The track is located on the Ile de Notre Dame, a man-made island on the St Lawrence River that was built for the 1967 EXPO exhibition and has hosted the race since 1978. 2007 will be the 40th birthday of the circuit.  Because the part street circuit is used just once a year, it can be very dusty for Friday's first practice sessions. It has long high-speed straights and tight chicanes. Unfortunately the track itself is not as appealing as the surroundings. The city of Montreal is one big race fest with all bars, restaurants and clubs filled with race fans.