If you are from Sudbury, then you are quite familiar with the Sudbury Superstack. And if you’re not from Sudbury, allow us to fill you in: It is the giant fixture that defines that Sudbury skyline! It’s been around for so many years that it is almost impossible to consider our beautiful city without this incredible structure. However, we will have to soon as Vale recently announced its plans to retire this iconic structure.

To keep the memory of the Superstack alive, here are 5 facts about it that you might want to know:

It Was Built In The 1970s

Vale began the construction of the Superstack back in 1970. The project cost about $25 million and the structure was fully operational in 1972. Its purpose was to disperse gases and other byproducts that result from the smelting process away from the City of Sudbury.

It’s REALLY Tall

The Superstack is 1,250 feet high, which is 381 meters! It is the tallest chimney in the western hemisphere and the second largest in the world (go, Sudbury!). It also stands just behind the CN as the second tallest freestanding structure in Canada!

It’s Also Pretty WIDE

The Superstack is 35 meters wide. At the bottom, the walls are one meter thick to ensure structural stability and at the top, the walls are 25 cm thick. It has 937 tonnes of steel lining the structure to reinforce it. If you were to weigh that amount of steel, it would weigh about 17,585 tonnes!

It Carries Gas

A steel flue system is used to carry Vale’s Copper Cliff Smelter to the Superstack. This system disperses gases at a speed of 85 kilometres per hour! That’s really fast!

It Was Followed By Reclamation Projects

After the construction of the Superstack, the City of Greater Sudbury was hit with environmental reclamation projects that included the liming and seeding of over 3,200 hectares and the planting of approximately 300,000 trees annually, which is great for the environment! 

Want to check out the Sudbury Superstack before it retires? Then it’s time to visit Sudbury! And when you do, make sure that you make Quality Inn Sudbury your place of accommodation! Call us today to book a room: (705) 675-1273