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Economy steers visitors from Northern communities to Timmins
Posted By Brandon Walker, The Daily Press
Posted 5 hours ago


Even with the global economic downturn, tourists are still coming to Timmins. But the majority of visitors are not travelling as far to get here.

“Last week was busy and every day this week has been pretty busy too,” said Andrea Griener, the city’s manager of culture, leisure and tourism.

She said the Shania Twain Centre and Gold Mine Tour have been a fairly popular spot for visitors coming from other Northern Ontario communities.

People still seem curious about Shania’s gold records and the history of gold mining in Timmins.

Visitors still come in throngs to learn about local history, they just aren’t coming from as far away as they used to.

Tourism in Timmins is directly linked to the American economy, Griener.

Many seem to be sticking closer to home due to the recession, and that could be why bus tours have been cancelled from the United States to Timmins.

That’s not to say people aren’t coming to the area from other parts of Canada and Europe.

Even with the high price of gasoline, Griener said “we are still seeing people travelling here.

“There’s people in the parking lot from British Columbia, travelling across the country by car.”

Griener said the staycation is being pushed in Ontario and northern Quebec.

“We’re really blessed in terms of our natural beauty,” she said.

“Visitors to Kettle Lakes and other places will often come to experience the local history.”

Students will stop by the centre to learn more about how gold is found, extracted and produced.

Griener still chuckles when she thinks about when more than 20 children, about six years old, dressed in hard hats, recently went through the Gold Mine Tour.

“It’s a great way for students to learn about the history of the area,” she said.

Timmins draws kayakers to test the rivers and lakes, to “get away from the hustle and bustle” of daily life.

“Cedar Meadows, the Gold Mine Tour, the Shania Twain Centre, these are all unique attractions,” Griener said.

“We ask visitors to stay an extra day and experience these sites, and bring their families back next time.”

The Gold Mine Tour was recently featured in the Canadian Geographic Travel magazine, which helped draw more visitors.

It includes a surface and underground tour, and various artifacts.

Griener said they’re hoping to include a winter tour which would show many large icicles that form on the mine’s ceiling.

They also want to add an outdoor skating rink to draw families to the area.

Griener will know the total amount of people who visited the attractions by the end of August.