CDPEC was 'worn-out' moniker, treasurer tells MLA WAYNE THIBODEAU The Guardian

Provincial Treasurer Wes Sheridan makes his way to the provincial legislature for a session this week. He told Opposition MLA?Mike Currie Thursday the CDPEC name was worn out and the harness industry is now behind the new names at racetracks in Charlottetown and Summerside. Guardian photo

The Opposition Conservatives says the P.E.I. government owes horse owners an apology for changing the name of the Charlottetown Driving Park but Provincial Treasurer Wes Sheridan described the name as a ‘worn-out moniker’ that did not resonate with off-Island visitors.
Conservative Mike Currie raised the issue during question period on Thursday. He also spoke for nearly two hours on a motion supporting both the Charlottetown and Summerside racetracks.
“I don’t think the industry was fully behind it because they read about it in the newspaper, about this backroom deal that you guys had done,” Currie
said during question period.
“I think you owe them an apology for not coming forward and discussing this with the industry stakeholders.”
Last July, the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, which operates the driving park and casino, changed the name to Red Shores Racetrack & Casino.
Gone with the name change, many in the harness racing industry raged, was more than 100 years of tradition that had grown into a household name for players throughout North America.
But a last-minute tweaking of the name seemed to quell a lot of the concerns.
That tweaking resulted in the facility being called Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The Summerside track was named Red Shores at Summerside Raceway.
Sheridan said the new name is working and Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park is now making money after bleeding red ink since it opened its doors in 2007.
He said the harness racing industry is now behind the new name.
“As we know, the Charlottetown Driving Park and the Summerside Raceway are legendary names right across the industry,”
said Sheridan, who is responsible for harness racing.
“But we do have to move into the 21st century.”
Sheridan said if P.E.I. was going to compete in the industry, especially with the construction of a new casino in Moncton that is slated to open next year, the name had to change.
He said focus groups overwhelmingly endorsed Red Shores.
“Everyone realized the CDPEC was a worn-out moniker that was not working with regard to drawing people from off-Island.”
Red Shores in Charlottetown is home to 210 VLTs, six live poker tables, and live and simulcast harness racing.
P.E.I.’s harness racing industry is worth more than $40 million, the industry says.
During question period, Currie asked a number of cabinet ministers including Agriculture Minister George Webster, Labour Minister Carolyn Bertram, Transportation and Public Works Minister Ron MacKinley and Education Minister Gerard Greenan if they
supported the name change.
“Red Shores at Summerside Raceway is certainly a name I can live with,” Greenan said.
MacKinley and the others had a similar response, except MacKinley had a difficult time remembering the new name.
“Yes, I’m in favour of calling it, what was it? Red Shore Driving Park at the Charlottetown Driving Park. No. Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park.”