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.
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 and on June 4th, 1907 and opened a new Blue Bonnets Raceway on Decarie Boulevard. In 1943 harness racing began and in 1954 thoroughbred flat racing was discontinued until resumed in 1961. In 1958, Jean-Louis Levesque built a new multi-million dollar clubhouse. From 1961 and 1975, with the end of thoroughbred racing at the track, it was home to the Quebec Derby, an annual horse race conceived by Levesque.
In 1991 the municipal government corporation, Le Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal ((SHDM)), owned the track and in 1995 renamed it Hippodrome de Montreal. 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.
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)
Bankruptcy and closure
On June 27, 2008 Attractions Hippiques, entered bankruptcy protection,[1] suspending all operations except its VLT gambling machines and inter-track wagering, which operated for several months. After the provincial government withdrew its support,[2] Attractions Hippiques declared bankruptcy on October 13, 2009 and closed the race track.
Future redevelopment of site
As of January 2012 the area is temporarily being used as a parking lot for the Sainte Justine and Jewish General Hospitals. On March 23, 2012, the government of Quebec returned ownership of the land to the city of Montreal, on condition it gets half the profits in selling of the land to real estate developers. As part of the agreement however the land will not be sold until at least 2017 and will require decontamination.[3]
See also
References
- ↑ Attractions Hippiques restructuring. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
- ↑ "Montreal racetrack closed under bankruptcy protection". CBC News, June 27, 2008. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
- ↑ http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Quebec+returns+Hippodrome+site+city/6349925/story.html
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 / 45.4890833°N 73.6581222°W