Sudbury's 2km deep Neutrino Observatory is so cool world-famous physicist Stephen Hawking came to visit in 1998
Sudbury, Ontario - Two kilometres beneath the surface of the earth, just 10 km from downtown Sudbury, scientists set up a 10-storey observatory to study Neutrinos - the smallest particles in the universe. Billions of these particles, which are given off by the sun, pass right through our bodies and the earth every second. Scientists used this former mine shaft because they need an environment protected from light for the study.The observatory's elevator descends so deep the surrounding rock averages 47 degrees. A special rail car was built to shuttle the world-famous, physically disabled physicist Stephen Hawking down for a visit. Although the observatory is not open to the public, you can learn more and see the special elevator car built for Hawking, at Sudbury's Science North, a museum that is so cool it was designed in the shape of a snowflake.
Where: Sudbury, which is about a five-hour drive north of Toronto, is located in the Sudbury Basin – the second largest known meter impact crater on earth. Sub-surface there are so many tunnels that placed end-to-end you could drive underground all the way to Vancouver. Look for the ‘Big Nickel’ (so big it could actually hold 64 million nickels) where you’ll find the seven-storey Dynamic Earth geosciences museum. The city has two art galleries, two theatre companies, a symphony and annual September film festival. For outdoor lovers there are 330 lakes in the Sudbury region, and Killarney Provincial Park (so beautiful it's preservation was achieved by artists) is just over an hour southwest of the city on the north shore of Georgian Bay.
In The News: Although the neutrino dector has been turned off the data collected continues to be analyzed.
Lucy Izon
Canada Cool is produced by award-winning Canadian travel writer & speaker Lucy Izon. Her travel stories & reports have appeared in numerous leading North American publications including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and Chicken Soup for the Traveler's Soul. Bio page
Canada’s Coolest:
Welcome to a new feature on Canada Cool. I'll be presenting different 'Coolest' lists with my favorites and I encourage you to nominate suggestions from your own experiences. You can Twitter @CanadaCool or email Lucy@CanadaCool.com. Let me know what makes your suggestion exceptionally cool. Remember, by contributing your comments you are giving Canada Cool permission to quote you. Only a selection of submissions will be included, but all comments and submissions are greatly appreciated!
The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives
Here are some of my favorites...
The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta - This 229 km (142 mi) Rocky Mountain route from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper passes 100 frozen rivers and nudges the base of the Athabasca Glacier - the most accessible glacier in the world. You can stop and explore it. It spills down from the Columbia Icefield, an area of ice so massive that you could fit the entire population of North America on it with each person getting at least a square metre of space.
The Corridor, Algonquin Park, Ontario – this 56-km stretch of Hwy 60 cuts through the southwest section of Algonquin Park. Less than three hours north of Toronto the park is a nature-lover's paradise with 7,725 km of lakes, rivers, forest, trails, camping, comfortable lodges and 2000 km of canoe routes. Offers hiking trails to stop and enjoy, but what makes it really cool is that it’s one of the best places in North America to spot moose (especially in May and June). And, on Thursday nights in August up to 600 cars will gather to listen to wolves howl.
The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – Driving this 303 km (187 mile) route is like riding a roller-coaster: the road snakes around hairpin turns, rises to heights over 365 metres (1200 ft), weaves around headlands revealing spectacular coastal scenery, and plunges down to sea level taking you into the heart of small fishing communities. The most dramatic scenery is between the Cape Breton Highlands National Park entrance near Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, so go slow. And, plan some flexibility into your schedule, so you can drive it on a clear day.
And here are some of your nominations for 'Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives'...
More from Canada’s Coolest
'Canada's Coolest' topics we'll be publishing in the future:
- Golf Course Features
- Haunted Hotels
- Hotel Special Services
Send your suggestions to lucy@CanadaCool.com
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