“The glasses they will tinkle while our eyes begin to twinkle, and we think no more of Inco on a Sudbury Saturday Night”¹

If you are familiar with these lyrics and catchy tune, you might be from Northern Ontario. 

Sudbury Saturday Night, released in 1967, just might be Northern Ontario’s signature song. It was written in the mid-1960s by legendary country and folk singer Stompin’ Tom Connors.² I grew up listening to this and other Stompin’ Tom songs, having been born and raised in Sudbury.

So, when I saw that a road trip with my mom would take me close to the final resting place of this music icon, I knew we had to make the small detour and pay our respects.

Thomas Charles Connors

Thomas Charles Connors was one of Canada’s most recognizable folk and country storytellers. Born in Saint John, New Brunswick to a young single mother, his early years were shaped by poverty and constant moving as he and his mother moved from place to place, often struggling to get by.³ After being placed in the care of the New Brunswick Children’s Aid Society, he was eventually sent to live with a family in Skinner’s Pond, Prince Edward Island.³ By the age of fourteen, he had left and begun hitchhiking across Canada, starting the journey that would define much of his life.³

With his guitar and a growing collection of songs, he spent years travelling from town to town, writing about the people he met and the places he passed through.⁴ Those experiences would go on to shape the storytelling style he would become known for, rooted in everyday Canadian life, small towns, and working people.⁴

He earned the nickname “Stompin’ Tom” because of his habit of stomping his boot on a piece of plywood during his shows to keep rhythm, which became part of his signature sound and stage presence.³

What really set him apart was how strongly he stayed rooted in Canada. At a time when many artists were pushed toward the American music industry, he deliberately chose to stay north of the border and write about Canadian places, people, and experiences.⁵ His songs often feel like snapshots of everyday life, from rail yards to hockey rinks, and that grounded storytelling is a big part of why he is still so widely remembered.

One of his most iconic songs, Sudbury Saturday Night, captures the feeling of a working-class weekend in Northern Ontario and continues to be closely tied to Sudbury’s identity.²

Stompin’ Tom passed away from natural causes in 2013 at the age of 77.⁶ In the days leading up to his death, he wrote a handwritten letter to his fans, thanking them for the support they had shown him throughout his career and life.⁶

Erin Cemetery

Stompin’ Tom Connors is buried at Erin Cemetery in Erin, Ontario, alongside the ashes of his mother.⁷ It’s a small rural cemetery in a town southwest of Toronto, surrounded by rolling countryside where life moves at a slower, more peaceful pace.

On a road trip that took me through the area, I knew this was a stop I couldn’t pass by. There’s something powerful about standing in front of a name you have heard in music your whole life, now carved into stone in a quiet place like this. It shifts the experience from listening to someone’s story to standing directly in the space where part of it now rests.

It was a beautiful summer day when we visited back in July 2024. The sun was bright, and there really was not much shade anywhere in the cemetery. It’s a very open space, except for a small tree-lined area in the west corner. That just happens to be where Connors is laid to rest, which felt like a bit of quiet luck on a hot day.

His black granite gravestone immediately stands out, both for its design and for everything left around it. The stone features a portrait of Connors in profile with his guitar, set in front of an outlined map of Canada, a simple but meaningful tribute. There is also a Bible verse inscribed on the stone, adding another personal layer to the memorial.

What really caught my attention were the items people had left behind. There was an assortment of coins and small stones, some inscribed with place names like P.E.I. and Timmins, which made it feel like visitors were leaving a piece of where they came from. There was also a small wooden guitar, a bottle opener, and a guitar pick, among other things. Each item felt intentional, like a quiet nod to who he was and the stories he told through his music.

There was no one else in the cemetery when we were there, but it did not feel empty. It felt like a place that is visited often, where people stop in, leave small tokens behind, and take a moment before moving on. It doesn’t feel like a tourist stop. It feels like a place where people keep a quiet conversation going with his music and memory.

Gravestone of Stompin’ Tom Connors, Erin Cemetery, Erin ON ©2024

A Sudbury Connection

Even though Stompin’ Tom Connors is buried in Erin, his connection to Sudbury runs deep.

Sudbury Saturday Night is arguably one of his most well-known songs, painting a picture of workers heading out to unwind after a long week.² Over time, it has become closely tied to Sudbury’s identity and is often treated as an unofficial local anthem. The song continues to appear in community projects and tributes that celebrate both the city and its working-class roots.⁸

There is also a long-standing legend tied to the Townehouse Tavern, where Connors was performing in the mid-1960s. According to local accounts, he was playing a multi-week run at the bar when he wrote Sudbury Saturday Night, inspired by the energy of the room and the people around him.⁹

The Towne House Tavern, Sudbury ON ©2026

That connection is also visible in the bronze statue of Stompin’ Tom outside the Sudbury Community Arena. The statue, sculpted by Tyler Fauvelle, captures him mid-performance.⁶ His left hand is positioned for a C chord, one of the main chords used in Sudbury Saturday Night.¹⁰ It reflects how deeply his music has become part of the city’s identity and landscape.

Statue of Stompin’ Tom Connors, Sudbury ON ©2025

Sudbury’s live music scene still carries that same spirit forward, especially at places like The Townehouse Tavern. The venue has long supported Canadian talent, regularly welcoming both local musicians and touring artists from across the country. In many ways, it continues the same spirit Connors championed, giving Canadian voices a stage and keeping grassroots music culture alive in the city.

Together, the song, the statue, and the local music scene show how one artist’s work can become part of a place’s identity in a lasting way.

Visiting Stompin’ Tom Connors’ grave feels like stepping into a quieter side of a very loud legacy. His music is still deeply present in Northern Ontario, and standing at his resting place adds a different kind of weight to songs that already feel familiar.

It made that small road trip detour feel completely worth it, and reminded me just how closely music, memory, and place can be connected.

Thanks for reading

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References:

1. Sudbury Saturday Night lyrics | Lyric Find
2. What’s Ontario’s signature song? The case for ‘Sudbury Saturday Night,’ by Stompin’ Tom Connors | TVO Today
3. The Icon | Stompin’ Tom Centre
4. Stompin’ Tom Connors | The Canadian Encyclopedia
5. How Timmins gave Stompin’ Tom Connors his first break | TVO Today
6. Stompin’ Tom Connors dies at 77 | CBC
7. Tom Connors | Find a Grave
8. And we’ll all make a music video … on a Sudbury Saturday Night | Sudbury.com
9. Memorial Stomp for Tom, Saturday |Sudbury.com
10. Stompin’ Tom Connors statue unveiled in downtown Sudbury | CBC