Sandy Hawley to appear before House of Commons Committee on Justice and Human Rights

TORONTO — Hall of Fame jockey Sandy Hawley is scheduled to appear before a House of Commons committee Tuesday as part of its study of a private member’s bill calling for the legalization of single-event sports betting in Canada.

Bill C-218 calls to amend the Criminal Code and make it legal for individuals to bet on the outcome of single sports events in Canada. Bill C-218 is a private member’s bill sponsored by MP Kevin Waugh (Conservative, Saskatoon-Grasswood) that passed a vote in the House of Commons last month and has now proceeded to  hearings before the Justice Committee.

Hawley amassed more 6,000 career victories as a jockey before retiring in 1998. The 71-year-old native of Oshawa, Ont., is a four-time Queen’s Plate champion and was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1986.

Hawley, a public relations ambassador for Woodbine Entertainment, is expected to discuss the need to protect the horse-racing industry and how the legalization of historical horse racing could improve its fortunes in Canada.

Historical horse racing allows people to bet on races that already have been run.

Others appearing before the committee Tuesday include Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker and NHL chief business officer Keith Wachtel, 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 22, 2021.

The Canadian Press