From Meteorite Impact to Constellation City: A Historical Geography of Greater Sudbury by Oiva W. Saarinen (review)

From Meteorite Impact to Constellation City is an ambitious study aiming to encompass the entire history of the City of Greater Sudbury, Ontario. This epic-style work begins with the formation of the landmass that is now known as Sudbury over 4,600 million years ago and chronicles the history of the area from geographic formation to the present. Similar to Saarinen’s earlier work, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, this book merges historical geography and social history research. The narrative of Sudbury is told in a lively, thorough manner and is filled with local anecdotes that appeal to readers familiar with the area.

While there are a handful of publications on the history of Sudbury and surrounding areas, many of them are narrowly focused on industry, mining, or the examination of a particular cultural group. From Meteorite Impact to Constellation City complements existing scholarship and fills a gap in the literature on the very early years of Sudbury’s history and the impact of the natural landscape on settlement patterns, economic pursuits, and the community at large. The only possible fault in this approach is that in an attempt to tackle such a broad swathe of Sudbury’s history some topics are given only cursory mention, which doesn’t do justice to their impact on local events.

Saarinen’s overarching framework emphasizes the connection between the physical landscape and the human condition. Saarinen asserts that the phrase “constellation city” best describes the unique physical and cultural development of Greater Sudbury. The settlement pattern in the region does not follow standard settlement trends typical of most metropolitan areas. Rather, the city has developed out of smaller distinct towns that form a larger, connected, constellation-style district.

Despite not being exclusively about the history of mining in Sudbury, much of the book revolves around the economic, social, and political impacts of the Inco, Mond, Xstrata Nickel, and Vale Canada mining companies. Given the influence of mining companies on the lives of everyone in the region, this prominence is hardly surprising. Saarinen notes that in Coniston, one of the outlying towns of Sudbury, “until 1944, only company-sanctioned people ran for local political office” (134). Saarinen provides insight into the impacts of mining company policies on settlement patterns, politics, and tension between ethnic communities. This detailed analysis allows for the contextualization of mining history and makes the book much more about Sudbury as a whole, not just about Sudbury as a company town.

However, portions of the book feel as though they were added as an afterthought. This may result from the usage of both a thematic and chronological organization. The chapters that are organized thematically, most notably “Beyond Sudbury and Copper Cliff: Forestry, Agriculture, Indian Reserves, and the Burwash Industrial Farm” and “A Union Town,” seem out of place. Both chapters address important aspects of Sudbury’s regional history; however, they interrupt the flow of the chronology in the rest of the book and don’t fit well within the constellation city framework.

The use of maps and graphics is employed thoughtfully throughout the book. These illustrations add value to Saarinen’s description of the region and provide clear reference points for readers unfamiliar with the Sudbury area. Many of the local history themes presented will be familiar to those well versed in the local history of Sudbury, and the usage of maps compliments Saarinen’s reliance on familiar landmarks, local icons, and local history anecdotes.

Minor criticisms aside, From Meteorite Impact to Constellation City is a valuable addition to literature on the history of Greater Sudbury and demonstrates the diversity of the city’s historical narrative, which is often overshadowed by a past rich in mining. Saarinen’s work will have greatest appeal to those with an interest in historical geography and those already invested in the history of Sudbury.