Greater Sudbury

Greater Sudbury (French: Grand Sudbury), also known as Sudbury, is the most populous city in Northern Ontario with a population around 166,004 in 2021. Greater Sudbury is the only single-tier municipality in Northern Ontario, the largest city in Ontario by area and the fifth largest in Canada. The city is separate from, but entirely surrounded by, the Sudbury District.

The Sudbury region was inhabited by the Ojibwe people of the Algonquin group of the Anishinaabe prior to the founding of Sudbury after the discovery of nickel and copper ore in 1883 during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Greater Sudbury was formed in 2001 by merging the cities and towns of the former Regional Municipality of Sudbury with several previously unincorporated townships. Being located inland, the local climate is extremely seasonal, with average January lows of around −18 °C (0 °F) and average July highs of 25 °C (77 °F).

The population resides in an urban core and many smaller communities scattered around 330 lakes and among hills of rock blackened by historic smelting activity. Sudbury was once a major lumber center and a world leader in nickel mining. Mining and related industries dominated the economy for much of the 20th century. The two major mining companies which shaped the history of Sudbury were Inco, now Vale Limited, which employed more than 25% of the population by the 1970s, and Falconbridge, now Glencore. Sudbury has since expanded from its resource-based economy to emerge as the major retail, economic, health, and educational center for Northeastern Ontario. Sudbury is also home to a large Franco-Ontarian population, which influences its arts and culture.