Land Reserve Puts Circuit Sanair’s Future at Risk

• Saint-Pie, Québec, has imposed a land reserve affecting the Circuit Sanair racetrack site.

• Sanair remains the owner and is continuing all operations.

• The motorsport community is mobilizing to preserve the complex, which has existed for more than 50 years.

At its August 4, 2026 council meeting, the City of Saint-Pie adopted a resolution imposing a land reserve on several strategically located lots within its territory, including those occupied by Circuit Sanair, a well-known and loved racetrack. According to the municipality, the measure is intended to preserve development options to meet the community’s future needs, including assessing the possibility of building a secondary school on the site.

A land reserve is a legal tool that allows a municipality, in this case, to temporarily freeze development on a property while giving itself time to evaluate a public-interest project. In other words, Sanair cannot, at least temporarily, carry out construction work or make changes to its site.

The City stresses that imposing a land reserve does not constitute expropriation. The owners retain their rights to the properties while the municipality continues its analyses and evaluates various development scenarios. Negotiations with the owner could begin in the coming months. Establishing the reserve gives the municipality additional time to conduct its analyses and assessments.

Mayor Mario St-Pierre indicated that the initiative is part of a long-term planning vision intended to ensure future generations have the infrastructure they need, while emphasizing that the land reserve remains a planning tool and does not represent an immediate acquisition.

A few hours after the municipal announcement, Sanair management issued a statement to reassure motorsport enthusiasts. The company says the circuit remains its property and that all activities are continuing as usual. However, it says it is taking the situation very seriously and working with its advisers to explore every possible avenue to keep the complex operating for years to come.

Sanair also called on its customers and all users to rigorously comply with regulations concerning noise, safety and operating hours, arguing that an exemplary record will strengthen its position in the discussions ahead.

The announcement quickly prompted a strong reaction within Quebec’s motorsport community. Several stakeholders noted that the closure of Autodrome Saint-Eustache has already significantly reduced the number of permanent facilities available to enthusiasts, driving schools and certain police training programs.

Driver and host Dany “Babu” Bernier was among the first to share the news on social media, quickly becoming one of the leading voices in the movement supporting the circuit. Instructor Carl Nadeau, meanwhile, believes Sanair is an important facility for road safety, driver training and the local economy because of the many events it hosts each year. He also says the motorsport community intends to mobilize to defend the complex’s future.

Founded by Jacques Guertin in the early 1970s, the Sanair complex includes a drag strip, a tri-oval and a road course. For more than five decades, it has hosted competitions, testing, training and various motorsport-related activities in Quebec.