Last Comment: May 21, 2021 6:50 am ET | 9 Comment(s) | Jump to Comments In this week's edition of Rewind Robert Smith recalls a very important date in the history of Canadian harness racing. It was 60 years ago that nighttime racing finally came to the Province of Ontario. On the evening of May 17, 1961 with a post time of 8:00 p.m., it all happened at Western Fair Raceway in London, Ontario. A few recollections of the times and some old photographs help to recall this very special moment in our sport's history. (Photo by Claus Andersen courtesy of Canadian Sportsman) For many years, in fact for several decades, everyone involved with harness racing in Ontario longed for racing under the lights to make its way to the Province. It seemed like every other area where the sport was conducted it had already arrived. In 1940 nighttime racing debuted at two New York State tracks; first at Roosevelt and a short time later that fall at Batavia. The next year Saratoga joined in as the first new track dedicated to harness racing under the arclights. In the Province of Quebec, racing under the lights had been around since the 1940's as well. At every spot where it was tried success soon followed. It seemed the fate of Ontarians was to wait forever.