Sudbury

Sudbury is centred on the city of Greater Sudbury in northeastern Ontario, one of the largest cities in Northern Ontario by population. The riding covers the urban core and surrounding communities within the municipal boundaries of Greater Sudbury, including the former cities of Sudbury and Valley East, the towns of Capreol and Nickel Centre, and parts of Walden and Rayside-Balfour. The Canadian Shield landscape is defined by rocky outcrops, boreal forest, and the geological formations of the Sudbury Basin, one of the world's richest mineral deposits.

Candidates

Glenn Thibeault (NDP) — Thibeault was first elected in Sudbury in 2008, defeating five-term Liberal incumbent Diane Marleau in an upset victory. Born and raised in Sudbury, he worked as a newscaster and reporter at local radio stations CIGM and CJRQ during the 1990s before completing the developmental services worker program at Cambrian College. He later worked as a behavioural consultant and spent five years as coordinator at the Mainstream Association for Pro-Active Community Living in Vancouver. Returning to Sudbury in 2003, he became campaign director and then executive director of the United Way of Sudbury and District, helping grow the annual campaign from $1.3 million to $2.3 million. In Parliament, he served as the NDP critic for consumer protection and amateur sport.

Fred Slade (Conservative) — Slade was a chartered accountant who operated his own firm, Fred Slade and Associates, in Sudbury. He was active in community organizations, serving on the boards of the Salvation Army and the John Howard Society locally, and as treasurer of Junior Achievement Northern Ontario. He had also served as president of the local chartered accountants association and the Rotary Club of Sudbury.

Carol Hartman (Liberal) — Hartman carried the Liberal banner in Sudbury for the 2011 election, seeking to reclaim a seat the party had held for decades under Diane Marleau before losing it in 2008.

Fred Twilley (Green Party), Will Morin (First Peoples National Party), and J. David Popescu (Independent) also stood as candidates.

About the Riding

Greater Sudbury, with a population of roughly 160,000, is the largest city in northeastern Ontario and the historic capital of Canadian nickel mining. The Sudbury Basin, formed by an ancient meteorite impact, contains massive deposits of nickel, copper, platinum group metals, and cobalt. Vale (which acquired Inco in 2006) and Xstrata Nickel (which acquired Falconbridge in 2006) are the two dominant mining companies, together employing thousands directly and supporting a cluster of mining supply and technology firms that contributed nearly $4 billion to the local economy. The community was still recovering from the bitter 2009-2010 Vale strike, which lasted nearly a year and affected United Steelworkers Local 6500.

Beyond mining, Sudbury is a regional centre for health care, education, and government services. Health Sciences North is the city's largest employer outside the mining sector. Laurentian University and Cambrian College provide post-secondary education and research capacity, including the Mining Innovation, Rehabilitation and Applied Research Corporation (MIRARCO). Science North, a major science centre and tourist attraction, is located on the shores of Ramsey Lake.

Heading into 2011, key local issues included the economic aftermath of the Vale strike, diversification beyond resource extraction, environmental remediation of landscapes scarred by decades of smelting, investment in Northern Ontario infrastructure, and the rising cost of living in a resource-dependent economy where boom-and-bust cycles shaped community life.