First off, the drive from Little Current to Sudbury, across the swing bridge, along highway 6 & 16 was so breathtaking - you have to go and see it for yourself.
The night we arrived in Sudbury, we got a phone call from our friend and colleague back home advising us to head straight to the Townehouse bar on Elgin Street and look for Paul, the manager. So to the Townehouse we went! It was one of those restored, old taverns, with a seemingly secret side entrance and eventually we did find who we were looking for. We booked a meeting with Paul for the next morning.
It was fascinating to hear what Paul had to say about the story of Sudbury’s downtown over the years. Always a meeting place, a rail town turned mine town, with two standout flat iron buildings, many other torn down buildings, a mall where a market has been, and a strip that is making its way back on the map with cool new cafes, bars and boulangeries. The Elgin strip they call it, which apparently had been long neglected, is where we met Paul – at the other place he manages, The Laughing Buddha, where all kinds of imported beers are just an order away. Guess what else we found out – Stompin’ Tom wrote that song at the Townehouse. You know the one…
After our meeting with Paul we parked downtown. A steady line of people came to see us at our storymobile and we got a feel for this nickel city built atop a meteor crater. You can check out a selection of stories we gathered on our story map HERE.
Some of the local press caught us downtown too...!
After our storymobile stint we went to meet up at the Sudbury Theatre Centre with David Savoy to talk tale of a town. David invited the creative and savy Matthew Heiti and the four of us imagined together what it would be like to take audiences down the streets of Sudbury while telling its tales…
A site specific performance is certainly something that would breathe life into these story filled streets and spread the good news that Sudbury’s downtown is here to stay. Details to come…
In the meantime, why not tune in to our podcast and hear about if for yourself!
A Walk Down Main Street – Sudbury Edition.