History Economy of Greater Sudbury

in 1856 provincial land surveyor albert salter had located magnetic anomalies in area suggestive of mineral deposits, discovery aroused little attention because area remote , inaccessible. 1880s, small lumber camp, named sainte-anne-des-pins ( st. anne of pines ) after jesuits mission concurrently established in area, existed near downtown sudbury.

during construction of canadian pacific railway in 1883, blasting , excavation revealed high concentrations of nickel-copper ore @ murray mine on edge of sudbury basin, bearing out salter s earlier readings , leading establishment of permanent settlement serve transportation , commercial hub mining , lumber camps. james worthington, superintendent of construction on northern ontario segment of railway, selected name sudbury after sudbury, suffolk in england, hometown of wife caroline. community incorporated town in 1893.

sudbury s pentlandite, pyrite , pyrrhotite ores contain profitable amounts of many elements—primarily nickel , copper, including smaller amounts of cobalt, platinum, gold, silver, selenium , tellurium. construction of railway allowed exploitation of these mineral resources large-scale lumber extraction.

thomas edison visited sudbury area prospector in 1901, , credited original discovery of ore body @ falconbridge.

the city experienced first-ever labour strike in 1896, when workers building new waterworks system struck higher wages. 1 of several public works crises in city contributed defeat of mayor murray biggar in 1896 elections.

mining began replace lumber primary industry improvements area s transportation network, including trams, made possible workers live in 1 community , work in another. 2 major mining companies created, inco in 1902 , falconbridge in 1928. became 2 of city’s major employers , 2 of world s leading producers of nickel.

copper converter in sudbury, c. 1920

through decades followed, sudbury s economy went through boom , bust cycles world demand nickel fluctuated. demand high during first world war when sudbury-mined nickel used extensively in manufacturing of artillery in sheffield, england. bottomed out when war ended , rose again in mid-1920s peacetime uses nickel began develop. town reincorporated city in 1930. city recovered great depression more other city in north america due increased demand nickel in 1930s. sudbury fastest-growing city , 1 of wealthiest cities in canada of decade. many of city s social problems in great depression era not caused unemployment, due difficulty in keeping of new infrastructure demands created rapid growth. between 1936 , 1941, city ordered receivership ontario municipal board. economic slowdown affected city in 1937, city s fortunes rose again during second world war; frood mine alone accounted 40 percent of nickel used in allied artillery production during war.

after end of war, sudbury in position supply nickel united states government when decided stockpile non-soviet supplies during cold war. 1970s, inco employed quarter of local workforce.

banner welcoming wartime hardrock miners, c. october 5, 1942.

on april 21, 1944, city s mine workers unionized first time certification of mine, mill , smelter workers local 598. inco , falconbridge each set own puppet unions, united copper nickel workers union @ inco , falconbridge workers council @ falconbridge, in attempt destabilize mine mill, company efforts largely rejected workers—the united copper nickel workers, in particular, became better known nickel rash . robert carlin, prominent mine mill organizer, elected legislative assembly of ontario in 1943 city s first-ever co-operative commonwealth federation representative, although later expelled party not sufficiently denouncing purported—and vastly overstated—prominence of communists in union.

in 1956, mine, mill , smelter workers held canadian convention in sudbury, noted hosting first concert given paul robeson outside of united states after american government instituted travel ban against him. year, city approved natural gas contract northern ontario natural gas— city s mayor @ time, leo landreville, later forced resign supreme court of ontario bench after allegations had received stock favours in exchange contract.

in 1950s , 60s, sudbury beset extensive labour unrest, experiencing first mine workers strike in 1958. smaller strikes took place in 1966 , 1969.

the united steelworkers had set sights on raiding mine mill locals, , there violence in streets rival factions confronted each other—notably, mine mill meeting @ sudbury arena, discussing whether join steelworkers, erupted riot on september 10, 1961. ultimately, 2 unions settled uneasy truce, mine mill winning right unionize falconbridge, , steelworkers winning right unionize inco. national mine mill organization merged steelworkers in 1967—most of mine mill locals remaining in sudbury followed, although local 598 voted against merger , remained independent autonomous local until becoming part of canadian auto workers in 1993.

in 1978, workers of sudbury s largest mining corporation, inco (now vale), embarked on strike on production , employment cutbacks. strike, lasted 9 months, badly damaged sudbury s economy; compounded recession of 1981-82, during city attained dubious distinction of having highest unemployment rate in of north america.

these events spurred city government launch project diversify city s economy; through aggressive strategy, city tried attract new employers , industries through 1980s , 1990s. city s strategies not successful; 1 particularly noted boondoggle saw substantial municipal funding given failed angora goat farm on closed burwash industrial farm site.

during post-recession era, inco s increasing reliance on retirement packages, rather layoffs, reducing local workforce cushioned impact of staffing reductions on city s economy.

in 2006, inco , falconbridge taken on foreign multinational corporations: inco acquired brazilian company vale, , falconbridge purchased swiss company xstrata. vale employs less 5 per cent of workforce. 2006, 80% of greater sudbury s labour force employed in services 20% remaining in manufacturing.

on september 19, 2008, fire destroyed historic sudbury steelworkers hall on frood road.

a strike @ vale s operations, began on july 13, 2009, , saw tentative resolution announced on july 5, 2010, lasted longer devastating 1978 strike, had more modest effect on city s economy earlier action—the local rate of unemployment declined during strike.