Northern Ontario

It is evident that the people of Northern Ontario have a strong sense of identity that is separate from the rest of Ontario. There are many distinguishing characteristics of Northern Ontario which creates its strong sense of identity.
The Big Nickel in Sudbury is one of the major symbols representing Northern Ontario. The City of Sudbury website provides an excellent description of the physical construction of the Big Nickel as well as its history.
The Big Nickel is a symbolic representation of the prominence of nickel in Northern Ontario’s mining industry. Mining plays a key role in constituting Northern Ontario’s ethnic identity. Furthermore, Sudbury is known to be one of the world’s leading mining centres. The Ontario’s Ministry of Finance website points out that Sudbury, with its rich basin supplies 13 per cent of the world’s nickel.
Timmins, a city in northeastern Ontario is also a major mining centre. Mining makes up the majority of the city’s economic base and mining tours are a main attraction there. Overall, this vibrant sector of Ontario’s economy is the leading employer in the northern community. Hence, it plays a significant role in shaping Northern Ontario and distinguishing it from the rest of Ontario.