place. Meetings, conventions, banquets, weddings, tradeshow events, and large training scenarios are now the main focus of Prairieland Park.
I believe in the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) and the good they bring to Saskatoon. Racing brings teams into Saskatoon from all over western Canada. It provides meaningful employment to many local people who are otherwise marginalized. It also greatly supports the efforts of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM).
One issue that is repeatedly brought up with me is the after racing care for the life of the horses. This hasn’t always been reasonable in the eyes of the public at large. However, I am aware that efforts are underway to address the lifespan of these athletic horses and I believe these new efforts will calm any opposition to the industry as a whole.
I want Prairieland Park to acknowledge that they need to stop withholding funds intended for Marquis Downs and to work to restore the business case for Marquis Downs. If Prairieland Park fails to do this, then I believe it is time that the City of Saskatoon, as lease holder of this site, makes an effort to remove Marquis Downs from Prairieland Park and to let another worthy group take this on with an eye on the future of racing in Saskatoon and a nod to the culture of horses in our greater society. There is only one race track in Saskatchewan and we should support Marquis Downs and encourage its growth.
References
Saskatoon Prairieland Park Corporation — 2019 Annual Report
Zoning Bylaw No. 8770 of the City of Saskatoon ( AG-Agricultural District on page 12-1)