Shubenacadie Airport

The primary reason for its closure was economic and repurposing. The site, a former military relief field, was declared surplus by the government after WWII. With declining aviation use, the land was sold and converted into the Atlantic Motorsport Park. The existing runway infrastructure was ideal for creating a racetrack.

The site has been completely transformed and is now the location of the Atlantic Motorsport Park, a well-known 11-turn, 2.5 km (1.6 mile) road racing course that opened in 1974. The main straight of the racetrack is the original primary runway of the former airport. The facility is actively used for regional and national car and motorcycle racing events.

The airport's main significance is from the World War II era. It was originally constructed as the Shubenacadie Relief Landing Field (R1) for RCAF Station Debert, which was a major base for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). As a relief field, it was used for emergency landings and to divert air traffic from the main base during training exercises, primarily handling aircraft like the Avro Anson. After the war, it saw limited use for general aviation. In the 1960s, before its official conversion, its long, paved runway made it a popular, informal venue for local drag racing.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening the site as an airport. It has been permanently and successfully repurposed as a major motorsport venue for Atlantic Canada for nearly 50 years, and its infrastructure is now entirely dedicated to that purpose.