Blue Bonnets (raceway)
| Location | Decarie Boulevard Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
|---|---|
| Date opened | 1872 in Lachine June 4, 1907 on Decarie Blvd. |
| Date closed | October 13, 2009 |
| Course type | Flat (until 1976) and harness |
Blue Bonnets Raceway (later named Hippodrome de Montréal) was a horse racing track and casino in Montreal, Canada. After 137 years of operation, it closed in October 2009.
Contents |
[edit] History
In 1872, the Blue Bonnets racetrack for thoroughbred horse racing opened in Ville Saint-Pierre. In 1905, John F. Ryan founded the Jockey Club of Montreal. On June 4th, 1907, the Jockey Club opened the new Blue Bonnets Raceway on Decarie Boulevard. Montagu Allan was Jockey Club president from 1907 until 1920 when he was succeeded by J. K. L. Ross, owner of Sir Barton (first Thoroughbred to win the U.S. Triple Crown). As part of a program honouring important horse racing tracks and racing stables, the Pennsylvania Railroad named its baggage car #5801 the Blue Bonnets. In 1932, Joseph Cattarinich, Leo Dandurand, and Louis Letourneau owned the track, and in 1943 harness racing began.
In 1954 thoroughbred flat racing was discontinued until 1961, when it resumed. In 1958, Jean-Louis Levesque purchased the track and built a new multi-million dollar clubhouse. Seven years later, Paul Desmarais' Power Corporation of Canada acquired control. In 1970, Robert Campeau's company acquired Blue Bonnets; the track changed hands yet again in 1973, when thoroughbred racing ended permanently.
In 1991 the municipal government corporation, Le Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal ((SHDM)), became the owners of the track, and renamed it Hippodrome de Montreal in 1995. Operated by the provincial government agency SONACC (Societe nationale du cheval de course) it had harness racing, inter-track wagering from the United States, off-track betting, two restaurants and hundreds of video lottery terminals and slot machines.
[edit] Presidents of Blue Bonnets Raceway
- H. Montagu Allan (1907-1920)
- J. K. L. Ross (1920-1931)
- Kenneth Thomas Dawes (1931-1933)
- Joseph Cattarinich (1933-1938)
- J.-Eugene Lajoie (1938-1939)
- Louis Letourneau (1939-1942)
- J. Eugene Lajoie (1942-1958)
- Jean-Louis Levesque (1958-1970)
- Raymond Lemay (1970-1973)
- Alban Cadieux (1973-1983)
- Andre Marier (1983-1994)
- Gilbert l'Heureux (1994-1995)
- Jacques Brulotte (1995-2000)
- Jean-Pierre Lareau (2000-2002)
- Richard Castonguay (2002–2007)
- Senator Paul Massicotte (2007-2009)
[edit] Bankruptcy and closure
On June 27, 2008 the track operator, Attractions Hippiques, entered bankruptcy protection.[1] All live horse racing was suspended and the two restaurants closed, with its VLT gambling machines and inter-track wagering operating for several months. Most of the horses and staff relocated to other cities.[2] The court granted 30 days of protection from its creditors in June 2008; this was extended seven times in sixteen months. After the provincial government withdrew its support,[3] Attractions Hippiques declared bankruptcy on October 13, 2009 and permanently closed the race track.
[edit] Future redevelopment of site
City officials announced they want the land for residential housing. Development is unclear however, as the Quebec government put the land up for sale for $100 million, which is far beyond what the city of Montreal can afford. Additionally, redevelopment plans were placed on hold when the site became reserved for U2's two-night rock concert (originally set for July 2010, the concert instead took place July 8 and 9, 2011 during their U2 360° Tour.) $4 million[4] was spent on a temporary open-air stadium which accommodated over 160,000 people on the combined two nights, then demolished in mid-August.[5] As of January 2012, the area is temporarily being used as a parking lot for the Sainte Justine and Jewish General Hospitals. City councilor Rotrand estimates once started, redevelopment would take two decades to complete, and wishes to see construction begin by 2017, but negotiations and other delays could push it back farther.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ [1] Attractions Hippiques restructuring. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
- ^ [2] "All bets are off". Montreal Gazette, July 13, 2008. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
- ^ [3] "Montreal racetrack closed under bankruptcy protection". CBC News, June 27, 2008. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
- ^ http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/story/2011/07/07/u2-concert-in-montreal.html
- ^ http://u2.evenko.ca/en/news#
[edit] External links
- Hippodrome closes under bankruptcy protection
- Public documentation on Attraction Hippiques bankruptcy available on RSM Richter's accounting services site
- Montreal Gazette article on closure - All Bets Are Off
Coordinates: 45°29′20.70″N 73°39′29.24″W / 45.489083°N 73.6581222°W
