Photographic souvenir book shows off city's beauty

Greater Sudbury certainly has its gritty side, but that's not what Ray Thoms wants to show with his new photographic souvenir book.

Entitled “Greater Sudbury,” the self-published book features 90 full-colour photographs of everything from local landmarks to festivals to nature scenes.

“There's always a gritty side, but if we're going to try to promote Sudbury, then let's put our best foot forward,” said Thoms.

Of course, a book about Greater Sudbury wouldn't be complete without a photo of the superstack, and Thoms did include one.

There's nothing grittier than the superstack, but Thoms said he took care to make sure the photo had aesthetic appeal.

“Rumour has it it's coming down, so at least it's recorded,” he said.

A retired teacher who's been dabbling in photography for nearly 40 years, Thoms is also the author of two historic photo books about the Sudbury region — “Sudbury” and “Sudbury: A Retrospective View.”

He said he got the idea for putting together a photographic souvenir book after travelling to other cities, and seeing similar projects.

“I have never seen a souvenir book of Sudbury,” he said.

The 64-page book, which costs $24.95, is available at Sudbury Paint and Custom Framing on Elgin Street and at Tech Paradise on Paris Street, as well as online at greatersudburybook.com.