The city of Sudbury is one of 7 area municipalities that comprise the Regional Municipality of Sudbury. Other municipalities include Capreol, Nickel Centre, Onaping Falls, Rayside-Balfour, Valley East and Walden. The city has a population of 93,000, but the surrounding communities bring the total population for the region to 161,000. This makes it the largest city in Northern Ontario, and an important economic and government hub.
Although originally an offspring of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Sudbury area first developed as a timber resources community. Sudbury supplied the lumber used to rebuild much of Chicago after the great fire of 1871. It was first named "Sudbury Junction" after the English birthplace of the wife of CPR Chief James Worthington. However, in the end, it would owe its existence and prosperity to the riches that lay beneath the Sudbury Basin, the remnants of an ancient colossal meteorite impact. Today, Sudbury is one of the largest and most important mining centres in the world. For the past 110 years, the mines of Sudbury have produced vast amounts of nickel, copper, and other metals, including gold, silver, and platinum.
The Sudbury region is typical Canadian Shield country with beautiful lakes, rocky outcrops, and plentiful wildlife. There are 157 lakes within the boundaries of the Regional Municipality alone. Beautiful Lake Ramsey is in the heart of the city, and is a popular destination for swimming and boating. Laurentian University and Science North are both located along the lake shore. There are 5 provincial parks within 100 km of Sudbury.
An on-going community-wide reclamation project, led by researchers from Laurentian University, is reviving much of the landscape that suffered from years of logging, smelter emissions and soil erosion. For its efforts, the Sudbury Region has earned several environmental rehabilitation awards including a United Nations Local Government Award and a United States Chevron Award.
Sudbury has a large French-speaking population and a rich, diverse European heritage. The region plays host to numerous festivals throughout the year, celebrating film, theatre, and winter sports. The Blueberry Festival each summer celebrates this delicious fruit which grows wild throughout the region. The blueberries will be ripening nicely at the time of the Physics Olympiad!
Laurentian University will be home to the approximately 300 1997 IPhO competitors, and will also be the site of both the theoretical and practical exams. Located on 750 rocky, wooded acres overlooking five lakes, Laurentian is a bilingual university offering programs in both English and French to some 5,000 full-time students. Laurentian serves the vast region of Northeastern Ontario, which covers about the same area as France.
Over one-quarter of Laurentian's students are from French-speaking backgrounds. The University also has a sizeable contingent of First Nation students, and offers both First Nation Studies and a special First Nation Social Work program. With four Faculties (Humanities, Social Sciences, Science and Engineering, and Professional Schools), Laurentian also has six research centres specializing in issues of importance to Northern Ontario, including its French culture and history, health care and hard-rock mining. The University is especially known for its leading role in the rehabilitation of the industrially damaged lands around Sudbury, and for its varied programs. Laurentian offers more programs per student than any other university in Canada.
Over three-quarters of the Laurentian campus has been left in its natural state providing a fine example of northern woodlands complemented by many kilometres of ski and hiking trails. Yet Laurentian is just minutes from downtown Sudbury, Northern Ontario's centre for health care, education, research, tourism, commerce, transportation, and communication.
The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Laurentian comprises a small but active group of physicists engaged in research, teaching and community activities. They are very pleased to play a role in hosting the 1997 IphO, and will also participate in the International Neutrino '98 conference being held in Sudbury. The department has active research interests in neutrino physics and astrophysics, applied acoustics and ultrasonics, optical fibre sensors, nuclear structure theory, and quantum chaos. For more information, please visit the Department of Physic's World Wide Web site at,
http://www.laurentian.ca/www/physics
Science North is Northern Ontario's largest tourist attraction and a major educational resource for the people of Northern Ontario. Since opening its doors in June, 1984, it has welcomed over 2,000,000 visitors. It has acquired world-wide recognition for its innovative public exhibits and programs. Science North is well known for its unique communication of science and technology, involving visitors with real science, using real scientific tools to discover, learn about, and understand the science and technology in everyday life.
Exhibits and programs inside the centre cover all aspects of science. Science North was the first science centre in North America to combine 3D laser images with 3D 70 mm film. Science North's Cavern Theatre is a 300-seat underground facility, blasted out of solid rock so that the audience is surrounded by impressive walls of 2 billion year old bedrock. In June, 1994, Science North opened a new large-screen Imax Theatre, the first in Northern Ontario. The 5-story tall screen and 6,400 watt sound system offer a spectacular movie experience. Participants at the Physics Olympiad will enjoy a wide range of activities and programs at the centre throughout their week in Sudbury!
For more information, you can contact Science North by phone at (705) 522-3701, by fax at (705) 522-4954, or on the World Wide Web at,
Deep underground at Inco's Creighton Mine, the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) will soon add an important new dimension to the study of our universe. At SNO, an international team of physicists from Canada, the United States and Great Britain, will obtain new information about the sun and the neutrinos which come from it.
Creighton mine is one of the world's deepest. The SNO experiment, at the 6,800-foot level of the mine, will have over 2 km of rock above shielding it from cosmic rays. At the heart of the experiment is a 12 m acrylic plastic sphere filled with "heavy" water or D2O. Of the 1015/m2/s of solar neutrinos that will pass through the sphere each day, about 20 of them will produce a tiny flash of Cerenkov radiation that will be detected by 10,000 photo-multiplier tubes arranged around the sphere. Students at the 28th IPhO will have an opportunity to learn much more about the Canadian SNO project while in Sudbury. The following World Wide Web site has more information on the SNO project:
http://snodaq.phy.queensu.ca:80/SNO/sno.html
Sudbury is located near the southern margin of the Canadian Shield, a huge expanse of ancient bedrock which covers most of central Canada. The rocks of the Sudbury region are over 2,000 million years old! Geologists believe the Sudbury Basin was formed 1,860 million years ago when a huge meteorite or piece of cometary debris struck the earth. The resulting crater was 150 to 200 km in diameter! Today, the last vestige of this crater is a broad valley, about 60 km long and 30 km wide, located just north of the city. Evidence of this impact can be seen throughout the region in shattercones, cone-shaped fractures within the bedrock. A perfect, hand-sized shattercone can be seen in the entrance tunnel at Science North.
The Sudbury Basin is the source of Sudbury's enormous mineral wealth. A layer of bedrock called the Sudbury Irruptive runs around the perimeter of the basin and it is within this rock that the nickel-copper ore is found. Inco Limited is the world's largest producer of nickel and is the proud principal sponsor of the 28th IPhO in Canada.
Sudbury is located at about 46 degrees north latitude, north of Georgian Bay. While not very far north by maritime climate standards, Sudbury is considered to be in Northern Ontario due to the severity of its climate and the harshness of the surrounding landscape. In July the daily temperatures may range between highs well in excess of 30 oC and lows below 15 oC. Violent afternoon thunderstorms are fairly common in July. For your interest, winter temperatures often range as low as -40 oC with snowfall each year measured in the metres!
The terrain surrounding Sudbury is very rugged, consisting of dense forest, open rocky areas, lakes and bogs. Animals living in the area include deer, moose, black bear, wolves, beaver, falcon, eagles, rattlesnakes and countless others. There are many opportunities for the experienced to enjoy the wilderness around Sudbury. Canoeing, camping and hiking are at their best in the nearby Killarney Park, an area of unsurpassed beauty with its turquoise lakes framed by bald quartzite peaks and ridges.
All delegations must fly to Pearson International Airport in Toronto. Transportation will not be provided to Sudbury from any other site in Canada. There are frequent flights to Toronto from many parts of the world. Delegations are strongly encouraged to fly either Air Canada or Canadian Airlines (or one of their partners) as both operate local service between Toronto and Sudbury. Delegations may add a connection from Toronto to Sudbury at little extra cost to their ticket. It is a one hour flight from Toronto to Sudbury on a twin propeller aircraft. It is approximately a 5 hour drive. Delegations are advised to book their travel well in advance as these commuter flights to Sudbury can be quite full. Delegations requiring ground transportation from Toronto to Sudbury on July 13 will be taken by bus.
Return ground transportation to the Toronto airport will be provided on July 21 for delegations requiring it. Again, it will be a 5 hour drive. Delegations requiring ground transport should plan their flights to and from Toronto accordingly. Arrivals after 16:00 h on July 13 or departures before 13:00 h on July 21 may make it impossible for the organizing committee to guarantee ground transport.
Canada sends its Olympiad delegations to an overseas competition some days early so as to combat the effects of jet lag. Delegations arriving early in Canada have many opportunities for exploration before proceeding on to Sudbury. Toronto, on the north shore of Lake Ontario, is a world-class city of over two million people. Theatre, museums, art galleries, amusement parks, and much more are here. An exciting day trip from Toronto might include Niagara Falls. Delegations visiting Toronto before the Olympiad may elect to book a mini-van and make the drive up to Sudbury on their own. The organizing committee would be happy to provide additional information to delegations planning extra travel within Canada.
All delegation members will be housed in the campus residences of Laurentian University, located along the shore of Ramsey Lake just down the road from Science North. The Laurentian campus has excellent recreational facilities in the B.F. Avery Physical Education Centre, near the campus residences. An Olympic swimming pool, gym, locker rooms, saunas and outdoor stadium will be available for the 1997 IPhO delegates' use. The Lake Laurentian Conservation Area, just down the road from the University, is a popular spot for hiking and running, with several kilometres of trails and a boardwalk. It will not be possible to stay at the Olympiad accommodations should your delegation arrive in Canada before July 13.
Canada is a multicultural society. Canadian food reflects this diversity. All delegation members will eat their meals at the Laurentian University cafeterias. It is the same standard fare served to the University students in attendance. The meals will be a good introduction to simple but unique Canadian cooking. Provision will be made for those who, for religious, medical or other reasons, have special food requirements. These requirements will have to be clearly indicated when called for early in 1997.
There are no common diseases to be feared when travelling in Canada. No vaccination certificates are required. Travellers should be prepared to deal with sun and insects. Good sun block should be used when enjoying the outdoors of Northern Ontario in summer and, while July is past the height of the mosquito and black fly season, there will still be some of these biting insects to contend with. Insect repellent may be useful. There is medical and emergency service available in Sudbury. There are three hospitals within ten minutes of Laurentian University and Science North. You must assume that you may have to pay all medical costs immediately. Delegation leaders must assure that all members of their delegation are properly insured. This can usually be arranged through your airline at a reasonable cost.
Canada uses the Canadian dollar which at the time of writing is worth about 70 cents US. The dollar is divided into 100 cents. The dollar coin features a loon on one of its sides and is called a "loonie". While in Canada you will almost certainly have the chance to see and hear the loon, an aquatic bird that thrives on the lakes north of Georgian Bay.
Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in Canada and bank machines are the most common way to access money. Travellers' cheques are accepted at most banks. Toronto has many banks and exchange facilities; the airport in Toronto has currency exchange facilities and bank machines. In Sudbury, there are many banks (open weekdays) but the airport is very small with no such services.
Canada operates on a 120 V, 60 Hz AC electrical system just as the United States does. Delegations bringing any electrical appliances or lap-top computers will need to bring any appropriate transformers and adapters (to North American standard) as required. It is recommended to travel with battery powered shavers and to do without hair dryers and such.
The examination papers will be presented to the leaders in English as the authoritative text. Translations will be given in French (one of Canada's two official languages) and those languages required by the statutes. English will be the working language of the examination meetings. Once the English language version has been completed, it will be made available on computer disks for use by each delegation. An IBM compatible computer, pre-loaded with a standard word processing package, will be made available to each delegation for their translations. Delegations are strongly encouraged to invest in, and bring their own lap-top computer for this purpose as well as any specialized software packages that they may require.
The Scientific Committee of the 28th IPhO plans to change the way the marking of the examination papers is carried out. We will ask the delegation leaders to mark the examination papers first, attributing points according to a marking scheme and translating relevant phrases in the paper into English. According to the statutes of the IPhO, the marking of the examination papers is to be performed by the host country. Leaders who do not feel comfortable with the marking and translating of their students' papers need not do so.
The leaders participating in the plan will be provided with copies of their papers immediately after the exams and will have approximately 4 hours to complete their task. The official marking team will then remark the papers with the help of interpreters but they will not look for additional points missed by the leaders. There will be the usual final discussion between the leaders and the marking team to agree on the final points. We hope that this procedure will substantially improve the quality of marking and will shorten the final discussion sessions. For more information on these plans, contact Prof. Chris Waltham, Chair of the Scientific Committee, at the e-mail address:
Visitors who wish to accompany delegation members to the IPhO are welcome, will receive similar accommodations and meals and may join any excursions arranged for the leaders. The fee for visitors will be US$1,000. Visitors may not attend any business meetings for the leaders. Observers will have the above privileges, will receive all official IPhO documentation and may attend any IPhO business meetings. The fee for observers will be US$1,100. Accommodations and space for both visitors and observers are limited. Applications to the organizing committee for either visitors or observers should be received as soon as possible if space is to be guaranteed.
Communication with the 1997 International Physics Olympiad Organizing Committee should be by fax or e-mail although regular mail service with Canada is fast and reliable. Messages, inquiries and applications to the Olympiad may be sent to:
28th International Physics Olympiad 306 Lawrence Ave. East Toronto, Ontario Canada M4N 1T7 Fax: (416) 481-6529 E-Mail: flipper@helios.physics.utoronto.ca
Or you may contact the Sudbury Organizing Committee directly at:
100 Ramsey Lake Road Sudbury, Ontario Canada P3E 5S9 Fax: (705) 522-4306 E-mail: ipho@sciencenorth.on.ca
Director: JohnWylie, Toronto French School
Local Chair: Alan Nursall, Science North
Communications: N. Gauthier, Royal Military College
Information on the 28th International Physics Olympiad in Canada can be found in the World Wide Web site:
http://www.laurentian.ca/www/physics/olympiad
Invitation letters will be sent out in January of 1997. All deadlines announced will be very strict. The letters will not originate from a Canadian Government agency. Many delegations requiring a visa to visit Canada will need to consult their nearest Canadian Consulate well in advance of the Olympiad to arrange for their travel documentation.
The principal sponsor of the 28th International Physics Olympiad is Inco Limited.
Supporters of the 1997 IPhO include The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Natural Resources Canada, The National Research Council, Laurentian University, and Science North.
The 1997 International Chemistry Olympiad is also being hosted in Canada. Both of the 1997 International Physics and Chemistry Olympiads as well as Canada's annual program of participation in the Chemistry and Physics Olympiads are organized and funded by The Canadian Chemistry and Physics Olympiad, a private charitable foundation. Information on the Canadian program with links to other Olympiad sites and preparation problem sets can be found at the Web Site:
http://www.physics.mcgill.ca/WWW/Olympiad/
The 1997 International Physics Olympiad visual image and logo was designed by Holly Dyment Design of Toronto, Canada. The logo is extracted from Stormy Weather, Georgian Bay, a 1920 oil painting by F.H. Varley (1881-1969). A founding member of Canada's national art movement, the Group of Seven, Varley later went on to paint landscapes on Canada's west coast, as well as sensitive and revealing portraits. The painting is representative of the wind swept, rocky area on the north shore of Georgian Bay where Sudbury and Killarney are located.
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