Good afternoon. Thank you, Madam Chair, for this opportunity to present to your committee.
My name is Bill O'Donnell. I am the president of the Central Ontario Standardbred Association, which represents and supports the horse owners, trainers, drivers, caretakers, tradespeople and others who participate in horse racing in Ontario's 12 standardbred tracks.
I have been involved in horse racing all my life, as an owner, breeder, trainer and driver. I am currently the vice-president of the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society, or OSAS for short, which is where we find homes for retired racehorses. I am also a director on the Ontario Racing board.
Our association supports the proposed expansion and regulation of single-event sports wagering in Canada but wants to ensure that our agriculture-based horse-racing industry is protected in the process.
I'd now like to turn our presentation over to Dave Drew for more details about our recommended changes to Bill C-218.