Canada is divided into fifteen land-based ecozones. The Boreal Shield is one of them. It covers most of Ontario and parts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Sudbury is on of the principal cities in the Boreal Shield. The Boreal Shield is a unique ecozone in Canada because of its dependence on mining, forestry, and Sudbury's re-greening.
             Sudbury is known as the nickel capital of the world. This is not actually true though because Sudbury produces more copper then nickel each year. The element nickel was first discovered in 1751 (Myslik) and discovered in Sudbury in circa 1884 (Winterhalder p.24). Although more copper is being produced, Sudbury still plays a big role in the world's supply of nickel. During 1910 – 1920, the INCO mines in Sudbury were producing 95% of the world's nickel (Myslik). Presently, INCO produces one million pounds of nickel and one million pounds of copper a day (Hirvela).
             The process of mining in Sudbury and other parts of the Boreal Shield is a very special one. First of all, you have to find a place that is rich in minerals and other metals desired. One way precious metals can be found is using a "Bird". A "Bird" is a device that is attached to a plane. It scans the ground below and picks up magnetic waves come from the metals underground. In Sudbury area, almost all of the mines are on the edge of the Sudbury Basin. This is because there are big cracks in the rock and this makes the mining easier. These places are also the richest in minerals and precious metals. The second part of the process is to drill and test parts of the rock for its consistency and
             It's Rock-Solid BS (Boreal Shield) cont.
             denseness to determine where to place the mineshaft, if needed. When these tests are finished, it will take several years before mining actually begins in this area. Another thing to determine is whether to use an open pit mine, or a mineshaft. If the desired material is less than ...