Greater Sudbury is one city in Northern Ontario blessed by nature with minerals, lakes, a meteor crater and much more. Greater Sudbury is located on the Canadian Shield in the Great Lakes Basin. It is the largest city in Northern Ontario by population, followed by Thunder Bay. It is one of the most important cities in Canada, as you will discover why below.
1. While Greater Sudbury emerged in 2001, the city has existed since 1883.
2. Greater Sudbury is the 3rd largest French-speaking population in Canada besides Quebec.
3. Sudbury’s population is over 164,926.
4. The Sudbury Basin is a massive geological structure in Ontario. It is the third-largest crater in the world and also the oldest crater in the world.
5. What is Sudbury known for? It is primarily famous for the Sudbury Basin. It is the mining capital of Canada and North America (it has nine operating mines, two mills, two smelters, and a nickel refinery). As a mining town, Sudbury has a long history. In 1886, Canadian Copper, the first mining company, started smelting operations.
6. Mine tunnels in Sudbury’s vicinity stretch for more than 5,000 kilometres (3,107 miles).
7. A 10 km meteorite struck the Sudbury Basin. There are only two impact craters like this in the world (the Basin is the third-largest crater in the world). Based on estimates, the original crater would have been about 250 km in diameter. Over one billion years ago, this massive mass impact occurred!
8. Three thousand six hundred kilometres of roads exist in Greater Sudbury.
9. Approximately 120,000 people a year use the handi-transit system.
10. Regarding geography, Greater Sudbury is the largest city in Eastern Ontario.
11. The Big Nickel is one of the most recognized sites in the world and is nine metres (30 ft.) tall.
12. Each year, paramedics and firefighters from Greater Sudbury respond to approximately 40,000 calls for service in the city.
13. The city has approximately 73 ball diamonds, 179 playgrounds, and 56 outdoor rinks.
14. With 13,257 hectares, Lake Wanapitei is the world’s largest city-contained lake.
15. Greater Sudbury has more lakes than any other municipality in Canada (330 lakes) and is known locally as the City of Lakes.
16. Science North and Dynamic Earth are Canada’s second and eighth-largest science centres.
17. Approximately 6,000 people are employed in the mining industry, while 10,000 are employed in the mining supply and services cluster, including 300 companies.
18. The city is estimated to apply 60,000 tonnes of sand and 25,000 tonnes of salt on its roads each winter.
19. Trail runners, walkers, and hikers find paradise along the Heaven’s Gate Trail. The trail around La Cloche Mountain borders beautiful views and stretches roughly 40 kilometres. This trail is one of Ontario’s unknown secrets.
20. One of the tallest buildings in the Northern Hemisphere, the Superstack Tower is the second tallest in Canada after the CN Tower in Toronto.
