Local smelting of the ore releases this sulphur into the atmosphere where it combines with water vapour to form sulphuric acid , contributing to acid rain . As a result , Sudbury has had a widespread reputation as a wasteland . In parts of the city , vegetation was devastated by acid rain and logging to provide fuel for early smelting techniques . To a lesser extent , the area 's ecology was also impacted by lumber camps in the area providing wood for the reconstruction of Chicago after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 . While other logging areas in Northeastern Ontario were also involved in that effort , the emergence of mining related processes in the following decade made it significantly harder for new trees to grow to full maturity in the Sudbury area than elsewhere
Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Greater Sudbury