Thursday marks the end for customers and staff at Northlands Park.
“It would never look like this so you can tell that the end is near,” said Scott Sinclair, Northlands Racing and Gaming director, as he looked out over the snow-covered track from a fourth floor patio.
“It’s boarded up, the Northlands signage is down.”
The last of its facilities, the casino, will close its doors for good at the end of the day, Thursday (3 a.m. Friday morning).
“I’m going to be here right till the end,” said Toni Unger. “I plan to close those doors down at three o’clock in the morning.”
Unger started as a change attendant more than 15 years ago, working her way up to gaming manager.
She said her employment at Northlands was more than just a job. “This has become my Northlands family.”
“That’s a lot of years to be here, and friendships, a lot of people that I’ve gotten to know so it was sad, it was, you know, it’s come to an end.”
“The casino is just another step in the process of shutting down the whole facility,” said Gordon Wilson, Northlands president.
Racing began at the Northlands site in 1910.
“We put on some pretty good racing here,” said Wilson.
“There’s amazing things happened out here on this racetrack. Legendary horses ran here, some of the best in North America. Jockeys, Red Pollard, of course, who rode Sea Biscuit started here at this racetrack way back when,” said Sinclair.
Over the years the track was upgraded, the grandstand was renovated several times and the casino was added in the 1990s.
Wilson witnessed or helped facilitate many of those changes in his 44 years with the organization. He started as a volunteer and served in a number of different roles.
“I don’t think I have one really fond memory of this place. I just have a whole bunch of fond memories.”
Horse racing will soon have a new home once construction of ‘Century Mile’ is complete.
“I think Century Casinos has done an excellent job of transitioning over to the Nisku or Leduc site and it’s going to give horseracing a big boost,” said Wilson.
“It’s time to move on and we’re excited to give them the opportunity to show the world what they can do,” added Sinclair.
Northlands lost its arena business when Rogers Place was built, and lost control of the Edmonton Expo Centre last year.
The casino was the last facility run by the organization.
“It’s just sad, but I take with me a lot of memories, like a lot of amazing, amazing memories,” said Unger.
“We’re at the end of, end of an era, really,” said Sinclair.
It’s not the end for the 140-year-old organization. Northlands will now focus on some of the major events it hosts in the city including K-Days and Farm Fair.
With files from Bill Fortier…
