Sudbury Downs was built on the farm of Médéric Bonin, which was settled in the mid 19th century by the Bonin family. The track is located in Boninville, which has now been amalgamated with Greater Sudbury. The history of this location can still be seen in places around Sudbury Downs. The land and its surrounding was transformed from a dense, Northern Ontario hardwood forest into farmland for much of the 19th century.