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Then and Now

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Then and Now shares historical photos and personal stories of past people, places, and events and connects them to their significance today. They are made possible through the continued support of our Community Leaders Program.

Then & Now: Remembering the tragic heroism of Gordon Lapointe

Then & Now: Remembering the tragic heroism of Gordon Lapointe

A March school day in 1975 began like any other, until a heart attack set off a chain of events that left a boy dead, three others injured and a community in shock
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Then & Now: When ‘freedom’ was the rallying cry against seatbelts

Then & Now: When ‘freedom’ was the rallying cry against seatbelts

In 1976, it became mandatory in Ontario to wear a seatbelt and people came up with all kinds of excuses why it was a bad idea and an infringement on their personal freedom
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Then & Now: Rotary Club of Sudbury celebrates century of service

Then & Now: Rotary Club of Sudbury celebrates century of service

After a few false starts, the club was officially started Feb. 4, 1924
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Then & Now: Sudbury’s decades long fight for Boxing Day shopping

Then & Now: Sudbury’s decades long fight for Boxing Day shopping

Although the fight over store hours might seem odd in 2024, the regulation of shopping hours in 20th century harkens back to a time when governments felt the need to push back against consumerism
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Then & Now: A tribute to Edgar Burton, Sudbury’s very own Santa Claus

Then & Now: A tribute to Edgar Burton, Sudbury’s very own Santa Claus

Christmas is the traditional time of giving and in Greater Sudbury few people exemplify that spirit than Edgar Burton. The little Christmas food drive he started in 1987 has become an annual tradition involving the entire Nickel City community. Today, Jason Marcon tells the story of Edgar Burton and his food drive
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Then & Now: A cartoon travelogue through 1980s Sudbury

Then & Now: A cartoon travelogue through 1980s Sudbury

Remember those cartoon maps of the 1980s? Sudbury had its own version created by Lakehill Associates. History writer Jason Marcon uses his copy of the map to take us on an historical through a Nickel City of 40 years ago
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Then & Now: The rise and fall and rise again of the Moose Mountain Mine

Then & Now: The rise and fall and rise again of the Moose Mountain Mine

Sudbury is known for its nickel deposits, but for decades starting in the early 1900s, the Moose Mountain Mine was a prime source of iron
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Then & Now: A brief history of local Indigenous communities

Then & Now: A brief history of local Indigenous communities

Curious about the development of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek or Wahnapitae First Nation? History writer Jason Marcon digs into the archives
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Then & Now: The unhappy end of polluted Happy Valley

Then & Now: The unhappy end of polluted Happy Valley

Settled in 1906, the hamlet of Happy Valley was a close-knit community west of Garson until air pollution from smelting at Falconbridge forced the government to act, buying up the houses and moving the residents to greener pastures
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Then & Now: History of the Whitefish Lake Day School

Then & Now: History of the Whitefish Lake Day School

In honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, history writer Jason Marcon wades through old records and correspondence to uncover the troubled local story of the ‘Indian Day School’ system
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