Published: March 9, 2010 2:56 pm ET

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Trot Insider has learned that on February 6, Bruno Toews, the man that drafted the legislation for off-track wagering in Canada, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, at the Peter Clark Long Care facility in Ottawa, Ontario.

Toews, who was born in Gretna, Manitoba and raised in Morris, Manitoba, worked in a welding shop in the late 1940s where he was recruited by the RCMP.

After training in Regina, he was stationed in Toronto, where he would meet his wife to be, Beverly. They married in 1953, settled in Ottawa, and were happily married for 57 years.

During his tenure with the RCMP, Toews worked with the racetrack supervision division of the RCMP. He eventually retired from the RCMP after 20 years of service.

After leaving the RCMP in the late '60s, the responsibility for racetrack supervision was shifted from the RCMP to Agriculture Canada, and Toews was hired as a Program Administrator. He then moved on to the position of Assistant Chief, and finally, in 1978, he moved up to the position of Director of Racetrack Supervision for Canada.

It was during Toews' tenure as Director of Racetrack Supervision for Canada tenure when he was responsible for drafting the legislation that allowed off-track betting in Canada. Before his retirement in 1985, Toews oversaw the implementation of off-track betting into Canada’s horseracing industry.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Bruno Toews.