Tommy's #1 SHANIA TWAIN SuperSite Message Board

I find it interesting that this was in the Wall Street Journal!

Tourism displays on the move

By Kyle Gennings, The Daily Press (Timmins)

Monday, July 22, 2013 5:41:54 PM EDT

The Olympic torch carried by Shania Twain in Timmins and the outfit she wore are currently on display at the Victor M. Power Airport. Following the closure of the Shania Twain Centre, the city has been developing a plan to ensure that some of the treasures housed at the Centre and the Underground Mine Tour find a place in the community.

TIMMINS - City officials hope that a series of rotating displays in the city will help attract the attention of tourists.

When it was announced that the Shania Twain Centre would be sold to Goldcorp as part of its Hollinger open-pit gold mine, city officials began to search for a new focal point for tourism.

Now, six months later, Guy Lamarche and the tourism department are still working away at the project. But the group is confident a wide array of attractions will exist for sightseers.

“I cannot state that anything in particular will replace the draw that the Shania Twain Centre brought in,” said Lamarche, the city’s manager of tourism, events and communications. “But I can certainly speak to my vision. Right now, we need to find an attraction that will be complementary to what we had here before, which I do have a plan for, which was approved by council earlier this year.”

The plan doesn’t currently have a contingency for a replacement attraction, but it will make use of the items formerly housed at the Centre.

“This plan includes the refurbishing and relocation of a number of assets that used to be the Underground Mine Tour and the Shania Twain Centre,” said Lamarche. “We’ll be spreading these out around the city, so that they can become somewhat of an attraction in their own right.”

The idea of making use of what is already available is a first step that Lamarche and his tourism team have already begun to put into place.

“We currently have the Olympic torch and outfit which Shania wore when she carried the torch through the city a number of years ago on display at the airport,” said Lamarche. “We don’t plan on making it a permanent installment there, but it gives you an idea of what we have in mind for items of interest like this.”

A rotating series of displays could potentially find a place in different places of interest throughout the city.

“We really want to find a place within the city to place items like the statues, implements, the Hollinger House, the trapper’s cabin, the blacksmith shop,” said Lamarche. “All of these items will be placed back into the community at some point, some sooner than others.”

Both the trapper’s cabin and the Hollinger House will find a place in the community very soon.

“These two items will find a place within the next month to six weeks,” said Lamarche. “We are working out a contract for that right now and you’ll begin to see the Shania Twain exhibits around the community.”

Lamarche hopes these attractions will draw more interest when placed into the community in a variety of areas.

“We are currently setting up meetings with Shania Twain’s representatives concerning the changing of these static displays and the frequency of those changes,” said Lamarche. “I don’t want to leave the Vancouver torch run outfit at the airport forever. At some point that has to change.”

http://www.timminspress.com/2013/07/22/tourism-displays-on-the-move

Shania Twain Centre funds a plus for city

By Benjamin Aubé | Tuesday, January 21, 2014 8:15:08 PM EST

TIMMINS - The famous line from the movie Jerry Maguire — “Show me the money” — may not have been used at city hall Monday night, but questions were still raised about what’s become of the $5 million from the city’s sale of the Shania Twain Centre.

Coun. Steve Black raised the issue at council, but was assured by CAO Joe Torlone and treasurer Jim Howie that the money is still very much on the books.

It was agreed that proceeds from the January 2013 sale would be spent to cover the transfer of assets such as the Hollinger House, miner’s statues from the Gold Mine Tour, and some of Twain’s memorabilia from the defunct enterprises to other locations in the city. The remaining funds were slated to be spent on key issues identified in the Timmins 2020 community building strategic plan.

“We have the $5 million,” said Torlone, saying he was trying to make the explanation “as easy as possible.”

“It’s in the bank. In the end, we have $5 million from the Shania Twain Centre. Very shortly, we will close the books on the Shania Twain Centre and Gold Mine Tour, and we’re going to come to council with a report to say we’ve spent this amount of money to move the assets, to store them, to repair them, and the rent we’re going to have to pay until we build storage sheds.

“When that’s all done, I believe there will be $4 million and some odd dollars left. My mind tells us we have that cash in hand. I can assure you money will not be lost into wherever.”

Black said he’d looked at the spreadsheets and was unable to understand where the money from the Shania Twain Centre was sitting in city coffers. He said council had agreed to spend the money on community improvements rather than to finance city debt.

“My concern is we went down the path of the strategic plan, and whether it be housing, roads, crumbling bridges, or recreation, culture and tourism, but we identified many big areas where there’s going to be a lot of spending required in the future,” said Black. “This asset negotiation was done with that in mind.

“As a councillor, I agreed to sell an asset for $5 million, which I’d like to see that in a reserve flagged and ready available for us to tap into it. After this year, I don’t think we’re going to hear from this again, unless I’m still very confused about this situation.”

Howie attempted to assure Black that, though the money is currently just a line in the city’s finances, “We’re not putting the money into operations to reduce our tax levy. We’re using it to put towards future capital.

“It can’t be sitting in a reserve,” said Howie. “Then you’re just going to increase your net debt, and you won’t be any different off than if you didn’t receive that money.”

Mayor Tom Laughren said a report will be brought back and presented to council in the coming weeks to make the whole situation a little more clear.

“I think Coun. Black’s concern about this is where is the money, and is council going to have at least some input into what happens with that money,” said Laughren. “We’re sure we have the money, we know what we’ve approved to come off (the $5 million). At the end of the day, when that’s all finalized, we’ll come back here with the money and the suggestions we’re making.”

In 2001, the Shania Twain Centre opened in its new, multimillion-dollar building where it was housed until last year.

The number of visitors at the centre peaked in 2002 at 8,400, but soon went into steady decline, dropping 66% to 2,800 visitors by 2010. Attendance decreased as Twain went years without releasing an album.

During the same period, the Underground Gold Mine Tour's yearly attendance numbers dropped by 36%, from 6,200 to 4,000 visits.

A consultant's report estimated city taxpayers would be paying about $300,000 a year to continue running both attractions.

http://www.timminspress.com/2014/01/21/shania-twain-centre-funds-a-plus-for-city

Fate of tourist attractions' assets discussed

By Jeff Labine, Timmins Daily Press | Monday, March 24, 2014 10:11:53 PM EDT

TIMMINS - City administration is looking for new homes for statues originally located in the Shania Twain Centre and the Timmins Underground Mine Tour facility.

City council received a detailed report regarding the two former tourism attractions at Monday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting.

After being declared surplus in January last year, city council has been looking at ways to relocate assets before decommissioning the sites.

The city set aside more than $43,000 towards the project and broke it up into two phases. The first phase focused on identifying the objects worth saving while the other is focused on the relocation.

Some assets have already found new homes such as the relocation of the Hollinger House and the Trappers Cabin to the Timmins Museum National Exhibition Center.

But there are still more historical items to move including a number of statues. Restoration on the statues already started but they’re all located in a temporary facility.

Guy Lamarche, manager of tourism, events and communications with the city, said they hope to move the statues across the city.

“In the agreement with MHPM (project managers), it was clear that they would stickhandle all of the work required in Phase 2,” Lamarche told council. “With your support, they’re prepared to start immediately. Hopefully by Aug. 30, everything is going to be completed.”

He said he plans to return to council with more information on how best to proceed at a later date.

Coun. Steve Black said the statues were important to the heritage of the community.

“I think it is important to hang on to that and really have it for generations to see how this community was built and where it came from,” he said.

Given the extreme detail of the report, Coun. Pat Bamford joked that no one could accuse council of not being transparent.

Coun. Noella Rinaldo wanted to know more about security if these statues were going to be put up across the city. She asked if it would be possible to place cameras in the same locations to increase security.

“These are quite expensive statues and they’re very important to our heritage,” she said. “This is something that’s an investment from the city.”

Timmins Police Service Chief John Gauthier answered the question but couldn’t provide an answer because they don’t know where the statues will be going.

Coun. John Curley said having the statues distributed across the city will give people a chance to see them. He pointed out that while they had a home but not many people went up to see them.

He also expressed concerns about protecting the statues – not necessarily from vandals – but from road salt.

Lamarche said they’ve taken steps to protect the statues and there’s a recommendation to have a regular maintenance schedule.

http://www.timminspress.com/2014/03/24/fate-of-tourist-attractions-assets-discussed

Shania Twain Centre in Timmins is demolished

By Len Gillis | Timmins Times | December 3, 2014

The iconic Shania Twain Centre was demolished on Wednesday December 3. Wreckers shovels made quick work of the building. The centre was torn down to allow for the continuation of the Goldcorp Hollinger open pit mine.

The iconic Shania Twain Centre was demolished on Wednesday December 3. This photo shows how the centre looked in November as preparations were underway. The centre was torn down to allow for the continuation of the Goldcorp Hollinger open pit mine.

The iconic Shania Twain Centre was demolished on Wednesday December 3. The centre was torn down to allow for the continuation of the Goldcorp Hollinger open pit mine. This photo was taken in the winter of 2013.

The iconic Shania Twain Centre was demolished on Wednesday December 3. The centre was torn down to allow for the continuation of the Goldcorp Hollinger open pit mine. This photo was taken in the winter of 2013.

After nearly 15 years as a hoped-for iconic tourist attraction in Timmins, the Shania Twain Centre fell to a pair of wreckers shovels on Wednesday.

The building that was admired by fans and tourists from around the world is now nothing more than a pile of rubble waiting to be trucked away so that drilling and blasting work can continue on Goldcorp's Hollinger open pit mine. Planning for the building began back in 1999 and the centre was officially opened on Canada Day 2001.

It might have been an omen, but that July 1st was one of the coldest Canada Days in recent memory. It was cold, rainy, drizzly and just miserable. In nearby Cochrane, the big Canada Day truck races were cancelled because there was ice on the road.

Shania herself was unable to be at the opening of the Centre. Expectations ran high that she would be able to attend, but the fact she was pregnant at the time made that trip impossible.

Hardcore fans were able to cope with the Timmins weather, including 21-year-old Ben Abruzzi who drove 18-hours from Massachusetts to be the first person in line for the public opening. He was pleased with his visit.

"It was phenomenal. It was more than I could have hoped for," said Abruzzi back on that day.

Ontario's Tourism Minister at the time was Tim Hudak, who said he was more than impressed with the facility.

"It's outstanding," said Hudak. "Timmins has put itself on the map."

Also impressed was Will Saari, the City of Timmins tourism manager back then. His comments that day were prophetic.

"The trick now is to keep people interested in coming back and piquing the interest of first timers," said Saari.

"The focus is to keep the momentum going," said Saari. "We're going to make sure it's well marketed."

The new $5 million centre was expected to be the lifesaving tourist attraction Timmins sorely needed. For years, local wags had complained that the only thing of note ever to come out of Timmins were hockey players and ... well, many folks welcomed the idea of having a local shrine paying tribute to a country music sensation who was literally world famous.

If Springhill, Nova Scotia could have a building dedicated to the achievements of Anne Murray, certainly Timmins would do well to have a centre honouring the woman who was the best-selling female country music star in history.

That was the plan. For the first few years, it seemed to be working. Dozens of fans got together in Timmins every summer. They came from across North America to celebrate all things Shania, and it was all centred at the Shania Twain Centre.

Those gatherings only brought more attention to the Centre for many ordinary tourists who made a point of visiting when they were travelling through Northeastern Ontario.

Critics, many of them local, claimed that the location of the Centre was too far off the beaten path. They said no one would ever be able to find the building.

Still, people who came from around the world, were able to find it.

Part of the reason for the popularity was the fact the centre was partnered with the historic gold mine tour.

In the first year of operation, there were roughly 12,500 visitors. More than 7,600 went to the Shania Centre. Less than 5,000 took in the gold mine tour.

In the second year, attendance peaked at 14,567; there were 6203 at the mine tour and 8364 at the Shania centre.

Gradually interest in both the tours began to drop off and it meant the attractions were running in the red to the tune of about $320,000 per year.

LOSING MONEY

Tourism consulting expert Fran Hohol presented those cold, hard facts to Timmins city council back in 2011. Hohol was of the opinion that the centre could still assist the overall tourism mandate in the city. It was based on the assertion that for every single dollar invested in tourism by the City of Timmins, there was a payback of more than three dollars being spent by tourists in the city.

Hohol also told city council that neither the Shania Twain Centre nor the Gold Mine Tour was going to make money. It was a net loser she said. But by the same token, other facilities such as Science North in Sudbury, Hockey Heritage North in Kirkland Lake, the Polar Bear Habitat in Cochrane and The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre in the Sault are also net money losers. She said they all rely on government subsidies.

City Council absorbed the report and got ready to discuss whether the city should continue supporting the centre.

Enter Goldcorp Porcupine Gold Mines (PGM). In 2012, as the company was outlining detailed plans for the Hollinger open pit, there were assurances that the drilling and blasting and other mining procedures would not hurt the Shania Twain Centre. In fact, pictures were released showing that a berm would protect the building from the impact of mining.

Then in January 2013, the bombshell was dropped at a City Council meeting when it was revealed that the City had been in negotiations with Goldcorp PGM and the city was declaring the Shania Twain Centre as "surplus to the city's needs".

Within a week, City Hall revealed that Goldcorp PGM was willing to pay $5-million for the STC building and the goldmine tour.

For many people in the city, it was vindication for their feelings that the Centre was a waste of money and not necessary. For others it was a sign of failure. Timmins had made a first-class effort toward the If-You-Build-It-They-Will-Come idea, but for whatever reason, the people didn't come.

SHOCK AND DISAPPOINTMENT

One man was particularly sad with the decision. Timmins architect Georges R. Quirion, the man who designed the Centre, remembered being shocked when he learned the news. He remembered going to Switzerland, meeting Shania Twain, explaining his design concepts, and getting her input and better yet, her approval. The announcement that the building would be torn down was not easy to accept.

"Oh well, I guess shock and disappointment. I was very, very heartbroken. Because again, I know the effort that was put into it there," he said.

Quirion said architects are really not supposed to live longer than their buildings, but he is glad he was able to design the Shania Twain Centre in the first place.

"I knew I had the opportunity of really trying to capture something. This was designed for a long time. Like it was meant to be timeless, to be part of the community and part of the landscape of the community," Quirion said.

"Yeah, I was really proud of it, extremely proud."

http://www.timminstimes.com/2014/12/03/shania-twain-centre-in-timmins-is-demolished

Shania Twain Tosses Hometown a Bone ... Yeah, You Can Keep Some of My Stuff

12/6/2014 12:30 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF

The Shania Twain Centre is nothing but a pile of rubble these days, but at least the citizens of Timmins, Ontario will have something to remember the $6.1 million money pit by -- a few dresses.

By all accounts, the shrine to the town's greatest star was a disaster. Shania didn't show for its 2001 opening (she was pregnant) ... and she didn't set foot in the thing until 2004. By the end of its run ... it was losing over $300,000/year.

So this week it was torn to the ground, and everything inside it -- which was donated by Shania in the first place -- was supposed to go back to her. But the city asked to keep a few dresses and other outfits.

Shania agreed to let 'em go. Apparently the items don't impress her much.

A city official says the leftovers will be displayed at the airport, at convention centers, and wherever their presence is requested (yes, really). In other words ... get in line, local Tim Horton's. 

http://www.tmz.com/2014/12/06/shania-twain-centre-closed-timmins-ontario-dresses/

Goldcorp unveils land-use plan for pit property

By Len Gillis | Timmins Press | December 2, 2015 9:54:40 PM EST PM

TIMMINS - Goldcorp-Porcupine Gold Mines has presented its final land-use plan for the Hollinger open pit mine property; a plan that will see the creation of a new lake, a sandy beach, wilderness trails, picnic areas and a lofty lookout from the top of the berm — all located in the heart of Timmins.

Details of the plan were unveiled at the Timmins city council meeting Monday with a 25-page PowerPoint followed by a 29-page planning document.

The plan is part of the formal agreement between the city and Goldcorp to agree on how to reclaim the land that is currently being mined inside the massive new berm that covers the old Hollinger Consolidated Gold Mines property.

This is called the Hollinger Legacy Project. The new pit area takes in a huge swath of land that runs from Shania Twain Drive to Vipond Road, and from Water Tower Road to Moneta Road. Eventually this land will be turned over to the City of Timmins.

In the agreement with the city, signed in 2012, it was deemed there would be mandatory public space created once the Hollinger pit is mined out.

Details were outlined by Dawn-Ann Metsaranta, Goldcorp’s project manager for the subsequent land use plan. She said much of the plan follows the three open-houses and two follow-up online surveys that were put out to the public in 2014.

She said there was a clear message from the city that a low-maintenance project is desired for when the legacy project is eventually turned over to city ownership.

She said the goal is for three-season usage, spring, summer and fall, again in line with keeping maintenance costs low.

“Also to be noted is that post-mining and closure; the phase that we’re presenting to you today is conceptual just because development plans may change between now and when that happens,” she said.

Metsaranta outlined some of the details of Phase One, which is to take place in the next two years. This will include the creation of nature trails, with a request from the city that such trails be kept away from the area of Water Tower Road for safety reasons.

Trails will also lead to a pit lookout area on the top of the berm, but the lookout will be closed at night, during blasting periods and in winter months, again for safety concerns. Construction of the lookout could begin next spring. There will also be a lighted trail leading from Shania Twain Drive over to Moneta Road, through part of the old golf course. The basic layout of this trail is already completed. All trails will be accessible for people with physical challenges. There will also be an access ramp up to the pit lookout. For those who choose to access the lookout by stairs, there will be a stairway, she said.

Another feature will be mural boards along part of the trail. Metsaranta said the hope is to form partnerships with the local arts community to encourage the creation of murals that can be added to in the coming years.

There was a plan to create a gazebo near the top of the berm, but after consultation with the CDC, she said the gazebo was moved to the beach area to be more accessible to more people.

Because there is no formal shade structure on the top of the berm by the lookout, the plan is to plant trees that will eventually provide shade in the summer months.

“Phase One is meant to be completed by October 2017. Mining is going to take place between four and five years,” she said.

“The final land use plan is still, as I said, conceptual. These elements will be completed once the pit has filled with water. This should take about six to eight years after mining is complete.”

In accordance with the CDC wish for low maintenance, Metsaranta said the plan is to keep the trails that come off the berm as short as possible, so as to keep maintenance costs low. The final plan calls for the creation of a 3.4 kilometres of trails.

“The majority of these trails would be wilderness trails. They connect the pit, the park and the beach,” she said.

This would include a waterfront from the flooded pit, a park and picnic area. The beach would be located in the southwestern corner of the project. The beach area will also have public washrooms and change rooms.

Metsaranta also mentioned that the trails would encompass the south, the east and the west areas of the pit project, but there would be a portion along the north perimeter that would be fenced off because there are still some hazard lands.

She also mentioned that once the project is completed and both Goldcorp and the City sign off that they are satisfied, the City of Timmins would assume the cost of looking after the new lands.

“Long term maintenance at this time is not known and that’s because right now because Phase Two is conceptual, we are not sure about the details,” said Metsaranta.

She said those costs would be clear as work progresses.

Also as part of the agreement, Goldcorp has submitted a $10 million bond to the City of Timmins to pay for any changes or work that needs to be done once the mine is finally closed the land is returned to a reclaimed state.

Council members appeared pleased with the report.

Coun. Mike Doody said he had been told by some citizens that the lookout could be a suitable location for a formal lookout tower, enabling people to see more of Timmins. He said similar facilities exist in other Ontario cities.

Coun. Rick Dubeau, who is also chairman of the community advisory committee, complimented Goldcorp for the quick work on the new trail that connects Gold Mine Road to the Shania Twain Road.

Dubeau also endorsed Doody’s comment for a new tower at the lookout site. Dubeau said now would be a good time to start thinking of “something maybe bigger and grander.”

Coun. Pat Bamford commented he would like to see more trails, as he disagrees with the idea by CDC to reduce the length of trails.

“I would like that revisited if possible,” said Bamford, adding that the initial cost would be covered by Goldcorp.

He added that once the project is completed, it will become the focal point of community activity.

“To me, this will be the go-to spot in Timmins,” said Bamford, predicting that its popularity would easily outpace that of the Gillies Lake Conservation Area.

http://www.timminspress.com/2015/12/02/goldcorp-unveils-land-use-plan-for-pit-property