Discover

'Timmins', with a population of 42,997 (2006), is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. At 2,961.52 square kilometres (1,143 sq mi), Timmins was Canada's largest municipality in land area until 1995, when the regional municipality of Wood Buffalo, Alberta was created, although it remained the largest municipality in Ontario until 2001, when it was superseded by the newly amalgamated cities of Kawartha Lakes and Greater Sudbury.

Contents

History

Economy

Politics

Tourism and culture

Communities

Schools

Postsecondary education

School boards

High schools

Media

TV

Radio

Print

Online

Notable people from Timmins

Notable athletes from Timmins

Demographics

Language

Religion

Sister cities

Links to Timmins information

History

Archaeological and historical studies indicate that the first people to settle in the Timmins area were nomadic tribes dating back to 5,500 BC (Middle Shield Culture).
During the late 1600s, explorers and fur traders established outposts in the region to capitalize on the fur trade. The Hudson's Bay Company and the Northwest Company later developed several trading posts along major routes in the area.
In reaction to favorable provincial Geological Survey reports, construction of the railway northward, and major silver discoveries in Cobalt, Ontario. In 1907, the region became a popular destination and home to dozens of prospectors eager to explore the areas around Porcupine Lake and the Frederick House River.
In 1909, with the discovery of the "Golden Stairway" (which led to the Dome Mine), the Porcupine Gold Rush began and the area became known as an important mining camp (The Porcupine Camp). The gold camp experienced a major set back in 1911, just after the completion of the Temiskaming & Northern Ontario Railway spur line into the new community when fire sweep through the area causing a vast amount of destruction and some 200+ deaths.
The Porcupine Camp is one of the first localities in the world to have its entire history documented by photography. Dating back to its origins with the first major discovery of gold by Jack Wilson and Harry Preston (Dome) (North America's longest continually operating gold mine), the history of Timmins is recorded in pictures. The renowned Harry Peters photographed the Porcupine Camp from the beginning of its inception, and the Great Fire of 1911 was one of his first achievements.
The Town of Timmins was founded by Noah Timmins in 1912 after the Hollinger Gold Mine was discovered in the area. Noah was born in 1867 in Mattawa, Ontario. It was in Mattawa where Noah worked in his father's shop with his older brother Henry. Travellers heading to and from Northern Ontario would often pass through Mattawa and while there would often stock up on supplies at the Timmins' store. Noah would often listen to the tales told by travellers of gold and silver that they found mostly by accident. It was one of these stories that caught Noah's attention particularly.
The Town of Timmins itself (which grew into a small city), becoming the most populous jurisdiction within the Porcupine Camp and a provincially decreed amalgamation in 1973 with the other main municipal jurisdictions within a 3,200 km2 (1,240 square miles) area, including South Porcupine, Schumacher (Tisdale Township), Mountjoy Township, Porcupine (Whitney Township) and many of the other smaller surrounding communities created the Corporation of the City of Timmins. The new city was the largest city in Canada landwise for a period.
The mining of gold was the catalyst (The Big Three, Dome, Hollinger and McIntyre), but during the early 1960s, base metals such as silver, zinc, copper, and nickel were discovered (Texas Gulf Sulphur), breathing new life into The Porcupine economy and to this day mining remains the dominant industry in the area. Forestry is also important to the local economy.
Four of Noah Timmins' great-grandchildren are notable entertainers: Margo Timmins, Michael Timmins, Peter Timmins formed a band called Cowboy Junkies in 1986 and Cali Timmins, rose to fame as an actress on Ryan's Hope.
Due to the large network of abandoned mining tunnels under the city, Timmins has had problems in recent years with sinkholes. This began to attract international attention in 2004, with a story on the topic airing on the American Fox News Channel. So far, the city has managed to avoid tragedy as nobody has died in a sinkhole incident.

Economy

Timmins' economy is based on a boom-and-bust business cycle. The city's economic state is controlled by its major industry, mining. When gold and base-metal prices are high the city's economy explodes, however, when those prices drop the local market historically dips with it.
The city's economy is now booming thanks to high base-metal and gold prices. Timmins' secondary industries include: forestry, tourism, recreation, health care, education, commerce, and telecommunications. The community has been undergoing a moderate boom in gold mining, with several new underground mining operations opening up and a large scale surface mining reclamation project currently underway in the east end and another in a more centralized location in the planning stage Porcupine Joint Venture.
The Timmins and District Hospital is a main health care centre for northeastern Ontario. The community is serviced by the Victor M. Power Timmins Airport . It has scheduled service to numerous southern and northern Ontario locations via Air Canada Jazz, Bearskin Airlines, Thunder Airlines and Air Creebec . The community has a robust transit system in place which relays on the extensive use of buses, The Timmins Transit. The City of Timmins is also serviced by Ontario Northland (Motor Coach) service, Ontario Northland Transportation Commission.
A retail boom has struck Timmins and big box stores are being built in the city's west end. This includes a new Home Depot and a new larger Canadian Tire. A new Shoppers Drug Mart has been constructed near downtown. As well, a number of shops will be established in a new plaza being constructed near Highway 655 and Algonquin Blvd East. As well, Futureshop is expected to open a store in April of 2008 at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Shirley Street.
The city is undergoing a major strategic planning effort, "Building Our Future", and economic development endeavour "Community Improvement Plan (CIP) - Streetscape". This initiative is a community led process that involves a variety of partners including the City of Timmins, the Timmins Economic Development Corporation, the Timmins Chamber of Commerce, The Venture Centre/Le Centre de développement, Le Réseau de développement économique et d'employabilité de l'Ontario (RDÉE), Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario (ACFO), Ministry of Northern Development & Mines, the National Research Council, FedNor, NorthernTel, Ontera and the Government of Canada. Upon the completion of CIP - Streetscape project the core downtown areas within the community will undergo major redesign and redevelopment changes which will encompass building upgrades and new pedestrian friendly recreational and retail options.
Timmins is evolving into a regional government, transportation, industrial, commercial and recreational centre for much of Northeastern Ontario and the James Bay coast line Nishnawbe Aski Nation. The city has a regular annual market draw of 120,000+ people.

Politics

The city's mayor is Tom Laughren. He was sworn in on December 8, 2006, succeeding Vic Power, the city's longest-serving mayor.
Eight councillors serve with the mayor to complete the municipal government. Those eight councillors are elected to one of five areas of the city through a Ward electoral system. Councillors are elected to a four-year term.
Coun. Gary Scripnick represents Ward 1, located in the city's west end or Mount Joy neighbourhood. Coun. Michael Doody, Denis Saudino, Steve Adams and Jack Slattery represent Ward 5, the most densley populated ward situated in and around downtown Timmins. Coun. Billy Gvozdanovic serves Ward 3, located in the city's Schumacher area. Coun. Pat Bamford represents Ward 4 or South Porcupine, which makes up part of Timmins' east end. Coun. John Curley serves Ward 2, or Porcupine, which makes up the other portion of Timmins' east end. [2]
Provincially and federally, the city is located in the Timmins—James Bay electoral district.

Tourism and culture

Some of the main tourist attractions within the community include: the Shania Twain Centre, Timmins Underground Gold Mine Tour, The Timmins Museum and National Exhibition Centre, Cedar Meadows Wilderness Tours, Kamiskotia Snow Resort, Porcupine Ski Runners Cross-Country Trails and Chalet, Hollinger Golf Club, Spruce Needles Golf Club, the Sandy Falls Golf Club, the McIntyre Community Building and the Timmins Snowmobile Club [3]. Snowmobiling impacts the Timmins economy as tourists from all over North America travel north to explore area trails.
The city's slogan is "The City with a Heart of Gold".
Hollinger Park is one of the city's main recreational spaces. The park is divided in two sections, the north side being the park area, with the south side having a regulation sized baseball diamond and two soccer fields. The baseball park is home to the Standard Tavern Men's Baseball League since 1985. Timmins native Shania Twain played a concert at Hollinger Park on July 1, 1999. An estimated 22,000 people attended the outdoor concert.

On the first Sunday of June of each year, Timmins holds a Multicultural Festival at the McIntyre Community Building. It reflects the unique ethnic diversity of people in Timmins. You can experience the excitement of different cultures, savour the cuisine and the ethnic costumes.
The festival brings together many different cultural groups from the City, Italian, Croatian, Polish, German, Ukrainian, Scottish, English, French, Irish, Austrian, Finnish, Chinese, Filipino, and Native Cultures as well as others to join together and celebrate the diversity of the community. There are local groups who perform traditional music and dances; a parade displaying the different colourful ethnic costumes; and an abundance of food and ethnic art demonstrations.
There are several ethnic clubs in the area representing the various multicultural groups in Timmins including Le Centre Culturel La Ronde, the Croatian Society, the Polish White Eagle Hall, the Irish Canadian Club, the German Culture Club, the Chinese Club, the Ojibway & Cree Cultural Centre, the Timmins Multicultural Society, Porcupine Dante Club as well as others.
Timmins is also a staging point for many of the wilderness outfitters in the district who offer a number of different northern wilderness experiences such as hunting and fishing excursions.
There is a boat launch located just south of the Mattagami River bridge on Algonquin Blvd that provides both summer and winter access to the river.
Kettle Lakes Provincial Park is situated just outside the cities eastern limits. The park is dotted with 22 deep, spring-fed kettle lakes which are reachable by trails and roads. Some of the parks activities in summer swimming, camping (day and overnight), paddling and fishing. In the winter the park offers cross-country skiing and snowshoe trails.

Communities

★ Barbers Bay

★ Connaught

★ Dome

★ Gold Centre

★ Hoyle

★ Melrose Gardens

★ Mountjoy

★ Porcupine

★ Schumacher

★ South Porcupine

★ Timmins

Schools

Postsecondary education

The main postsecondary institution in Timmins is Northern College, a College of Applied Arts and Technology. The city also has satellite campuses of Collège Boréal and Laurentian University's Université de Hearst. Four school boards serve the City of Timmins.

School boards

★ District School Board Ontario North East

★ Northeastern Catholic District School Board

★ Conseil scolaire catholique de district des Grandes Rivière

★ Conseil scolaire publique du Nord-est

High schools

★ O'Gorman High School

★ École Publique Renaissance

★ École Secondaire catholique Thériault[4]

★ Timmins High and Vocational School

★ Roland Michener Secondary School

Media

TV

★ Channel 3: CITO, CTV

★ Channel 6: CBLT-7, CBC (formerly CFCL)

★ Channel 7: CICA-7, TVOntario

★ Channel 9: CBLFT-3, SRC

★ Channel 11: CHCH-7, CH

★ Channel 13: CIII-13, Global

★ Cable 3: Persona News 3, Persona Inc. community channel

Radio

★ 92.1 FM - CJQQ (''Q92'', classic rock)

★ 93.1 FM - CHMT (''Moose FM'', variety)

★ 94.3 FM - CKTT (tourist information)

★ 96.1 FM - CBCJ (CBC Radio One)

★ 97.1 FM - CBON-25 (La Première Chaîne)

★ 99.3 FM - CKGB (''EZRock'', adult contemporary)

★ 101.5 FM - CHTI (tourist information)

★ 102.3 FM - CHIM (Christian)

★ 104.1 FM - CHYK (francophone hot adult contemporary)

★ 105.7 FM - CBBX-1, Espace musique (approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on June 29, 2007)

★ 106.7 FM - CJWT (First Nations community)

Print

★ ''Timmins Daily Press'' [5]owned by Osprey Media

★ ''The Timmins Times'' [6]

★ ''Le Soleil de Timmins'' [7]

★ ''Les Nouvelles'' [8]

★ ''Timmins Living Magazine''[9]

Online

★ True North News

★ Channel 3 News

Notable people from Timmins

★ Shania Twain is the most internationally famous native of Timmins.

★ Charlie Angus, musician and songwriter for the band Grievous Angels, now serving as the New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for Timmins—James Bay

★ Bill Barilko, National Hockey League hockey player and Tragically Hip song subject ("Fifty Mission Cap", from 1992's ''Fully Completely'')

★ Paul Bellini, comedy writer and television actor

★ Gilles Bisson, Ontario New Democratic Party Member of Provincial Parliament for Timmins—James Bay

★ Dave Carroll and Don Carroll, country/pop/folk band Sons of Maxwell

★ Stompin' Tom Connors, musician and songwriter was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, but lived and worked in the mines in Timmins long enough to get his big break singing at the Maple Leaf Hotel there in 1965.

★ Patrice Desbiens, French poet and percussionist

★ Gordon Thiessen, Governor of the Bank of Canada from 1994 to 2001

★ Bruce McCaffrey, Progressive Conservative MPP

★ Derek Edwards, Award Winning Comedian

★ J. Conrad Lavigne, broadcasting pioneer

★ Jamie Lim, current president & CEO of the Ontario Forestry Industries Association; former Timmins mayor

★ Derek McGrath actor best known as the cherubic murderer "Andy-Andy" Schroeder on ''Cheers'', and Dr. Benjamin Marion Jeffcoate on ''My Secret Identity''

★ Alan Pope, former Progressive Conservative MPP

★ Jim Prentice, Conservative Party of Canada Member of Parliament from Calgary, Alberta

★ Jody Racicot, actor

★ Myron Scholes, award-winning economist

★ Roy Thomson, 1st Baron Thomson of Fleet, newspaper magnate, started his empire in the 1930s with the ''Timmins Daily Press''

★ Lola Lemire Tostevin, novelist and poet

★ Michael Barnes, author of The Scholarly Prospector - Don MacKinnon, 2007,''Great Northern Ontario Mines'', 2001, ''Great Northern Characters'', 1995, ''Gold in Ontario'', 1995, ''Timmins: The Porcupine Country'', 1995, ''Fortunes in the Ground'', 1993, ''Gold in the Porcupine'', 1976.

★ Bruce Watson, guitarist with Scottish rock band Big Country
''See also'': List of mayors of Timmins, Ontario.

Notable athletes from Timmins

★ Steve Sullivan, NHL player

★ Alex Henry, NHL player

★ Frank Mahovlich, NHL hockey player, Canadian Senator

★ Gus "Old Hardrock" Mortson, NHL hockey player

★ Pete Mahovlich, NHL hockey player

★ Allen Stanley, NHL hockey player

★ Walter Tkaczuk, NHL hockey player

★ Dale Rolfe, NHL hockey player

★ Eric "Doc" Prentice, NHL hockey player

★ Dean Prentice, NHL hockey player

★ Eric Vail, NHL hockey player, 1975 Calder Trophy winner

★ Hector Marini, NHL hockey player

★ Dave Poulin, NHL hockey player, currently Head Coach of the Notre Dame NCAA hockey team

★ Kathy Kreiner, gold medallist, giant slalom, XIIth Olympic Winter Games, Innsbruck, Austria, 13 February 1976

★ Laurie Kreiner, olympic athlete, XIIth Olympic Winter Games, Innsbruck, Austria

★ Jason Gervais, XXVII Summer Olympic Games, discus thrower

★ Bob Nevin, NHL hockey player

★ Murray Costello, Hockey Hall of Famer, president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association

★ Don Lever, NHL hockey player and coach

★ Pete Babando, NHL hockey player

★ Shean Donovan, NHL hockey player

★ Les Costello, former NHL hockey player with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the golden era. Later became a Roman Catholic priest in Timmins while continuing to play hockey for the "Flying Fathers".

★ Art Hodgins, Ice Hockey player, inducted in the British Ice Hockey hall of Fame

Demographics

According to the Canada 2006 Census:

★ % Change (2001-2006): -1.6

★ Dwellings: 18,642

★ Density (persons per km².): 14.5

Language

In 2001, 53% were Anglophones, 38% were Francophones, 2% spoke both languages equally and 6% spoke another language.[10]
See also: Franco-Ontarian

Religion

★ 68.7% Catholic

★ 20.2% Protestant

★ 8.5% No Religion

★ 1.8% Other Christian

★ 0.8% Other Religions

Sister cities

★ Naoshima, Kagawa, Japan

Links to Timmins information

★ City of Timmins

★ Timmins Economic Development Corporation

★ The Mattagami Region Conservation Authority (MRCA)

★ The Timmins Chamber of Commerce

★ Diocese of Timmins

	'North:' Cochrane, Unorganized, North Part
'West:' Cochrane, Unorganized, North Part	'Timmins'	'East:' Black River-Matheson
	'South:' Timiskaming, Unorganized North West, Ontario