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Sudbury (official name Greater Sudbury) is a city of approximately 160,000 people, located in Northern Ontario, Canada. It is Northern Ontario's largest city in both area and population, and a major retail and service centre for the region.

Understand

Sudbury's weather is typical of locations on the Canadian Shield, with both hot summers and cold winters. The city is particularly renowned for its outdoor recreation opportunities, with both summer and winter activities being quite popular. The city has a somewhat unfair and outdated reputation as an environmental wasteland, due to past environmental damage from the local mining industry, but various environmental reclamation projects since the 1970s have given many parts of the city a rugged natural beauty that capitalizes on the region's many lakes, forests and rocky hills.

International visitors to Sudbury will feel right at home. The city is home to vibrant Italian, Finnish, Ukrainian, French, Polish and Aboriginal communities. One can expect to hear many of these languages being spoken regularly, though almost all residents speak English as well. Since Sudbury is officially bilingual, all city services are available in both French and English. Road signs and street names are also posted in both official languages. The city celebrates its multicultural heritage on the Bridge of Nations, a downtown structure featuring the flags of every world nation represented among the city's population.

Get in

By plane

The Greater Sudbury Airport (YSB  IATA) is served by Air Canada Jazz, which provides six daily flights in and out of Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ IATA), and Bearskin Airlines, which provides flights to and from Sault Ste. Marie, Ottawa, Kapuskasing, Thunder Bay, North Bay and Timmins. Connecting flights to other communities can be made at any of these other airports. As of April 2010, Porter Airlines is now offering flights to The Greater Sudbury Airport from the Billy Bishop Toronto Island Airport (YTZ IATA).

By train

Sudbury is served by VIA Rail service, through the Sudbury Junction and Capreol rail stations.

By car

Sudbury is served by three major provincial highways.

Highway 17 leads west to Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and western Canada, and east to North Bay, Ottawa and the province of Quebec. A 20 km stretch of Highway 17 within the city boundaries is freeway, but Sudbury currently has no freeway connections to other communities.

Highway 69 leads south to Parry Sound, where it becomes the Highway 400 freeway to Toronto. (Highway 400 will eventually extend all the way to Sudbury; however, this construction is not currently expected to be completed until 2017.)

Highway 144 leads north to Timmins.

Some quiet roads are in poor shape, however much effort has been put into repairing them.

By bus

Sudbury is served by Greyhound connections to Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie and Toronto, each of which connects to other communities, and by Ontario Northland buses to Timmins and other Northern Ontario communities and south through Central Ontario to Toronto.

Get around

Greater Sudbury Transit 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.

You can take the bus from one end of town to the other (about 60 km) for $2.80. Multi-ride passes are also available, in addition to unlimited 31-day passes.

See

  • Science North, 100 Ramsey Lake Rd, ☏ +1 705 523-4629, toll-free: +1-800-461-4898. Is 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. 
  • The grounds of Science North are also home to the Cortina, 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.)
  • Dynamic Earth, 122 Big Nickel Mine Rd, ☏ +1 705 523-4629, toll-free: +1-800-461-4898. Is an earth sciences exhibition, operated by Science North on a separate site. It is home to the Big Nickel, Sudbury's most famous landmark. 
  • Bell Park. A park and amphitheatre on the shore of Lake Ramsey. It is connected by a lakefront boardwalk to the Science North grounds. 
  • A number of 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, the Northern Ontario Railroad Museum and Heritage Centre and the Capreol Prescott Museum.

Ecotourism

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

  • A.Y. Jackson Scenic Lookout, ☏ +1 705 855-3326. Named for the Canadian "Group of Seven" artist, provides a spectacular view of High Falls on the Onaping River off Highway 144, 43km northwest of downtown Sudbury. There is also a travel information centre and a picnic area. 
  • Lake Laurentian Conservation Area, ☏ +1 705 674-3271. A large parkland area in the south end of the city, with 55km of hiking, jogging, biking and ski trails for exploration. 

Culture

  • The Art Gallery of Sudbury, 251 John St, ☏ +1 705 674-3271. Presents regular exhibitions of historical and contemporary Canadian art. 
  • La Galerie du Nouvel Ontario, Elgin Street, ☏ +1 705 673-4927. Presents contemporary and experimental Canadian art, with a special focus on French Canadian artists. 
  • Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, ☏ +1 705 674-8381. Performs concerts throughout the year. 
  • Sudbury Theatre Centre, Shaughnessy Street, ☏ +1 705 674-8381. Presents comedy and drama, including works by Canadian playwrights, throughout the year. 
  • Cinéfest. Is an annual film festival, the fourth largest in Canada, which presents a program of over 100 films each September. 
  • Le Théâtre du Nouvel Ontario, ☏ +1 705 525-5606. Presents comedy and drama by franco-ontarian and Québécois playwrights throughout the year. 
  • Centre franco-ontarien de folklore, 1169 Dollard St, ☏ +1 705 675-8986. The world's largest collection of franco-ontarian books, documents and cultural heritage. 

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, it's never more than a short walk to a beach. The City of Greater Sudbury has five supervised beaches with professional lifeguards during the summer, but there are uncountable smaller beaches with nothing but sand and water.

  • Watersports

Fishing is a popular activity in the summer. Species of trout, splake, pike, pickerel, muskie and bass can be found in most of Sudbury's lakes. Be sure to inquire about seasons and licences before heading out on the water.

Some lakes (especially the urban lakes) have strict guidelines for operating watercraft. Be sure to ask about them before launching a boat.

  • Snowmobiling

Sudbury has one of the largest systems of groomed trails in the world. The Sudbury Trail Plan connects to the trail systems of other communities, creating a network of 1300 km of trails. Contact the Sudbury Trail Plan Association for more information, as they are considered the authority on trail closures, maintenance, and the monitoring of lake ice.

  • Taking A Walk

The Trans-Canada Trail runs right through Sudbury. The trail twists along the shores of Junction Creek through much of the city. Put on some good shoes and stroll through Sudbury's "urban wilderness".

  • Enjoy the View

Huge rocky hills cut through Sudbury, dividing the city into its boroughs. These hills remain largely undeveloped to this day. One can hike to the top of these "mountains" and enjoy a panoramic view of the city. Geology buffs can scour the black bedrock for shatter cones: the remnents of a meteorite impact millions of years ago which created the Sudbury Basin.

  • Golfing

Greater Sudbury offers a wide selection of 9 and 18 hole golf courses including Blackstone Golf Course 1(800) 440-2887, Buck Ridge Golf Course (705) 853-2825, Lively Golf and Country Club (705) 692-5502, Pine Grove Golf Course (705) 560-1090, Timberwolf Golf Club 1(877) 689-8853 and Twin Stacks Golf Course (705) 694-2131.

  • Winter Sports

Winters are very long in Sudbury, but they certainly aren't boring. Be sure to try some of the following winter activities:

  • Skiing: There are four downhill skiing facilities in Sudbury; Adanac Ski Center, Onaping Ski Center, Capreol Ski Center and Walden Ski Hill. Ski rentals are available at all four locations. If cross-country is more your style, the 10 km Naughton Ski Trails run through a quiet forest. The tracks are groomed regularly and the trail is illuminated at night. Call the Walden Ski Club for passes. There are numerous other groomed ski trails in and around town as well.
  • Ice Fishing: Fishing is not limited to the summer. All you need is a hook, some fishing line and an ice auger to enjoy this popular winter pastime. There is usually enough ice on Sudbury lakes to support a truck, so don't worry about falling through the ice! Be sure to enquire about licenes before heading out. Local bait shops can issue temporary fishing permits. Be advised that ice fishing huts MUST be off of the ice by March 1st.
  • Skating: Science North has cleared and polished an ice skating surface from their grounds to the Bell Park beach area (about 1.5km). Use of this ice surface is free of charge. There are numerous hockey rinks and skating ovals in and around town, so grab your hockey sticks and try to join a game!

Also, have fun at the local rink at Carol Richard Park, in Val Caron! Join up with other locals to play some good, old-fashioned rink hockey, or if no one is playing, feel free to skate around. There is a small kids rink outside of the boards of the main rink, meant for toddlers and pre-teens (or for those inexperienced at skating, or who may not want to play hockey on the larger rink), and there is also a playground area, too. As well, there is a shack to get changed (and warm up), and it is surrounded by the beautiful wilderness, of snow-covered trees and a nice neighbourhood.

  • Sliding: Sudbury's rocky terrain is excellent for sliding. If you have small children, this is a great activity that the whole family can enjoy. Hills range from small hills to near-suicidal mountains complete with jumps. Sliding areas are not well advertised, so the best way to find them is to befriend a local, or look for a place on the side of the highway where cars are parked for no apparent reason. Another great place to go sliding is Queen's Athletic Field in downtown Sudbury. It has a large oval skating surface, and a medium-sized sliding hill, appropriate for both younger and older kids. There's also a nice warm hut for putting skates on.
  • Sudbury Wolves-A member of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), a junior league that supplies players for the NHL and minor league teams. The Wolves play at the downtown arena during the months of October to April.
  • Dinosaur Valley Mini Golf, 3316 St Laurent ST. (on Valley View Rd) Street West Chelmsford, ☏ +1 705 897-6302. Play 63 custom holes and choose any combination. 
  • 1 Air Ivanhoe Limited, Foleyet Ontario P0M 1T0, toll-free: +1-800-955-2951. Fly-In fishing on remote Northern Ontario lakes for great fishing in remote outpost cabins. 
  • 2 Sudbury Aviation, Azilda Ontario P0M 1B0, ☏ +1 705 983-4255. Sudbury Aviation operates ten northern fly-in fishing camps north of Sudbury Ontario for the ultimate outdoor experience. 
  • 3 OLG Slots at Sudbury Downs, 400 Bonin Road Chelmsford Ontario P0M 1L0, toll-free: +1-888-812-1703. 

Learn

Sudbury is home to three major postsecondary institutions.

  • Laurentian University is a bilingual university which offers primarily undergraduate programs, although some graduate degrees are available as well. The Northern Ontario School of Medicine, shared between Laurentian and Thunder Bay's Lakehead University, opened in September 2005.
  • Collège Boréal is a French college of applied arts and technology with several satellite campuses in other Ontario communities.

Buy

Sudbury is Northern Ontario's major retail centre. Shopping areas include the Rainbow Value Centre, the Rio-Can Power Centre on the Kingsway, the New Sudbury Centre at the corner of Barrydowne and Lasalle(705) 566-9080 and the Southridge Mall at Regent and Paris Streets. There are also many "big box" stores on Notre Dame between downtown Sudbury and the North End.

Eat

Downtown

  • Alexandria's, 211 Shaughnessy St. 
  • Wacky Wings, 187 Shaughnessy St. 
  • The Hourglass, 183 Cedar St. 
  • The Doghouse, 212 Romanet Ln. 
  • Frank's Delicatessen, 112 Durham St. 
  • Gonga's Grill, 233 Brady St. 
  • Gus's, 336 Elm St. 
  • Harmony Café, 140 Durham St. 
  • Nibblers, 70 Young St. 
  • Parker House, 259 Elm St. 
  • Pasta e Vino, 118 Paris St. 
  • Peddlers Pub, 63 Cedar St. 
  • Pestos. Ramada Inn, Rainbow Value Centre 
  • The Pita Pit, 127 Cedar St. 
  • Respect is Burning, 82 Durham St. Great (mostly Italian) food with an individual twist in a lively setting. 
  • Spencer's Bistro, 117 Elm St, ☏ +1 705 674-1737. 
  • Stella's, 11 Cedar St. 
  • Sapporo Ichibang, 79 Cedar St. 
  • Tower Café, 30 Cedar St. 
  • Ugi's, 235 Douglas St. Pizza and wings a specialty, popular sports bar downstairs. Build your own pasta night most Fridays. Best wings in town! 
  • Williams Coffee Pub, 43 Elm St. 
  • The Laughing Buddha, Elgin Street. Hidden gem, beautiful patio, excellent food 

New Sudbury/The Kingsway

  • Apollo's Restaurant & Tavern, 844 The Kingsway. Family run Greek restaurant, great food, quieter, more romantic setting. 
  • Boston Pizza, 120 Donna Dr (near Kingsway/Barrydowne). Popular sports bar chain with pizza/pasta - especially busy whenever the Maple Leafs are playing. 
  • Café Korea, 798 Lasalle Blvd. 
  • Casey's, 1070 The Kingsway. Good family restaurant with wide menu. 
  • M.I.C. Real Canadian Eatery, Falconbridge Road. Another very popular sports bar 
  • Gonga's Grill, 467 Falconbridge Rd. 
  • Herc's, 875 Notre Dame Ave. 
  • Jak's Diner, 1100 Barrydowne Rd. 
  • Joey's Only Seafood, 1899 Lasalle Blvd. 
  • Kelsey's Roadhouse, 1425 The Kingsway. Good family restaurant. 
  • The Keg, The Kingsway. Popular steakhouse. 
  • Kings Buffet, 1051 The Kingsway. Chinese food a la carte or from the buffet 
  • Laura Fratelli's (Ambassador Hotel (Kingsway/Barrydowne)). 
  • Little India, 893 Notre Dame Ave. 
  • Montana's Cookhouse & Bar, 1300 Marcus Dr (near Kingsway/Barrydowne). 
  • Mr. Prime Rib, 777 Barrydowne Rd. 
  • Orient, 480 Barrydowne Rd. 
  • Osaka Sushi, 1899 Lasalle Blvd. All-you-can-eat sushi 
  • Pat & Mario's, 1463 Lasalle Blvd. Italian restaurant with great food 
  • Sun Wah, 1540 Lasalle Blvd. 
  • Teklenburg's, 1893 Lasalle Blvd. 

South End/Four Corners

  • Tommy's Not Here, 1889 Regent St, ☏ +1 705 522-2822. Possibly the finest dining in town, reservations recommended. A little more expensive than the chain restaurants, but definitely worth it. 
  • Grumblers, 1620 Regent Street S. 
  • Culpeppers, 1835 Regent Street S. 
  • Gloria's, 469 Bouchard St. 
  • Joey's Only, 2040 Algonquin Rd. 
  • East Side Mario's, 2040 Algonquin Rd. Popular Italian family restaurant. 
  • Indian Summer, 1543 Paris St. Authentic Indian cuisine to eat in or take away. 
  • Buzzy Brown's (Cedar Point Plaza). Sports bar with good food. 
  • Eddie's, 1769 Regent St. S. 
  • Peking Gazebo, 1716 Regent St. S. 
  • Landing's, 100 Ramsey Lk. Rd. Situated in Science North, fine dining with wonderful views over Ramsay Lake. 
  • Ristorante Verdicchio, 1351D Kelly Lk. Rd, ☏ +1 705 523-2794. Fine Italian dining, well worth the splurge for special occasions. Reservations recommended. 
  • Umai Sushi, 1875 Paris St. 

Drink

There are an uncountable number of bars and taverns in Sudbury. There is simply no room to list them all. Every neighbourhood has at least one watering hole. One could literally spend their whole vacation hopping from one tavern to the next.

  • TEN Lounge & Nightclub, 225 Falconbridge Rd, ☏ +1 705 566-3601. Upscale nightclub popular Friday & Saturday Nights. Friday features a variety of themes while Saturday nights feature a hugely popular dance party with up to 5 DJ's that keep the crowd dancing on 2 different dancefloors. Sudbury's largest outdoor patio bar in season. 
  • Rhythm & Cues, 1855 Lasalle Blvd, ☏ +1 705 525-1117. Great, vibrant venue on the prominent Lasalle Boulevard in New Sudbury. Play pool, select your favourite songs on the rockin' jukebox, or just relax and talk with friends. Rhythm & Cues is the Place To Be! 
  • 1500 Pub", 1500 Regent Street South. Located in the South End, the 1500 pub features a huge outdoor patio, billiards, live bands and Karaoke nights. There is a motel attached so you don't have to walk home intoxicated! 
  • Peddler's Pub, 63 Cedar St. Widely regarded as Sudbury's best pub, Peddler's is located right downtown. An excellent selection of imported beer awaits you in this Irish-style pub. 
  • The Towne House, 206 Elgin St. Feel like rocking out to local talent? The Towne House Tavern is where you're most likely to find Northern Ontario's best bands, as well as touring indie rock bands. 
  • Wacky Wings, 187 Shaughnessy St. A classic sports bar with a log cabin interior. Gather here for all major sports events on TV. Over 100 flavours of wings. 
  • Dooly's, 2120 Regent Street South, ☏ +1 705 522-7891. Located in the South End Dooly's is a great place to go shoot some pool, or play foosball and have a few drinks with your friends. There is also a private pool table which you can rent with some friends and listen to the music you want to. 
  • The Laughing Buddha, 194 elgin St. A great place to relax with some great friends and great foods. 
  • S.R.O., 93 Durham St.. The place to go dancing on a Saturday night. Arrive early to avoid line ups. 
  • Zig's Bar, 54 Elgin St, ☏ +1 705 673-3873. Home of Sudburys only LGBT bar and night life. Frequented by the non-LGBT community as well Zig's provides its customers with many unique drinks and delightful staff. Most up to date and dance-able music than any other bar, Zig's is accepting of all who enter. 

Sleep

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

Go next

  • White River Train

Via Rail operates the Lake Superior train from Downtown Sudbury to White River. The train runs through isolated and pristine wilderness in Northern Ontario. You can request a special stop and get out in the middle of nowhere for your hunting and camping pleasure. Just catch the train on its way back to return. The fare is $55 one way for an adult, and the train departs 3 times weekly. Contact Via Rail for details.

Routes through Sudbury
Edmonton ← Winnipeg ←  W  E  → Parry Sound → Toronto
Sault Ste Marie ← Espanola ←  W  E  → Sturgeon Falls → North Bay
END ←  N  S  → French River → Barrie



This city travel guide to Sudbury is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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