American actress praises city after making film here; officials say it reflects Sudbury’s upswing in reputation and\u00a0investment<\/p>\n
Published Jan 14, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 3\u00a0hours ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 7 minute read<\/p>\n
![\"Deborah](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0115-a1-su-upswing.su_-e1768424466131.jpg\")
Deborah Ann Woll, star of the Daredevil series, spent some time filming in Greater Sudbury last year and left a glowing review for her 1.3 million followers on Instagram and Facebook. Photo by Gareth Cattermole \/Getty ImagesArticle content<\/p>\n
After years of false starts and inaction, it seems Greater Sudbury is finally on the upswing, and proponents say momentum keeps building.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Deborah Ann Woll<\/a>, star of the Daredevil series (as well as many other films and TV shows), spent some time filming in Greater Sudbury last year and left a glowing review for her 1.3 million followers on Instagram and Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Recommended Videos<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Woll said she had\u00a0a great time\u00a0exploring the outdoors in and around the Nickel\u00a0City, and\u00a0enjoyed one of the best steaks of her life.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSudbury was lovely. We were there during the\u00a0fall, when\u00a0the leaves were changing,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m\u00a0a big lover of\u00a0nature, and\u00a0going outdoors and hiking and camping. It had everything I could ask\u00a0for in\u00a0that way. I needed\u00a0it, because\u00a0we were working\u00a0really hard\u00a0and I needed that kind of reset.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Woll said she invited her parents to town \u201cso that we could go hiking and enjoy the beauty of the place.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n She does not name names; however, Woll said while in the Nickel City, she enjoyed \u201csome of the best steak that\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0ever had. I just wanted to say thank you so much to Sudbury for being so welcoming and having us while we made our film. I recommend that if any of you are up north of Toronto and want a cool place to check out, I\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0recommend Sudbury highly enough.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeff MacIntyre, executive director of Downtown Sudbury<\/a>, is not surprised to hear Woll\u00a0enjoyed\u00a0a great meal while in town. While he is not certain, MacIntyre believes that steak may have come from\u00a0Respect is\u00a0Burning or Verdicchio Ristorante. MacIntyre says the Gregorini brothers are skilled craftsmen when it comes to steak.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n MacIntyre said it was \u201cnice to see\u201d the comments Woll made about Greater Sudbury.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Sudbury Star Morning Briefing<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cVisitors come here, and they fall in love with some Sudbury businesses, and it\u2019s always nice when they share that\u00a0to\u00a0their followers \u2014 it encourages people to come try out some Sudbury businesses,\u201d he noted. \u201cThere\u2019s\u00a0probably a\u00a0lot of people in Sudbury who\u00a0haven\u2019t\u00a0tried some business. It would have been nice if\u00a0she\u2019d\u00a0name-dropped them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n MacIntyre said the blend of natural attributes and local shops attracts people to Sudbury.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a unique mix that Sudbury has, that we really need to sell,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s the landscapes and small businesses, and how all that comes together.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n As he pointed out, \u201cyou can canoe anywhere;\u201d however, \u201cwhen you blend that with the cultural experiences that Sudbury offers \u2014 anything from porchetta bingo to unique restaurants \u2014 that\u2019s what makes a full package for a tourist.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Every city has\u00a0ups and downs, MacIntyre said, and after a few years of stalled progress, \u201cSudbury is\u00a0returning to\u00a0a bit of an up.\u00a0There\u2019s\u00a0a lot of opportunity in Sudbury, in general, and those types of things can spin off.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n MacIntyre said\u00a0word\u00a0is spreading about Greater Sudbury and recently, he has been fielding an increased number of calls from people interested in investing locally.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere are some folks from out of town, with fresher eyes, that see a lot of\u00a0opportunity\u00a0in Sudbury.\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0one of the few places in Canada\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0predicted to grow, based on our resource economy and everything that goes with that,\u201d he commented. \u201cWe\u2019re diversified in the right ways now to capitalize on that.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n After years of false starts, broken commitments and lawsuits, MacIntyre said the investments made by the municipality \u2014 including the events\u00a0centre\u00a0and cultural hub \u2014 are helping to remediate Greater Sudbury\u2019s reputation. Soon, residents should see shovels in the\u00a0ground\u00a0and the hub is \u201ccloser and closer to being a reality,\u201d he noted. \u201cPeople are going to start to see those things happen.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n MacIntyre said the investments prove that \u201cSudbury is focused on growth right now,\u201d which comforts and nurtures trust with the development community.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPeople want to invest where the community invests, so when the city makes those investments, it makes it attractive to the larger investment community to follow (suit),\u201d he commented.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n As he noted, for years, Sudbury promised investment into the city core and the Kingsway Entertainment District, without any follow-through; however, he said \u201cit looks like the city is finally getting ready to follow through.\u00a0More and more\u00a0of my calendar is filled with people looking to make investments in Sudbury, and downtown specifically.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n MacIntyre attributes the film industry with some of the recent success Greater Sudbury has been enjoying. Letterkenny and\u00a0Shoresy\u00a0have been undeniably popular, but several productions have shot in and around the Nickel City in recent years, including Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, as well as R.L. Stine\u2019s Zombie Town, which starred Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 7<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n With more than $12 million in direct local spending, the film industry has become a major player in Greater Sudbury.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s great to see people share positive stories about their time in Sudbury, whether they\u2019re here for work or leisure. The film sector has become a significant contributor to our local economy, and its impact continues to grow,\u201d said Marie Litalien, president and CEO of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce<\/a>. \u201cWith support from government incentive programs,\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0seeing steady production activity that brings real spending, job\u00a0creation\u00a0and business opportunities into the region. That momentum reflects the confidence industry partners have in Sudbury as a reliable and welcoming place to work, collaborate and invest.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 8<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Lara Fielding, manager of tourism and culture at the City of Greater Sudbury, said the film and sport tourism sectors are both doing very well.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2025, the film industry enjoyed 8,650\u00a0work days, generating $12.74 million in direct spending, up from 2024, when the film sector infused $10.85 million into the local economy. Since 2022, more than 23,700\u00a0work days\u00a0in the film industry have generated $37.34 million in local spending.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Shoresy\u00a0is \u201ca love letter to Sudbury,\u201d Fielding said. \u201cPeople want to\u00a0come and eat\u00a0where they eat, and shop where they shop. It creates a lot of awareness for\u00a0Sudbury, and\u00a0highlights the beauty and the opportunities you have when\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0here as a tourist.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Fielding said besides hockey, several sports contribute to tourism, including lacrosse, volleyball, ball hockey and curling. As she noted, Greater Sudbury will host the 2026 U21 mixed doubles and U20 curling championships later this year.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 9<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cWe are growing the sport tourism sector really well, as we get ready to welcome the events centre,\u201d she said. \u201cThe momentum we\u2019ve had with Curling Canada \u2014 we will be hosting them in 2026, in March.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n There are currently more than 2,000 hotel rooms in Greater Sudbury; however, about 330 more rooms are planned at two hotels currently under construction. The Sandman Hotel, at the corner of Falconbridge Road and The Kingsway, will have 223 rooms; while the Home2 Suites Hotel, at Third Avenue and The Kingsway, will include 110 rooms. Dario Zulich is also planning at least one hotel at his KED complex at the east end of town.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Fielding said hotel proponents have also shown interest in building downtown and people are \u201cvery interested\u201d about what lands will be available once the events centre is complete.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 10<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are asking about opportunities that will present themselves once the location has been selected for the arena, which it has,\u201d she said. \u201cAs we work on the properties available around it, lots of businesses are showing inquiries.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Fielding said domestic travel is growing increasingly popular, as Canadians choose to stay within the country to explore its hidden gems, part of an Elbows Up approach to addressing U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s tariff campaign.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDomestic travel is going to be the thing to do in 2026,\u201d she said. \u201cWe will be looking at our marketing campaigns and putting together campaigns that showcase and highlight hiking and the outdoors \u2014 what we have for all four seasons.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Already, the atmosphere downtown is electric on game nights. The renaissance is underway \u2014 the events centre<\/a> is scheduled to open in 2028 and the cultural hub, in late 2027 or early 2028 \u2014 and Fielding said this is a period of \u201cexciting\u201d transformation with lots of opportunities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertisement 11<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Panoramic Properties has been making speedy progress on the 83-unit Scotia Tower at the corner of Durham and Cedar streets, drawing more residents to the city core.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Place des Arts<\/a> has become a centrepiece of the urban landscape since opening in April 2022, and Knox Hall has emerged as an intimate concert and performance venue on Larch Street.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey have continued to book excellent acts that are bringing in tourists and visitors from all over the north, and from down south,\u201d Fielding said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Fielding said once the hub and events centre are open, there will be even more foot traffic as merchants and restaurants launch to meet demand.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cEvery city goes through cycles, and Sudbury had gone through a down cycle, but there are still opportunities and deals to be had on the investment side, and there are more than a few people who are seeing that those opportunities exist, and they\u2019re starting to take advantage of them,\u201d MacIntyre added. \u201cThe recovery is happening, it\u2019s just not fast enough for a lot of people to notice, but it\u2019s coming \u2014 quicker and quicker every day.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n mkkeown@postmedia.com<\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Share this article in your social network<\/p>\n
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