Menu

Discovery of the Sudbury Nickel Deposits

The significance of Sudbury's mineral deposits became apparent during construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway through the area in the 1880s. Blacksmith Tom Flanagan, and others, took samples from some reddish rock nearby in 1883. Analysis of the rock revealed copper-nickel sulphides. The famous Murray mine was subsequently established at the site. Ore bodies were soon discovered in abundance throughout the Sudbury area. Entrepreneur Samuel J. Ritchie founded the Canadian Copper Company at Copper Cliff in 1886. Capitalizing on breakthroughs in metal-refining, he opened up an industrial and military market for nickel-steel alloys. With the establishment of corporations like International Nickel (1902) and Falconbridge Nickel Mines (1928), Sudbury became the nickel capital of the world.

Location

On Highway 144, near the site of the Murray Mine, a short distance northwest of Sudbury

Region: Northern Ontario

County/District: City of Greater Sudbury (District)

Municipality: City of Greater Sudbury

Themes