A Stroll Through the Park

One of my favourite things to do is eat lunch in the park. Working downtown is perfect because its within walking distance to both Memorial Park and Bell Park. Quite often I'll find a picnic table outside to eat lunch at. I love the fresh air and the sunshine. Today is a beautiful day to enjoy the nice weather so I headed over to Memorial Park at the corner of Minto Street and Brady Street. Normally on such a nice day the park is filled with downtown workers on their lunch break and children from the YMCA day camps. Today, however, it was just about empty and this one man and his dog had the attention of the few people in the park. I'm a huge fan of dogs and his was a beautiful black lab, full of energy and quite young looking. I guess it was his lucky day because there were no kids playing under the sprinkler sculpture. Catching me by surprise, the sprinklers and water started shooting up all around when the dog walked in the sprinkler area. The dog seemed to love it. She was running from sprinkler to sprinkler trying to eat the water and run through it. It was very entertaining to watch. The water would shoot up from the ground for about 30 sec before it would turn off and the owner would have to walk past the motion sensor to activate it again. The dog was kept on her leash the whole time and it was a struggle for the owner not to be pulled to the groung by his powerful dog. The dog would never have been able to get away with the fun that she had, had there been any people in the sprinkler. Normally, on a nice day there are plenty of children running through the sprinklers and having a great time!

This situation reminding me of a comment I received when I was surveying people at the beach the other week. The couple that I serveyed commented on the lack of enforcement for keeping dogs on leashes on the trails in the conservation area. They suggested that it would make bikers, such as themselves, much happier if there was a dog park that people could bring their dogs to instead of letting them loose on the conservation trails. Although I myself am guilty of letting my dog off the leash on the trials, I think it would be awesome to get a dog park. Maybe this could be a future aspiration for the city?

The gentleman with the dog then walked by my table and the dog didn't hesitate to come to my side to be pet. I started chatting with the man and found out that his main career was working for tourism! He had worked in Quebec and France as a tourist specialist. As soon as he found out I worked for tourism he got right into questioning me on the attractions and events for Canada Day celebrations.

The main events are taking place at Science North starting at noon. Throughout the day, the main stage will feature The Giselles with performer Pandora Topp. The EZ Rock Idol Competition will also be taking place on the main stage from 1:15-2:30 and 7-7:45. As well, there will be many children's performers such as Spirit of the World Drumming along with entertaining science activities. There will be pony rides, an arts and crafts tent, face painting and balloon animals! You can check out the science center because it will be open from 9am-6pm and the IMAX shows continuously throughout the day. At the end of the day be sure to catch the fire works scheduled for 10:15pm!

If you're looking for more information you can visit the Science North website or the mysudbury website. Or feel free to give us a call at 705-673-1539.

A Summer Sudbury Saturday

Hey Everyone!

I hope this father's day weekend is treating you well ! Yesterday Jenna and I travelled out to Chelmsford (about a 20min drive) to the Western Days Festival. Its been going on all week at the Chelmsford Arena, and it ends today.

When we walked into the arena I was surprised at how many people were out here. I'd never been to this event before so it was awesome that I got to go check it out. There were so many activities going on! Right in the entrance of the arena was face painting, a small, one hole mini putt and a penny table. When we walked into the huge rink surface there was a big stage set up with various country bands performing. It was really an event for everyone. There were so many elderly people at the tables set up in the arena, enjoying the music and tonnes of kids outside at the activity area. There were people dancing to the music, drinking beer, eating food chatting with friends. It was a great atmosphere!

When we wandered outside to the kids activity area there was just as much energy amongst the children. Kids were excitedly waiting in line to climb the rock climbing wall or jump on the trampoline with a bungee or ride on the gyro. There was even pony rides!! I remember loving all of these activities a few years ago when I was a bit younger. We saw the cutest little puppy, that all the kids grouped around. The puppy was jumping from kid to kid, licking all their face paint. Even the puppy was excited to be there and be surrounded by so many people.

Jenna and I had a great time taking pictues and videotaping ourselves and the event. We headed off for our next festival which brought us to Blues for Food on Durham Street downtown. Unlike Western Days, this was only a one day event but just as entertaining and popular. Both of these events had free admission and an balanced number of adults and children. At Blues for Food the street was closed off and full of people and booths and tents and activities and music. The street was packed! It was sectioned off so that one side had children's activities and the other side had a beer and food tent, tables and the stage with bands. We saw children at the arts and crafts table, buying candy, doing bean bag toss, watching a clown make balloon animals and dancing and singing with the children's performers on stage. At the opposite end of the street was the other stage with the blues performers. This was surrounded by many tables and chairs under a tent and people sitting and walking around enjoying the performance. We were walking around taking pictures and a little girl even come up to us and requested to be in a close up shot!

It looked like everyone was enjoying themselves and I know for sure I had a great day. Jenna and I came back to the train station, exhausted, but wonderfully surprised by the amount of people enjoying the festivities that Sudbury has to offer!

Always on the Job

Hey everyone!

I just came back from my lunch break not too long ago, and I just happen to run into two tourists from Utah! I saw these two boys walking downtown on Elgin Street looking very lost. We just happened to cross paths but what better person to give them directions than someone working at an information booth?! They were looking for someplace to eat downtown and I was excited that I could tell them about numerous restaurants in the area. A good number of the restaurants are located on Durham St. so it worked out perfectly that we were headed that way.

When walking down Durham from Elgin St. the first place I pointed out was a deli called Frank's Delicatessen. Unfortunately I've never eaten there, but I always see people threw the window or outside at a table. I assume that the food is pretty good.

Next I mention Books and Beans, which is a coffeehouse that serves vegetarian soup and sandwhiches. I've been there before and its such a relaxing atmosphere and the food is great.

Across the street is La Boulangerie du Village which is an artisan backery. There are cute umbrellas over the tables outside that are perfect for a beautiful day. They serve wonderful homeade sandwhiches and desserts.

Further down the street is Respect is Burning, an intalian pasta and grill bistro. This restaurant is excellent, and a real favourite amonst us local people. I've ordered both the pasta and pizza and have been left satisfied and wanting more.

From further conversation I found out that they were going to be in town for a few weeks so I mentioned the Blues for Food event this Saturday, June 20th. Hopefully they attend and have an awesome time because it's sure to be great entertainment!

Beautiful Ramsey Lake

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Sudbury! The temperature was in the low 20s and the sun was continuously shining. I went for a walk on the boardwalk to see what the people in Sudbury were up to on such a lovely day. The boardwalk is a walking path that runs from Science North to Bell Park along the shoreline of Ramsey Lake.

Since it was a Monday afternoon, the majority of the people that I came across were mothers with young children or elderly retired people. Whether they were out for a stroll or taking an easy jog, one can assume that everyone was enjoying the nice breeze coming off of the water. There were numerous boats of all kinds out on the water as well. I was taken by surprise by the amount of water traffic. At one point, i could see a motor boat, a sea doo, the Cortina and a sail boat in the little bay in front of Science North. The Cortina is a boat used by Science North for tours around Ramsey Lake.

I ran into friends of the family who were hosting family from London, England. They didn't hesitate to let me know that they were having a wonderful time in Sudbury. Having just come from The Lakehouse Restaurant at Science North, they commented on how great the food and the view of the lake was.

I saw many people accompanied by their dogs. Since there are so many small beaches along the path it was nice to see that dogs are able to have plenty of water breaks on such a hot day.

Along the way, I was constantly stopping to take pictures because it was such a beautiful day. I couldn't help but be impressed by how picturesque the lake looked.

After 40 min of walking I finally came to Bell Park and the main beach. I saw all the city beach lifeguards getting ready for the summer ahead of them. They were doing their training, running in and out of the water pretending to save eachother.

It was a great day out on the boardwalk and definitely something I like to do often during the summer months.

A Day of Adventure at Science North

Dear Readers,

My name is Sara and I’m a summer student working for Sudbury Tourism. I’m looking forward to working here this summer because it is a true pleasure to be promoting Sudbury to the rest of the world. I genuinely believe Sudbury is an amazing city!

During the first couple of days of work my fellow coworker, Jenna, and I were sent out like tourists to enjoy the sights and attractions of the city. Our first stop is Science North, one of Sudbury’s main attractions and our personal favorite. I used to visit this place at least once a month when I was younger. There are so many neat and fun things to do and see.

We started the day with the 4D film Wings Over the North in the Cavern Theatre. It is a short 20 min film directed by Sudbury Resident, David Lickley. We both agree that it is a must see when visiting Science North! The film brought us on a thrilling adventure on a bush plane flying through the Northern landscape. Not only were we watching the film in 3D but we were able to feel the rumble of the engine and the movements of the plane from our seat, with a few other added surprises. The film educated us on the history of bush planes in Canada and the life of a bush plane pilot. It was a great start to the day!

Jenna and I continued our tour to the 2nd floor which is known for its exotic creatures and the nature exchange. There were many aquariums housing creatures from around the world such as centipedes, tarantulas and scorpions. We even had the chance to hold a cockroach! That used to be a terrifying thought until I was told that they don’t bite, carry diseases or move around on your hand that much. We were also told that Science North will be receiving a Vinegaroon, an insect that looks like a scorpion but sprays vinegar from its tail. We visited the butterfly gallery and were surrounded by beautifully coloured, live butterflies. We were told that some people are even lucky enough to catch one emerging from its cocoon! Lastly, we viewed the Nature Exchange, a collection of rocks, shells, shark teeth, snake skin and anything you can find naturally made. To bring an item home, from the collection, you must bring in items you find yourself in nature. You earn points with each item you bring in and all the items in the Science North collection are given point values, to ensure that you make a fair trade. Jenna and I then made our way up to the third floor.

From the winding ramp that leads to the 3rd floor we stopped to take in the gorgeous view of Ramsey Lake. The 3rd floor is home to many Canadian animals. We saw the legendary beaver and the porcupine named Quillan, animals that you may get to pet and see out of their habitat. We also saw many frogs, snakes and turtles. A personal favorite, is the soil erosion simulator. It is a giant tub of sand we built streams and dams in. We turned on the water at the top of the tub and watched the way naturally flowing water shapes hills and valleys in the sand. We also got to see exhibits on the water cycle and the growth process of trees. On our way up to the 4th floor we stopped into the Discovery Theatre where we saw a scientist doing a demonstration with a rattle snake. This theater has demonstrations running often throughout the day, ranging from animal demonstrations to exploding science experiments!

We then came to the 4th and last floor of the building. It features the new object theatre 'Club Genome' which quickly became my favourite part of the floor. The presentation took us through an engaging story of the inner workings of a human cell in action, while being surrounded by high-tempo music and vibrant lights. Having come from an extensive scientific background, i was able to appreciate the clarity and simplicity with which the complex material was presented. There wasn't a moment I wasn't captivated, even though I have already learned this information multiple times. Its sure to grab the attention of people of all ages and develop their interest in cells, DNA and genetic science. The fourth floor also featured exhibits on k'nex robotics, space and the anatomy of human bodies!

After going through all the floors of exhibits Jenna and I still had the special feature exhibit of the summer, 'Creatures of the Abyss'. It was a great exhibit filled with very hands-on displays! We were impressed right from the start with the life-sized model of a colossal squid! The exhibit is committed to the presentation of the mysterious creatures of the ocean and the discoveries scientists are in the process of making. This exhibit is sure to captivate the curiosity of an audience at any age.

Science North is proud to be wheel chair accessible to all exhibits. It is surrounded by lovely grounds, perfect for a midday picnic looking out onto Ramsey lake and the yacht club. There is a wonderful board walk that starts at Science North and follows the shoreline all the way to the beach at Bell Park, which is perfect for an evening stroll.

Jenna and I had a great day filled with activities! It's a pleasure to be encouraging the use of a Science Centre that I strongly believe is an awesome place!