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 sulphide and the 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, Ritchie opened up an industrial and military market for nickel-steel alloys. With the establishment of corporations like International Nickel in 1902 and Falconbridge Nickel Mines in 1928, Sudbury became the nickel capital of the world.
Plaque via Alan L. Brown's site Ontario Plaques. Full page here.