Sudbury,
Ontario, is a unique place with a unique history.
Sudbury is situated in the
Precambrian Shield, a 2.5
billion year old rock, the oldest on the
North American continent. It is located in the
province of
Ontario, approx. 400 km north of
Toronto,
latitude 46o 11' N to 46o 30' N and
longitude 80o 41' W to 81o 00' W. Elevation is 755 to 1,509 ft above sea level and the average temperature is 24.8C in the summer and -8.4C in the winter.
First and foremost, Sudbury is a mining town. In
1853, the
Canadian Pacific Railroad established a small rail depot called
Junction Creek. This was a stop on the line which would eventually span the country. Even more importantly, the
blasting for the rail line exposed
copper and
nickel deposits. The first mineral claims were staked in 1884. This lead to the development of the Sudbury Basin as the worlds leading nickel producer.
Sudbury is known as the
Nickel City. Nickel and copper mines ring the entire Sudbury Basin, a
geological anomaly caused by a massive
meteor impact. The Sudbury Basin is roughly 100km long and 15km wide. Most geologists agree that it was caused by a massive, 10 km-wide
meteorite, traveling at 75 km per second, slamming into the Earth's
crust over two
billion years ago. This giant crater holds one of the Earth's richest known deposits of
nickel and
copper. Sudbury sits in this huge oval-shaped depression, on the shores of Ramsey Lake.
Inco Limited is the largest producer of
nickel in the western world.
Falconbridge Ltd. also produces
copper and
nickel from the Sudbury Basin.
Together, the local operations of the two companies provide the Sudbury Region with the largest integrated
mining complex in the
world.
Recently
amalgamated by the
Ontario Provincial Government, the new city of Greater Sudbury came into existence on January 1, 2001. With a
population of 163,000 people, it is the largest centre in northeastern
Ontario. 8
municipalities that used to compose The Regional Municipality of Sudbury (the City of Sudbury, the City of
Valley East, the Town of
Nickel Centre, the Town of
Rayside-Balfour, the Town of
Onaping Falls, the Town of
Capreol and the Town of
Walden), amalgamated and absorbed the outlying Townships of Fraleck, Parkin, Aylmer, Mackelcan, Rathbun, Scadding, Dill, Cleland and Dryden, to form the new City.
Up until about 10-15 years ago, Sudbury had a reputation as a polluted "
Moonscape". 100 years of forestry and
high-sulfide nickel refining had a devastating effect on the environment. Already exposed rock from the
Basin is stained
black from years of
sulfur dioxide emissions. Most trees are not much taller than 15 feet, and about the radius of a pop can. High
acid content in the
soil has lead to erosion and widespread deforestation.
The worst jokes about the
grim landscape that once was dominant in Sudbury are rooted in the fact that an
NASA Apollo 15 training mission was sent to town on July 7-9, 1971.
Astronauts were in town to examine the unique
geology of the Sudbury Basin impact crater, which they felt would be similar to those found on the
Moon. People around town thought that they came for the barren
landscape, and the most highly
polluted areas of town were dubbed "Moonscapes".
In 1970,
INCO built its
Superstack, a 1,552 foot structure meant to reduce
sulphur dioxide emissions from the
ore smelting process. It did drastically reduce the local emissions, but it added a massive
smokestack to the horizon, which can be seen from anywhere up to 30km away. It is the
worlds largest freestanding smokestack, and the tallest structure made of concrete after
Toronto's
CN Tower.
INCO had to install fans to push the emissions up the stack because it is so tall.
A massive effort by the nickel producers in the Region have helped turn this around. This effort, called the "regreening" of Sudbury, has been a
huge success. The Region of Sudbury was recently cited by the
United Nations for its land reclamation program. As well, it has won several international, national and provincial awards for its successful
environmental initiatives. Over the past two decades, more than 6 million trees have been planted under the Sudbury Regional Land
Reclamation Program.
Some quick facts about Sudbury:
Weather records show that Sudbury is one of the sunniest areas in
Ontario.
Air pollution levels are much lower in Sudbury than in
Toronto or
Hamilton. The City of Greater Sudbury has more than 200
lakes within its boundaries. Canada's first successful
aorta-coronary by-pass operation was conducted at the Sudbury
Memorial Hospital, on
December 4, 1968. Sudbury's Northeastern Ontario Regional
Cancer Centre is world recognized for its pioneering work in
breast cancer research. There are five
provincial parks within 60 miles of the Sudbury Region and two of those are within the Region's boundaries.
What is there to do in Sudbury? Sports and outdoor activities rank number one. The area's crystal-clear lakes and wide open spaces provide a year-round playground for
swimming,
boating and
canoeing,
hiking,
fishing,
golfing,
cross-country skiing,
snowmobiling and much more. Sudburians enjoy many municipal parks, situated around the region. For instance, lovely
Bell Park, nestled along the southwest shore of Lake Ramsey - is home to the Sudbury
Canoe Club, the
Yacht Club, the Bell
Amphitheatre, trails, boardwalks, smooth sandy beaches, and huge floral displays.
There are several
Provincial Parks in and around Sudbury, so
camping is a very popular activity.
Sudbury is home to a vibrant arts and cultural community as well. The region offers
museums,
art galleries,
professional theatre, the
symphony,
opera, and many venues for
multi-cultural activities.
Cinefest, Sudbury's
International Film Festival, runs from September 17 - 23 every year.
Because of its diverse cultural roots, Sudbury loves to party. All year round, there are fairs and festivals to celebrate everything from the arts to
garlic and
blueberries!
Science North, is a
strange success story. During the late 1970's and early 1980's, the economy of Sudbury was slowing down.
Nickel prices had dropped and the city was
stagnated. Local educators decided that a Science Center, like the
Ontario Science Center in
Toronto, was the answer. In
1984,
Queen Elizabeth II herself cut the ribbon that opened Science North.
No trip to Sudbury would be complete without a day at Science North.
Shaped like a giant
snowflake, perched high upon its rocky site, overlooking Lake Ramsey, it has become an
internationally renowned science centre. The Centers focus on hands-on science has kept it a viable tourist attraction for years. Recently an
IMAX theatre was installed and plans are being made for the development of another satellite center at the
Big Nickel site.
The
Big Nickel is Sudbury's most
famous landmark. At 9 metres high and 61 centimetres thick, this replica of the
Canadian five cent piece is the
largest coin in the world.
Educational institutions are a large part of the city as well. As a hub for Northern Ontario travel, Sudbury has become home to 3 major
educational institutions.
Laurentian University - 1 of 2 bilingual universities in the province (
University of Ottawa is the other),
Cambrian College - home to the provinces most extensive mining eduction program and
College Boreal -
Northern Ontario's only
French language college.
An important development in the city was the
Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. SNO was built at the bottom of an active nickel mine, and it has become an important scientific site the world over.