GREATER SUDBURY / GRAND SUDBURY (Ontario)

HOME TO IMMIGRANTS

If you are a visitor coming from another country, you will surely feel right at home in Greater Sudbury. The city is home to Ukranian, Italian, Polish, French and Aboriginal communities, so you can expect several languages being spoken regularly in many parts of it. The official language of all services comes in French and English so you will see signs everywhere that come in those two languages. You will surely enjoy your stay in the city because it has so much to offer in terms of tourism.

The weather in Greater Sudbury is typical in the majority of places in Canada. The city is known for the outdoor recreation opportunities that it offers locals and tourists. Because of past environmental damage resulted by mining, it has an outdated reputation of being an environmental wasteland.

Contrary to this, the city has actually changed in many ways since the 1970s because of the improvements made by the officials of the city, and the new infrastructures and business establishments that have given a modern look to Greater Sudbury.

Greater Sudbury is the largest city in Northern Ontario and is recognized as the 24th largest metropolitan area in Canada. Unlike “Greater Toronto”, Greater Sudbury refers to a single, independent city and not a cluster of different municipalities. The city is more commonly called “Sudbury”.

HOW IT BEGAN

Greater Sudbury was originally named as the “Sainte-Anne-de-Pins” in 1883. It was renamed Sudbury after a few years. The name was coined from Sudbury, Suffolk, a place located in England, which was the hometown of James Worthington’s wife. During the economic crisis in 1937, Greater Sudbury was affected but the town rose again after the Second World War. Sudbury was again in good enough condition to supply nickel to the United States. In 1940, Sudbury was proclaimed as a city. Since then, Greater Sudbury has striven to improve its tourism and be able to provide all the amenities that residents need for a better quality of living.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHECK OUT...

╣Science North. This is one of the landmarks in the city because of its distinctive shape. It was built along the shore of Lake Ramsey, right on top of an ancient earthquake fault. It features a butterfly gallery, a robotics lab, an IMAX Theater and the interactive exhibits on animal biology, geology and many other areas of science.

╣Dynamic Earth. This is operated by Science North and features earth science exhibits and displays that people of all ages will enjoy. It is home to the most famous landmark of the city, the Big Nickel.

╣museums throughout the city. There are several other museums in Greater Sudbury including the Flour Mill Heritage, Copper Cliff Museum, Anderson Farm Museum, Heritage Center, Northern Ontario Railroad Museum and Capreol Prescott Museum.

╣the city's art galleries. If you are into art exhibits, be sure to visit the Art Gallery of Sudbury. Another similar gallery is the La Galerie Du Nouvel Ontario but it has a special focus on French Canadian artists.

╣various theaters. If you fancy watching artistic performances, visit the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra and the Sudbury Theater Center for international and local artists performing musicals, dances and other types of performing arts.

╣gorgeous beaches in Greater Sudbury. The city has five beaches that you can always visit if you want to take a short dip, bathe under the sun, or just enjoy the fresh outdoor air.

╣fishing sites. This is a favorite activity among the locals and a common sight during the summer. Many sea species can be found in the lakes of Sudbury such as trout, pike, muskie, pickerel, splake and bass. If you want to operate a watercraft to have a better view of the city, you may need to be informed with certain guidelines that you need to follow. Be sure to ask about these guidelines before you launch your boat.

╣places for hiking and walking. Make sure you have a good pair of shoes because a lot of the city can be enjoyed just by taking a walk. Stroll through the “urban wilderness” of Sudbury and discover the real beauty of the city. On your way, you may just be able to befriend local residents to get to know more about the culture in Sudbury.

╣golf courses. Golf aficionados will be glad to know that the city also has a wide selection of golf courses, which include the Blackstone Golf Course, Buck Ridge Golf Course, Lively Golf and Country Club, Timberwalk Golf Club and Twin Sacks Golf course.

╣winter activities. If you are visiting Sudbury during the winter, be sure to try any of the most famous winter activities in the city, which include skiing, skating and ice fishing. Feel free to skate at the Carol Richard Park or just try playing hockey.

╣retail stores throughout the city. Greater Sudbury is considered as the retail center of Northern California. Shopping areas include the Rio-Can Power Center, Rainbow Value Center, New Sudbury Center and Southridge Mall. There are small shops, boutiques and specialty stores that you can find in downtown Greater Sudbury so you will never run out of shopping destinations to visit.

╣restaurants in downtown Greater Sudbury. Try Shaunessey’s, Alexandria, The Hourglass, The Doghouse, Frank’s Delicatessen, Harmony Café and Nibblers. If you are staying in New Sudbury or The Kingsway, restaurants to try are the Apollo’s Restaurant and Tavern, Boston Pizza, Café Korea, Don Cherry’s, Casey’s, Herc’s, Joey’s Only Seafood and Gonga’s Grill.

TOURISTS SHOULD KNOW

The main airport serving the city is the Greater Sudbury Airport, which has flights hosted by different Canadian airlines such as Air Canada and Jazz. There are six daily flights to and from Toronto, as well as other flights to and from Ottawa, Thunder Bay, Timmins, North Bay, Kapuskasing and Sault Ste. Marie.

If you are coming from another country, you may fly to any major international airport in Canada, and then take a domestic flight to Greater Sudbury. The best time to travel to the city is from September to November when the weather is not too warm nor too cold.