WATERLOO -- The Erbsville Kartway track is shutting down after more than 60 years in business.
“The equipment is getting old, the track is old, and there is a turnover of staff coming after this season,” said Steve Fries, the track owner.
Fries says the Waterloo go-kart track will operate for the next few months until shutting down in October.
The business has become a popular community hangout that has spanned generations.
“I’ve been here for the last 20 to 30 years and it’s always been a lot of fun around here,” said Jim van Nes, a Stratford resident.
A line-up of people were waiting to head out onto the track Thursday afternoon.
“Whenever I tell people I work at Erbsville Kartway, every one has a story for me or when they went to Erbsville back in the day,” said Cortis Critchley, an employee at the track.
The Erbsville Kartway track first opened decades ago.
“It had a deep history in racing,” said Fries. “It opened in 1959 and go-karts were only invented in 1956."
Fries said at one point, it was probably the race track in Ontario in the early 1960s.
CKCO covered racing events at the track during the 1960s.
“It’s unfortunate seeing as it’s been here for a while and it’s lots of fun,” said Stephanie Evans, a Waterloo resident.
The owner says the property is slated to be developed into single family lots.
“We will be selling lots to builders,” he said. “This whole area will be home to a thousand households, but the track itself will basically be 35 to 40 single family lots backing onto the bush.”
Fries says that was the city’s official plan when he bought the property in 2000.
He says the development was originally supposed to start in 2013, but it’s been a longer process than expected.
“I feel sentimental about it, but it’s natural progression,” he said.
Fries said they will spend the next few years selling equipment.
