N.B. Ex boss hopes to see harness racing again in Fredericton, despite development plan

The head of the New Brunswick Exhibition says he's hoping to see a return of harness racing events to the racetrack in Fredericton next year, even though his organization is in talks with city hall over how to redevelop it.

Speaking to members of the N.B. Ex at its annual general meeting on Sunday, executive director Jeff MacCarthy said he's "very hopeful" about some races returning to the track, which hasn't hosted official races for more than five years.

"People need not be concerned that that in any way interferes in our discussions about responsible development of this property," McCarthy said in an audio recording from the meeting obtained by CBC News.

"But at the very least, we ought not let things go any further without honouring our history and the story that we have to tell."

Agreement with city to redevelop

While the City of Fredericton owns the 31-acre property, the N.B. Ex, formerly known as the Frex, holds a long-term lease on it, expiring in 2032, and oversees operations at the site. 

The property includes an indoor exhibit centre and coliseum, horse stables, a horse track and a parking lot with space for 1,000 vehicles.

The city has for years wanted to see new uses for the grounds, and in spring 2019, it came to an agreement with the New Brunswick Exhibition, under former executive director Mike Vokey, to redevelop the property.

Three design options were put forward in 2021 for how to keep the exhibition centre, while getting rid of the racetrack to make room for residential buildings, mixed commercial-residential buildings, a park and potentially a new school.

But rumblings emerged last fall among Horse Racing New Brunswick members, with some expressing hopes to "seize" the track by encouraging its members to register for membership with the N.B. Ex in order to tip the board in their favour.

Then in the spring of this year, Vokey revealed he'd been fired as executive director in March after being told the board wanted to take the organization in "a different direction."

In an interview with CBC News, McCarthy said it's not up to the N.B. Ex to organize harness racing events, but he's hopeful another organization, such as Horse Racing New Brunswick, will come forward with a proposal to do so next year.

"It's very important to the N.B. Ex that we're perhaps in a position to honour a lot of the horse owners, business people and pillars of our community and animals that have come through our property over decades of our history," McCarthy said.

"So it would be nice to see harness racing return in that light [to] celebrate the history and heritage of the racetrack."

City's stance on harness races unclear

McCarthy's comments come just months after he and some N.B. Ex board members formed a committee with Mayor Kate Rogers, Coun. Ruth Breen and city staff, dedicated to finalizing the plans for how the property gets redeveloped.

Three possible development options have already been laid out, all of which envision the N.B. Ex being allowed to remain on the property and continue to host events, including the annual provincial exhibition.

All three options also involve getting rid of the racetrack.

In August, Rogers said the committee, known as the "joint development authority" would work to decide on the final vision for how the property gets developed, while making it clear that none of the options contemplate a horse racing track.

At the same time, she said, the committee would be working with no set deadline for when plans had to be finalized by.

"We aren't going into this saying that it needs to be done by a certain time," she said.

Ken Forrest, the city's director of planning, also said at the time that all decisions by the joint development authority would require consensus among its members before being made.

CBC News asked for an interview with Rogers about McCarthy's desire to see harness racing return to the track.

Instead, spokesperson Jennifer Read, in an email, said the existing N.B. Ex plan "does not contemplate racing."

CBC News followed up by asking whether the N.B. Ex was allowed host harness racing events on the track.

"Notwithstanding the provisions of Fredericton's Zoning By-law, the New Brunswick Exhibition Grounds Secondary Municipal Plan does not permit the re-establishment of a racetrack on the property,"  Read said in an email.

"The Municipal Plan and secondary municipal plans have primacy over the Zoning By-law."

Comments raise concern among members

David Brown, who grew up in Fredericton, said he watched as the track became used less and less, to the point that it now sits unused for official harness racing events.

Wanting to get involved in the redevelopment process, he became a member of the N.B. Ex last fall, and attended his first annual general meeting on Sunday when he heard McCarthy's comments about harness racing.

"They don't seem to really care too much about making any changes, and in fact they seem to want to sink their teeth further into harness racing," Brown said.

Brown said six of 12 board positions were also up for re-election at the meeting, and he noticed a common theme among candidates who won seats.

"The six people who got elected, all of them made statements in general talking about how much they enjoy harness racing, how much, you know, they've valued being a member of the N.B. Ex and want to continue along the same path that it is right now."

Jeff Thompson also became a member of the N.B. Ex last year to get involved in the redevelopment process and attended the annual general meeting.

He said he struggled to understand how bringing back harness racing could align with a commitment to redeveloping the property.

"I don't know how you bring racing back on a racetrack that occupies a significant portion of that land while you also want to talk about redevelopment of that property," he said.

Asked about those concerns, McCarthy said the N.B. Ex remains committed to the redevelopment process, and doesn't see an issue with making "the best use of the … racetrack" until the time comes to get rid of it.

"And it would be irresponsible to suggest that a handful of heritage-related race cards between now and then somehow upended or impeded potential development," McCarthy said.

"To suggest that that land just sit idle and we not do anything yet with it between now and when there's a a concrete plan for development is ludicrous."