Back in 1883, when the Sudbury region of Canada made headlines with the discovery of mineral-rich ores, the topic wasn't nickel. It was copper. The discovery prompted the formation of the Canadian Copper Company in 1886. A quarter century later Inco became a Canadian-based company and nickel was definitely the focus. Even though the discovery of copper led to the great discoveries of nickel, copper has remained to this day a vitally important metal to Inco, with annual deliveries of 120,000 tonnes.
Copper enjoys a long and rich history.
It is considered to be the first metal ever used by man, thousasnds of years ago. In fact, man's emergence from the Stone Age is characterized by the discovery of the native form of copper. Civilizations, past and present, have made great use of copper because the metal possesses many practical qualities. It is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity and is easy to work with. It is highly resistant to corrosion.