A history of the Canadian Grand Prix

The racing world sets its gaze north of the border for the first time in three years with this week’s Canadian Grand Prix.

As part of TSN’s comprehensive Canadian GP coverage, here is the history of the race all the way from its inception in 1967 to its triumphant return in 2022.

Watch the race LIVE on Sunday June 19 airing on TSN4/5 with coverage beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT.

In 1967, Canada turned 100 years old.

Thousands of celebratory performances and events were held across the country, including the immensely successful Expo 67 World’s Fair in Montreal. Internationally, the motorsports organization Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) sanctioned a Formula One World Championship race to take place on Canadian soil for the first time ever.

The race was held at Mosport Park, a 3.956-km track located about an hour from Toronto in Bowmanville, Ont., and won by Australian Jack Brabham. When it was renewed for the following season, it moved to Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant in Quebec with a plan to alternate between Tremblant and Mosport each year. That lasted until 1971 when the race shifted back to Bowmanville and stayed there until 1977, though the 1975 race was cancelled due to a financial disagreement between the track and the Formula One Constructors’ Association.

Two things ultimately drove the race away from Mosport. The track, shaped like an inverted ‘3’ with a long stretch curving up the west side, was hilly and questions emerged about its safety as an F1 circuit. During the first practice for the 1977 race, driver Ian Ashley flipped and crashed into a TV tower. A lengthy rescue ensued with Ashley suffering serious injuries.

But that wasn’t all. As Norris McDonald wrote in the Toronto Star years