Sudbury established itself as a hub in the 1800s, when it became a railroad town after then-prime minister John MacDonald pushed for a transcontinental railroad across the Canadian Shield. It is situated in the Ojibway country, with First Nation communities Whitefish Lake and Wahnapitae. Historically, its proximity to birch, pine and maple trees attracted loggers, the rich mineral resources found in the Sudbury Basin, believed to have been formed from meteorite impact, significantly propelled the growth and prosperity of Sudbury. Here's a bit of trivia: Sudbury was originally named Ste. Anne des Pins and was a lumber camp before becoming incorporated as a town in 1883 and a city in 1930. It was named Sudbury in 1883 by James Worthington, superintendent of the Canada-Pacific Railroad, in honor of his wife's birthplace in England.
In 2001, the city amalgamated several neighboring municipalities to become the city of Greater Sudbury. Overall it's not a compact city; there is no easy grid to follow, partially because of the city's rocky geography and many lakes. The city center, as they call it, is however, within five minutes of most major attractions, and there are three post-secondary institutions outside downtown's core.
Today this "City of Lakes" with over 330 freshwater lakes with 30 in the city itself, has a significant French-speaking population -- the third largest in Canada outside of Quebec. This culturally diverse city of 150,000 is a melting pot of Finnish, Chinese, Irish, Polish, Ukrainian, Croatian and Italian immigrants, and it is the largest city in Northern Ontario. This lovely city in the Canadian Shield boasts plenty of opportunities for outdoor sports in all four seasons.
