Sudbury is a city of 158,000 people and the largest settlement in Northern Ontario. Initially, I thought there wouldn’t be much to see this far up north, but boy was I glad to be wrong! There’s plenty to see and do and I recommend you stay at least two days to enjoy everything.
Art Gallery of Sudbury 
Bell Park 
Bell Park
The ring of low hills around Sudbury are about 50 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide are called the Sudbury Nickel Interruptive. The mines in the area produced most of the world’s nickel, platinum, and palladium until the end of the 20th century. The geology was formed by an asteroid strike some 1.8 billion years ago that forced the rock into concentric circles. Shatter cones can be found all over the place.
If you want to learn more about the city’s history in mining, visit Dynamic Earth. If you want to see wildlife in Ontario, visit Science North. The city is also a hub for Franco-Ontarian culture with the Art Gallery of Sudbury and the regional centre for the Roman Catholic Church.
The Sainte-Anne des Pins was established in 1883 and is still an important centre of the Roman Catholic Church in Northern Ontario. It provided a base for missionaries that worked in Manitoulin Island and Sault Ste. Marie. The current church dates back to 1894 and continues to function as a religious centre of the city.
Sainte-Anne des Pins 
Commerce Centre
Religion extends to recreational areas of the city. The Grotto Park is adjacent to the Grotto of our Lady Lourdes. It has an Italian-style colonnade designed by an Italian artist and a sculpture of the Ten Commandments in Hebrew.
Ten Commandments 
Grotto Park
In 1969, the first moon landing was broadcast all over the world and Sudbury became known for having a moonscape. The area was so rocky and barren that some Apollo astronauts came to train here. In the decades following, the city plated 15 million trees to cover it up and turn the moonscape into a forest.
Wall mural 
Wall mural 
Wall mural 
Wall mural
Sudbury used to have a stately Georgian post office in 1915. Its clock tower had faces on all four sides and became the centrepiece of the city until it was demolished in the 1950s, much to the dismay of residents. A parking lot and commerce centre now stands on the site of the former post office.
Smokestack 
Largest mural in Canada
Other local icons include the smokestack from the mines, a former healthcare facility that is now the largest mural in all of Canada, and plenty more wall murals all around town. Bell Park is the best place to see Ramsey Lake, it has a beach fort swimming in the summer and a skating path for the winter.
