Science North
is an interactive
science museum
in
Sudbury
,
Ontario
, Canada.
[1]
The science centre, which is
Northern Ontario
's most popular tourist attraction, consists of two
snowflake
-shaped buildings on the southwestern shore of
Ramsey Lake
, just south of the downtown core,
[1]
and a former
ice hockey
arena which includes the complex's entrance and an
IMAX
theatre.
[2]
The snowflake buildings are connected by a rock tunnel, which passes through a billion-year-old
geologic fault
.
[1]
This fault line was not known to be under the complex when the site was originally selected, and was discovered only during the construction of the building in the early 1980s. Where the walkway reaches the larger snowflake, the Vale Cavern
auditorium
is frequently used for temporary exhibits,
press conferences
, film screenings, and other gala events by Science North and the wider community.
[3]
Inside the main building, a 20-metre
fin whale
skeleton, recovered from
Anticosti Island
, hangs from the ceiling.
[4]
The complex also features a boat tour, the William Ramsey, which offers touring cruises of the scenic Ramsey Lake.
[5]
Formerly known as the Cortina due to its corporate sponsorship by the city's Cortina Pizza restaurant chain, it was renamed the William Ramsey in 2014 in memory of the surveyor for whom the lake was named.
[5]
The
Jim Gordon
Boardwalk also extends from the facility to the city's
Bell Park
along the western shore of the lake.
[6]
Opened in 1984,
[7]
the facility was designed by architect
Raymond Moriyama
of Moriyama & Teshima Architects.
[8]
Local architecture firm
Townend, Stefura, Baleshta and Nicholls
also contributed to the project.
[9]
It had its official opening in October 1984, at a ceremony presided over by
Queen Elizabeth II
during her royal visit.
[10]
An agency of the provincial government of Ontario, Science North is overseen by the provincial
Ministry of Culture
.
- IMAX With Laser
- Science North has a 3D
IMAX with Laser
theatre. The theatre opened in 1994, and was converted to 3D in February 2009.
- Planetarium
- In June 2009, Science North added a planetarium. It has an 8-metre dome and 36 seats.
- Vale Cavern
- Event Space
- TD Canada Trust Toddler's Treehouse
- A children's educational play area.
- Nature Exchange
- Visitors collect and research natural items from the wild and are swapped for points in a database. The points can be used to "purchase" other natural artifacts from around the world (i.e.: Rocks, sea shells, fossils, etc.)
- Lapidary Lab
- Moved to Dynamic Earth
- F. Jean MacLeod Butterfly Gallery
- A glass-enclosed
butterfly house
home to more than 400 butterflies from 30 different tropical species.
The exhibits on the third floor are divided into four main areas:
- Northern Forests
- This area focuses on animals who live in northern forests. Some of the animals ambassadors for the Northern Forest include Maple the porcupine and Saunders the skunk. Other notable animals include the Northern Flying Squirrels, the Grey Rat Snake and the Big Brown bats. One of the biggest improvements to the third floor include a nocturnal room, allowing people to see active nocturnal animals during the day and better equipment habitats for the animals and for visitors. Also, there is an intricate
bee
hive, behind a plate glass window, which allows visitors to see into the hive.
- Lakes and Rivers
- In this area, animals that live in rivers and lakes are featured. The animals ambassadors on this floor include the Common Snapping Turtle, the Northern Water Snakes and local fish found in Northern Ontario Lakes. This sections allow people to get a better understanding of the aquatics systems that surround Northern Ontario and the difficulties and challenges these systems are currently facing. As well, the stream table (also known as the sand table) shows people what is erosion and how erosion can shape the landscape around us.
- Wetlands
- The wetlands area teaches about the complex wetlands ecosystems. With Lilly creek situated right beside Science North, people are able to go on Lilly Creek tours (weather permitting) and get a personal look of what makes wetland such an important landmass for our ecosystems. Some of the animal ambassadors include Northern Ontario frogs (including Green Frogs, Wood Frogs, Tree Frogs and Bullfrogs), American Toads, The Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake and the
painted turtle
. This section also houses the SO2 monitor, which measures the sulphur dioxide levels in Sudbury. There is also an interactive computer that displays the current reading of other sulphur dioxide monitors located throughout the Greater Sudbury region.
- Discovery Theatre
- The discovery theatre is located in the centre of the third and fourth levels of Science North. Here, live science shows cover topics ranging from fire to sound. A daily schedule, located in front of the theatre and on the LCD screens around the Science Centre, is kept up to date and people can schedule their day around the shows they want to see. Usually, upbeat music will be played two minutes before the show starts to allow people to know the show is about to begin. Wheelchair accessibly is offered on the first, and third level of the discovery theater.
- The Northern Garden
- The Northern Garden is located outside of the science centre. This gives people the opportunity to learn about native plant species in Northern Ontario, plant growth and general garden maintenance.
- BodyZone
- BodyZone teaches about DNA and how it makes people unique, and how bodies work. There are also many exhibits allowing visitors to measure their performance, such as the race track. The Club Genome object theatre entrance is also in BodyZone.
- Racetrack
- Build a race car and run it on two circular track. This area has a
K'Nex
table.
- Space Place
- This lab focuses on astronomy and space exploration. Exhibits include a 6-foot (1.8?m) gravity well, a microgravity drop tower, exhibits on
SNOLAB
, and information on Canadian space exploration. The entrance to the "Between the Stars" object theatre is also found in Space Place. This show explores the topic of dark matter - why we know it exists, and how we are trying to detect it. Between the Stars opened in June 2010 and is designed to appeal to all age ranges with a cartoon character named String Man narrating the story of a topic that is quite complex.
- TechLab
- Technology and engineering area where visitors can create circuits, take apart old electronics, and play with pulleys and gears.
- DataBase
- Computer based tecnhology areas where visitors can learn how we can use computers and coding in our everyday lives.
Special film and video exhibits which change over time; current exhibits include
- The
Global warming
Changing Climate Show
-- Narrated by
Rick Mercer
, the show was updated and reopened in March 2011.
- Between the Stars
-- Addresses the evidence for dark matter, what it might be, and how scientists are trying to detect it at
SNOLAB
.
- Ready, Set, Move!
-- Advocates and demonstrates healthy living through an interactive experience.
- Polaris Boulevard
- is a line which reaches from a large sundial right up the side of the building which points directly at Polaris (the north star).
- Terra
- Visited stand on this one-millionth scale world model, outdoors near Science North's main entrance. At sunset and sunrise, the Earth's shadow moves across Canada. The benchmark at the centre of Terra is: 46° 28' 12.00" N and 80° 59' 45.70" W.
- A sculpture
honouring local
bush plane
pilot
Rusty Blakey
.
- Lily Creek
- a marsh located opposite to the centre, Lily Creek is home to many species of creatures.
- The Northern Forest
- This outdoor exhibit features many of the tree species grown in northern Ontario that Domtar relies on for its sawmills and for the manufacture of pulp and paper at the Espanola mill.
Science North, which was opened in 1984, also owns and operates Sudbury's
Dynamic Earth
facility, an earth sciences exhibition which is home to the
Big Nickel
, one of the city's most famous landmarks. From January 22, 2001, to May 10, 2003, the Big Nickel was temporarily located on the primary Science North grounds while Dynamic Earth was under construction.
The
Science North Production Team
produces object theatres, multi-media presentations and large format film productions for science museums and educational facilities around North America. The team's most noted production to date has been the 2023 documentary film
Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope
,
[11]
which won several national awards including a special
Canadian Screen Award
for sustainable production at the
12th Canadian Screen Awards
in 2024.
[12]
Science North's former science director,
Alan Nursall
, later became a correspondent for the Canadian science newsmagazine series
Daily Planet
, which aired on
Discovery Channel
and
CTV
.
[13]
The institution's first science director,
David Pearson
, returned to the position in 2007.
[14]
He was succeeded by Jennifer Pink from 2008 to 2017,
[15]
and Julie Moskalyk from 2017 to 2024.
[16]
Science North has also worked extensively with the city's
Laurentian University
on scientific and environmental research and as a partner in the university's graduate program in
science communication
.
Science North runs science education
day camps
for children in the summer, autumn, and winter.
[17]
During the
COVID-19 pandemic
, Science North engaged in several programs to promote
COVID-19 vaccines
to youth, families and young adults.
[18]
The museum received a $50,000 CAD grant in July 2021 from the
Government of Canada
for a project titled “Promoting Vaccine Confidence across Northern Ontario.”
[19]
It was awarded through a grant program called “Encouraging Vaccine Confidence in Canada” jointly administered by the
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
(CIHR),
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
(NSERC) and the
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
(SSHRC).
[20]
Science North also received a $500,000 grant from the
Public Health Agency of Canada
's Immunization Partnership Fund to target
vaccine hesitant
individuals through virtual and in-person activities including
podcasts
,
webinars
, digital content and events, museum exhibits and workshops.
[21]
- ^
a
b
c
Helga Loverseed, "Impressive science museum symbolizes the new Sudbury".
The Globe and Mail
, May 9, 1987.
- ^
"Sudbury IMAX".
The Globe and Mail
, May 4, 1994.
- ^
Pam Hobbs, "Face to face with nature at Science North".
The Globe and Mail
, August 11, 1984.
- ^
"Museum to show whale skeleton".
The Globe and Mail
, September 29, 1983.
- ^
a
b
"Sudbury's Cortina cruise boat now called 'The William Ramsey'"
.
CBC Northern Ontario
, May 29, 2014.
- ^
Laura Stradiotto, "Boardwalk is Sudbury's 'piazza'".
Sudbury Star
, June 23, 2005.
- ^
Wallace Immen, "Science centre an open laboratory".
The Globe and Mail
, June 20, 1984.
- ^
Wallace Immen, "Canadian North to be centre theme; Nickel mine, wildlife to be shown".
The Globe and Mail
, May 9, 1987.
- ^
Gilhula, Vicki (February 17, 2021).
"Memory Lane: From predicting your height to the trading post, Science North is written on our brains"
.
Sudbury.com
. Retrieved
March 20,
2024
.
- ^
Zena Cherry, "Queen opens Science North at Sudbury fete".
The Globe and Mail
, Octobe 5, 1984.
- ^
Craig Lemoult,
"Despite environmental challenges, Jane Goodall says there are reasons for hope"
.
WGBH
, October 3, 2023.
- ^
Etan Vlessing,
"Devery Jacobs, Lamar Johnson to Receive Honorary Canadian Screen Awards"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
, April 4, 2024.
- ^
Brian Gorman, "Nursall takes science to the street".
Sudbury Star
, May 20, 2010.
- ^
"Pearson returns to Science North".
Sudbury Star
, August 25, 2007.
- ^
"Long-time Science North Director to retire next year"
.
Sudbury.com
, November 23, 2016.
- ^
"Longtime Science North bluecoat Julie Moskalyk retiring"
.
Sudbury.com
, March 1, 2024.
- ^
"Discovery Camp coming".
Timmins Daily Press
, July 10, 1999.
- ^
"Sudbury series to discuss COVID-19 misinformation".
Sudbury Star
, January 12, 2021.
- ^
"Encouraging vaccine confidence in Canada - Competition Results"
.
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
(NSERC)
. 2021-07-26.
Archived
from the original on 2022-01-15
. Retrieved
2022-11-05
.
- ^
"NSERC - Encouraging vaccine confidence in Canada"
.
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
. 2021-03-03.
Archived
from the original on 2022-11-05
. Retrieved
2022-11-05
.
- ^
Public Health Agency of Canada
(2022-10-12).
"Immunization Partnership Fund"
.
Government of Canada
.
Archived
from the original on 2022-11-04
. Retrieved
2022-11-04
.