Greater Sudbury

Understand

Sudbury, officially "Greater Sudbury" (or Grand Sudbury in French), is an amalgamated city of smaller cities and towns spread over a large region. By land area, Sudbury is the largest city in Ontario and the fifth largest in Canada. The name Sudbury can refer to both the greater area encompassing urban communities, rural countryside and wilderness as well as the former city which includes the City's downtown. More than half of the region's population lives in the former city; the remaining residents call smaller communities home. The city is now the economic and service hub for the eastern half of Northern Ontario. International visitors to Sudbury will feel right at home with vibrant Italian, Finnish, Ukrainian, French, Polish and Aboriginal communities. You can expect to hear many of these languages spoken regularly, though almost all residents speak English as well, and all city services are available in French and English. Road signs and street names are also posted in both official languages. The city celebrates its multicultural heritage on the 1 Bridge of Nations, a downtown structure featuring the flags of every nation represented among the city's population.

History The rough landscape was long considered inhospitable. For thousands of years, this was the territory of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek (descendants of the Ojibway; Algonquin and Odawa Nations). Unlike the Ojibway territory further south, shorter growing seasons north of the great lakes forced families to adapt to the resources available in each season, fishing the many lakes and rivers in the summer months, and hunting deer and moose through the winter. The wigwam was the typical dwelling used in this area, and constructed using birch bark which made the structures lightweight and easy to disassemble and relocate as necessary. Many early settlers in the area were of French descent, and the Jesuits founded Sainte-Anne-des Pins in 1883 to serve missionaries travelling further west and new comm

Getting there

By plane 1 Sudbury Airport (YSB IATA), 5000 Air Terminal Drive, Garson, ☏ +1 705-693-2514, fax: +1 705-693-2937. The airport is located about 25 minutes from downtown by car. Metered taxis are available at the airport. GOVA Zone (on-demand transit) provides service to Garson; transfer to route 102 bus to reach New Sudbury Centre in Sudbury. Reservations must be made at least 90 minutes ahead, and the bus is quite infrequent; check for up-to-date schedules.

Airlines Air Canada, ☏ +1-514-393-3333, toll-free: +1-888-247-2262. Canada's largest airline with hubs in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal. It operates across Canada and services international destinations. Offers a daily direct flight from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ IATA) (updated Apr 2022). Bearskin Airlines, toll-free: +1-800-465-2327. Regional airline operating in Manitoba and in Northern Ontario, operating direct flights to Sudbury from Sault Ste. Marie (50 minutes), Thunder Bay (2 hours), and North Bay (30 minutes) (updated Apr 2022) Porter Airlines, toll-free: +1-888-619-8622. Service to Ottawa. This service will end September 7, 2026. (updated Apr 2022) Propair. Service from Ottawa. (updated Apr 2025) WestJet, toll-free: +1-877-952-0100. Service from Calgary. (updated Apr 2026)

By train

VIA Rail Canada, toll-free: +1-888-842-7245. This rail operator offers services that enable travelers to reach Canada's west coast and east coast. (updated Mar 2022) VIA Rail operates the following two routes that stop in or near Sudbury: The Canadian between Toronto and Vancouver with stops in both directions in medium to large cities and tourist destinations such as Sudbury, Winnipeg, Portage la Prairie, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Jasper, and Kamloops. 2 Capreol Station, 8 Front Street, Capreol, ☏ +1-705-858-1020, fax: +1-705-858-0333. Station is 30 km north of downtown. Travel time from Toronto is 7.25 hours. (updated Feb 2021) 3 Sudbury Junction station, 2750 Lasalle Blvd. Eas

Getting around

By public transit GOVA, ☏ +1- 05-674-4455. Offers bus service within the city, operating from a central downtown terminal. The urban core of the city is served by lines that generally operate on the half hour during peak travel times, and on the hour late at night and on Sundays. More remote areas of the city are not served as frequently, but some bus service is available. (updated Sep 2022) You can take the bus from one end of town to the other (about 60 km) for $4.00 (2025). Multi-ride passes are also available, in addition to unlimited 31-day passes.

By taxi Aaron Taxi, ☏ +1 705-670-0000. (updated Aug 2022) AC Taxi, ☏ +1 705-586-7777. (updated Aug 2022) Lockerby Transportation Group, ☏ +1 705-522-2222. (updated Aug 2022)

See

3 Science North (Science Nord), 100 Ramsey Lake Rd, ☏ +1 705 523-4629, toll-free: +1-800-461-4898. 10AM-4PM. A science education centre built atop an ancient earthquake fault on the shore of Lake Ramsey. Its distinctive snowflake shape has become one of Sudbury's famous landmarks. Features include an IMAX theatre, a butterfly gallery, a robotics lab, and interactive exhibits on geology, animal biology and other areas of science. $18 per person. (updated Sep 2021) The grounds of Science North are also home to the William Ramsey, a boat which offers cruise tours of the beautiful Lake Ramsey, which was once the world's largest lake contained entirely within the boundaries of a single city. (It lost this status in 2001; when the newly merged city of Greater Sudbury enclosed a larger lake.) 4 Dynamic Earth, 122 Big Nickel Mine Rd, ☏ +1 705 523-4629, toll-free: +1-800-461-4898. This immersive, hands-on science centre focuses on earth science and mining. It offers a guided underground tour, multimedia theatres, exhibits, and an outdoor science park. It is operated by Science North on a separate site, and is home to the Big Nickel, Sudbury's most famous landmark. 5 Bell Park. A park and amphitheatre on the shore of Lake Ramsey. It is connected by a lakefront boardwalk to the Science North grounds. Northern Ontario Railroad Museum, 26 Bloor St. Capreol, ☏ +1 705 858-5050. Rail transport museum including locomotives and rolling stock, museum, model railroad, and locomotive simulator. (updated Jan 2024) Pioneer heritage museums in the city show how Northern Ontario's earliest settlers lived. These include the Flour Mill Heritage Museum, the Copper Cliff Museum, the Anderson Farm Museum, and the Capreol Heritage Centre/Prescott Park.

Ecotourism Sudbury is a ruggedly beautiful city, with many forests, lakes and rocky hills throughout the area.

6 A.Y. Jackson Scenic Lookout, Highway 144, ☏ +1 705 855-3326. Named for the Canadian "Group of Seven" artist, provides a specta

Do

Fun in the Sun: Sudbury is a city of lakes, in fact holding over 300 lakes within its borders, including Lake Wanapitei, the largest city-contained lake in the world, and Lake Ramsey, the central lake within the city. No matter where in town you happen to be