The city of Sudbury, Ont, is the judicial seat for the District of Sudbury and constitutes part of the Regional Municipality of Sudbury.

The city lies 390 km north of Toronto at the crossroads of the TRANS-CANADA HIGHWAY, highways 69 and 144, and the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific (CPR) railways.
Previously known as a mining and union-based community and home to the world's tallest smokestack, Sudbury is now recognized as the largest city in northeastern Ontario. It is a centre for government, business, social services, education, media, medicine and other professional services.

Economy
Sudbury has traditionally been known as a mining-based resource community. The first mining company, Canadian Copper, was formed in 1886 and started smelting operations in 1888. In 1902, Canadian Copper merged with Orford Refining Company to form the giant International Nickel Company of Canada (now INCO LTD).
By 1915 Sudbury mines provided 80% of the world's production of nickel. The supremacy of the Sudbury Basin was reinforced by the formation of Falconbridge Nickel Mines (now Falconbridge Ltd) in 1928. To this day, the Sudbury Basin remains one of the world's largest sources of nickel. In addition, the local ore contains lead, zinc, silver, gold, cobalt, platinum, selenium and tellurium.
Not surprisingly, the development of Sudbury has been profoundly affected by the boom and bust history associated with the fluctuating demands of the nickel industry. Until World War II the mining industry provided by far the major source of employment for the regional economy.
Employment in the mining sector reached its peak level of 26 000 in 1971. By 1996, this figure had declined to less than 8500. Despite this employment decline, however, mining output has been maintained at a high level through the introduction of continuous mining techniques and the use of innovative technology. In fact, Sudbury has emerged as a home for mining technology and several research institutes. Research centres include the Centre in Mining and Mineral Exploration Research (CIMMER), the Geomechanics Research Centre and the Mineral Exploration Research Centre at LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY and the Northern Centre for Advanced Technology (NORCAT) at Cambrian College. Laurentian University is also a supporter of the Elliot Lake Research Field Station. As a result of the city's success in land reclamation, it has established itself as a world centre for environmental science related to mining. As well, INCO Ltd has developed proprietary technology as a result of its successful project to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions.
Since 1998 Sudbury is the home of the world's most advanced neutrino detector - the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. It will place Sudbury at centre stage for international research in the field of subatomic PHYSICS research.
During the winter months, the Sudbury Trail Plan, which consists of 1200 km of snowmobile trails, provides numerous economic spinoffs.
Sudbury has the reputation of being one of the leading labour centres in Canada. Poor relationships between the mining companies and the 2 unions (International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers and UNITED STEELWORKERS OF AMERICA) led to strikes in 1958, 1969, 1975, 1978-79 and 1997.