St-Jean Baptiste Celebrations

French culture is important and has been a big part of Sudbury for many years now. St-Jean Baptiste celebrations help us celebrate and be proud of our culture. All week long from Wednesday June 22nd to Sunday June 26th there will be events happening all around the city of Greater Sudbury. On Friday, there was a flag raising ceremony in order to show pride for the Franco-Ontarian community, along with guest speakers talking about community involvement in Sudbury. As the week progresses family events will be happening at various locations around the city. On Saturday, there will be family activities at La Bouquinerie du Moulin, and on Sunday there will be a pancake breakfast and more activities happening throughout the day at Sacré-Coeur high school. So come on down and come celebrate French culture with fun filled days of activities, hope to see you there!


Wondering about other activities that are happening in the city? Click here!

Pat

For more information you can visit www.stjeansudbury.ca

Blues for Food 2011

It's not often Greater Sudbury shuts down the streets of downtown for an event. Downtown Rotary Blues for Food is an exception. They shut down Durham Street completely from Elgin to Larch Street for the large blues festival. The weather was absolutely perfect for this event. The sun was shining but it wasn't overly hot- just right! The main stage was jammed packed with back-to-back blues band entertainment. The family stage was perfect for the kids. It was interactive and very entertaining.

The activites at Blues for Food are endless.

Free Wagon Rides

Childrens Play Zone

Jumper the Clown

Free Face Painting

Free "Make" and "Take" Art Zone

Plus much, much more!

Everyone looked like they were having a great time. The street was rocking and the entertainment was exceptional. Not only is Blues for Food a great time but its for a great cause. Admission to the event is non-perishable food items or cash donations. Proceeds from the event go to the Sudbury Food Bank.

Shanna

A Mud Bogging Adventure

As Shanna said I had the opportunity to take a ride through one of the Mud Bogging tracks. Gilles the event organizer was nice enough to allow me to share the full experience of riding front and centre during one of the races. This was a truck with no back or side windows. The only thing protecting us from the spray of mud was the truck body and the front windshield. So here I was wearing a helmet and hanging onto the door and seat at the same time while buckled in. This way I could brace myself from the constant movement that comes from driving through inches of gooey sticky mud; the kind that would take your shoes if they weren't tied on.

So I was tyring to figure out how I could possibly hold onto the seat, door and camera all at the same time. Not having three hands I opted not to hold onto the seat so I could hold the camera instead. The camera was moving in all directions as much as I was. At one point the truck hit the wall of the track and as Shanna describes, it looked like I was going to fly out of the truck, instead my braced hand lost its perch for a split second. After Gilles parked his truck we watched the tire deflat as it came off the rim when it hit the track wall. My experience Mud Bogging may have only lasted a few seconds, but it is one I will never forget.

To see the video please visit www.youtube.com/user/SudburyTourism

The Sudbury Gardening Festival

May 27th till the 29th was were the Sudbury Gardening Festival happened, hosted by the Sudbury Horticultural Society a celebration that has been active ever since 1911. The event was at Market Square in fact it was also the celebration of the horticultural societies 100th anniversary. That weekend many vendors and special guests arrived and spoke about gardening and ways to master it. There was no admission fee so people came from left and right, they discovered new gardening supplies and even had the chance to chat with some of the vendors. If you are a gardener then that weekend was definitely for you. Presentations were given all day; by legendary gardeners who are there to teach us in their ways. It was a nice weekend to come down with your gardening tools and learn new tricks of the trade.

Patrique Legault

Chemy Mud Boggers & Demolition Derby

If you like the roar of an engine along with getting dirty, then the Chemy Mud Boggers & Demolition Derby was the place to be this past weekend. I had the opportunity to get involved in all the fast-pace action. Gilles, our host, gave us access to the entire event. We were right in the action. Mud was splashing everywhere and the crowd was loving every minute of it. Gilles was nice enough to let Katherine take a ride through the mud bogging race track. She absolutely loved the experience!

The demolition derby was very interesting to watch. There was about 4 or 5 vehicles on the course at a time. Cars were crashing into each other, parts were falling and the cars were smoking. The mud bogger races really grabbed the audiences attention. They were fast, loud and full of suspense. You never quite knew who was going to make it through the course without getting stuck in the mud.

Chemy Mud Boggers & Demolition is a great event for people of all ages. There was a lot of children in attendance and each and every one of them had a big smile on their face the whole time.

Shanna

What's new at Science North?

Science North is continuing to change for the better. I had the opportunity to visit Science North a few weeks ago and the changes from last summer are astonishing. They renovated the entire 3rd floor. New interactive exhibits were built, as well as, new habitats for the variety of wildlife at Science North. Science North's Scientists are more than happy to let visitors pet and touch some of the animals. For example, I had the opportunity to touch an albino snake and a very large tarantula. I am terrified of both those species but the blue coats (Science North employees) made me feel very comfortable with them. It was an amazing experience- that's for sure! Science North recently renovated their cafeteria, Elements Food Court (formerly Mega Bites). Now they offer healthier choices and more variety with faster service.

Don't miss the opportunity view the live science shows and the 4 object theatres.

This summer Science North's feature exhibition is Wildlife Rescue. This exhibit displays the ongoing efforts to help animals survive. Born to Be Wild 3D is a compelling story of amazing people that dedicate their lives to help save orphaned elephants and orangutans.

Whether you're a science fanatic or not one at all, Science North is the perfect place to spend your day!

Shanna

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

A series of unfortunate events can happen to anyone, but eventually leads to something positive, yesterday evening I was driving back from Laurentian University and my car was acting up. See I drive standard and when trying to put the vehicle in gear my transmission would not catch. Eventually the car came to a dead stop; I was stuck in downtown Sudbury with a dead car and a dead cell phone. Out of nowhere a couple came and assisted me in pushing the car, as the man helped me to push we started to come across an incline. We were pushing with all our might and the car was barely moving, then someone came from nowhere again and helped me push all the way to the Frontenac parking lot behind the mall. The man offered if I needed assistance with calling someone I said yes and he lent me his phone. Now as the night unveils itself to me I noticed that Sudbury citizens were very kind of heart as shown by their actions even the security guards got a hold of the malls mechanic and looked at it. I was very sincere and happy to see they cared about my safety and I can say Sudbury citizens are kind of heart and have a joie de vivre. As for the vehicle it did not have as much luck as I did.

Patrique Legault

LAURENTIAN CONSERVATION AREA

What do cross country skiing, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, photography and biking all have in common? It can all be done at the Laurentian Conservation Area, a vast landmass measuring 2400 acres that is fully protected. This past week the Summer Students from the Tourism department went hiking and trail glazing. The Laurentian Conservation Area is a majestic area and is perfect for photography the mixture of the colors and life around you is magnificent. There are a multitude of trails to walk and to discover, it is for all ages. The number of things to be done endless you can go biking to canoeing, even go look for wildlife in the swamp. It is a beautiful place to just enjoy your lunch and the scenery. I strongly recommend the conservation center as a go to place for the summer the beauty is not to be forgotten.

Patrique Legault

Dynamic Earth

Ever wonder how a minor from the 1950’s dug, or how they could see underground? How about the types of minerals extracted from different cities, if so Dynamic Earth is definitely the place for you, where you can tour an actual mine 65 ft below the surface of Greater Sudbury. See how it was like to be a minor in the 1950’s to the present time, even feel how it is to be around a dynamite blast underground. I was there this past week and it was a fun filled adventure, we were able to go see the mineral wall and touch various minerals, to see which city extracts what type of mineral. There is the glass room that is on display at the present moment that shows you the power of glass and how they are made. Dynamic Earth has 2 object theatres where they use state of the art technology to make all the animations look real. It is a fun filled adventure with movies playing in the Atlas Copco Theatre, it is for all ages and most definitely a fun filled ride that you want to go on over and over again, I loved it.

Patrique Legault

Sudbury Tourism celebrates National Tourism Week 2011

June 6 - 12, 2011

 
Sudbury Tourism is celebrating National Tourism Week from June 6 to 12 with an exciting line-up of activities to increase awareness among tourism sector players and the general public as to the importance of the tourism sector to Greater Sudbury's economy.
 

SUDBURY DISCOVERIES CONTEST

Win a Sudbury Discoveries V.I.P. Family Adventure Kit!

Enter to WIN a Sudbury Family Adventure for four.  How well do you know Sudbury's "hidden gems"?  Take the Sudbury Discoveries challenge and test your knowledge with our online quiz!  The grand prize winner will receive two nights at a participating partner hotel, four Dynamic Duo Passports for Science North and Dynamic Earth including IMAX and Digital Planetarium experiences, and an Exclusive Sudbury Discoveries V.I.P. Family Adventure Kit featuring more great ways to discover your Greater Sudbury this summer! 

With the Exclusive Sudbury Discoveries V.I.P. Family Adventure Kit, the winners will:

-          Go Wild! This summer at Science North, with access to the newly renovated science centre, the IMAX experience and the Digital Planetarium

-          Be amazed by what's within and beyond the Earth at Dynamic Earth; play with real mining equipment and technologies, pan for gold or take an underground tour seven storeys below the Earth's surface;

-          Discover some of our loveliest trails on horseback at Wagon Wheel Ranch;

-          Celebrate our northern Ontario heritage with Bullet-Nosed Betty at the Northern Ontario Railroad Museum & Heritage Centre;

-          Test your mini-golf skills among the dinos on one of 63 holes at Dinosaur Valley Mini-Golf;

-          Gather the troops for family fun at Dodge This! Paintball;

-          Satisfy the "need for speed" with go-karting at Sudbury Kartways;

-          Indulge in retail therapy at New Sudbury Centre

-          Watch the world float by on Ramsey Lake with Cortina Cruise; 
-    Breakfast for four in Perkins Restaurant at the Travelodge Hotel 
-    Dinner for a family of four in the Mardi Gras Lounge at Sudbury Downs on race night (Wed or Sat); plus race programs and a visit with the track announcer 
-    Gift certificate from Ramakko's Source for Adventure 
-    Aerial tour over Sudbury for a family of four through Sudbury Aviation Ltd. 
-    Gift certificate from Respect is Burning Supperclub

Enter the Sudbury Discoveries contest and find grand prize draw details by clicking here.