Dig into Timmins' Mining Past, Present and Future at Doors Open Timmins and Level Up! Career Fair

Excitement is building as Doors Open Timmins returns to Northern Ontario on October 5, 2024, offering a unique chance to explore eight captivating sites that celebrate the city’s vibrant culture and deep-rooted mining heritage. From historic landmarks to community-driven initiatives, this event provides a rare glimpse into the stories that shaped Timmins' past and present. We’ve interviewed Kaitlyn Dubeau, Assistant Curator at the Timmins Museum, to give you the inside scoop on how to make the most of your visit.

Teachers on Call’s online and in-person tutors in Timmins are thrilled about this educational opportunity for students. Part of the provincewide Ontario Heritage Trust Program, Doors Open Timmins is back for 2024 with in-person tours after last year’s virtual event. This year, you can look forward to exploring notable sites such as the Hollinger House and Porcupine Historical Park, which tell the tale of the Great Porcupine Gold Rush. With the support of the Timmins Museum and Ontario Heritage Trust, these carefully curated sites offer insights into the city's mining legacy and beyond. Teachers on Call’s in-person and online tutoring service connected with the organizers of Doors Open Timmins, who shared expert tips on how to make the most of this free event. They offered insights into key sites to visit and recommended the best local spot to grab a bite, ensuring visitors can fully enjoy both the history and hospitality of Timmins.

Connecting Past, Present and Future at Doors Open Timmins and the Level Up Career Fair

Timmins is located in Northeastern Ontario, about 100 kilometers north of Gogama, easily accessible from cities like Sudbury to the south and Kapuskasing to the northwest. Recently, Joanne Sallay, President & CEO of Teachers on Call, toured the Côté Gold Mine during an educator tour, exploring modern mining practices, which you can read about here. 

The This is Mine Life campaign will be featured at the Level Up! Career Fair on October 4th at Northern College, 4715 Highway 101 East, South Porcupine, ON P0N 1H0. Students in grades 7 to 12 will have the chance to explore over 140 skilled trades in Ontario through interactive exhibits and hands-on activities. Taking place just a day before Doors Open Timmins, it’s a perfect opportunity for students to attend with their teachers and later return with their parents, linking Timmins’ past as an important mining region and present as a regional hub for one of Canada’s newest, most modern and most high tech mining operations for meaningful discussions and debates about their future.

How to Plan for Doors Open Timmins 2024

Planning your visit to Doors Open Timmins is a rare and special opportunity within the Doors Open Ontario lineup. Located in Northern Ontario, Timmins, known as the "City with a Heart of Gold" due to its rich gold mining history, offers eight unique sites that showcase the area’s heritage. From the Timmins Museum to historic cemeteries, you’ll gain a comprehensive view of the community. Don’t forget to experience the virtual-reality mining exhibit at the Timmins Museum for an immersive look into the city’s mining past. The event runs from noon to 4:00 PM on October 5, 2024. Don’t be fooled by the eight sites—there’s no "fool’s gold" here! Each location is fascinating, so plan your time wisely to make sure you don’t miss any of the treasures Doors Open Timmins has in store.

8 Participating Sites for Doors Open Timmins 2024

This year’s Doors Open Timmins highlights 8 captivating sites that showcase the area’s rich mining heritage and community spirit. Each site offers a unique window into Timmins' history, culture, and contributions to the mining industry. Here’s the full list of locations:

1) Hollinger House

Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre - 325 Second Ave. Timmins, ON P4N 0B3

Hollinger House is a staple in the Timmins community. From 1919, the Hollinger Mine initiated a project to accommodate its expanding workforce. Approximately 350 green and red tar-paper houses were constructed in rows for the miners. This particular house was originally situated at the Underground Mine Tour site and was later relocated to its present position at the Timmins Museum.

2) Porcupine Historical Park (*)

5851 King Street, Porcupine, ON P0N 1C0

Porcupine Historic Park showcases artifacts that illustrate the story of the Great Porcupine Gold Rush, which began in 1909. Among the park’s notable items are a steam locomotive from the Hollinger Mine, an original mine recorder’s vault from 1910, and an arrastra, a large, wheel-shaped tool used for grinding ore, discovered near the Buffalo-Ankerite Mine. These artifacts highlight the rich mining heritage of the region.

3) Quilts for Survivors

58 Legion Drive, South Porcupine, ON P0N 1H0

Based in Timmins, Quilts for Survivors fosters comfort and healing by creating and gifting quilts. With the support of volunteers from across Canada, the group crafts full-sized quilts and sends them to survivors of the Residential School System as a gesture of solidarity, respect, and love.

4) Timmins Memorial Cemetery (*)

901 Pine St S, Timmins, ON P4N 7C2

The Catholic Cemetery was relocated from the Fifth Avenue churchyard to this location in 1917, and all burial sites were amalgamated into the Timmins Memorial Cemetery in 1966. Notable features include a monument honouring the victims of the 1928 Hollinger Mine Disaster, the headstone of local hockey hero Bill Barilko, and the graves of several prominent families and early pioneers from the Porcupine area.

5) Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre

325 Second Ave, Timmins, ON P4N 0B3

This museum is committed to preserving and promoting local heritage. Visitors can enjoy the permanent exhibition, Where We Stand: Stories of the Land, and try the virtual-reality mining experience. The museum’s gift shop offers a wide selection of Canadian-produced items and works from local artists.

6) Timmins Public Library

320 Second Ave, Timmins, ON P4N 8A4

With its high ceilings and striking timber columns, this building stands out as an architectural gem and a welcoming community space. The use of timber as the primary material reflects the vital role of the forest products industry in shaping the heritage, culture, and economy of Timmins.

7) Tisdale Cemetery (*)

Highway 101, Timmins, ON

The Tisdale Cemetery was established in 1915 at the request of local undertakers Barton and Easton, as the South Porcupine cemetery was often inaccessible. During the construction of the road between Timmins and the south end, the site also served as a provincial prison camp.

8) Whitney Cemetery (Dead Man’s Point) (*)

Cemetery Road, off Haileybury Crescent, Porcupine, ON

This cemetery became part of the City of Timmins in 1973. Victims of the 1911 Great Porcupine Fire were buried along the shores of Porcupine Lake, giving it the name Deadman's Point. The cemetery has been in use ever since. Noteworthy features include a monument honouring the fire victims and the crypt of the Weiss family, who were significant figures in the local gold mining industry.

(* denotes self-guided tours)

An Interview with the Organizers Behind Doors Open Timmins

Check out our interview with Kaitlyn Dubeau, Assistant Curator at the Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre, for an insider’s perspective on what to expect.

What can first-time visitors to Doors Open Timmins look forward to experiencing this year?

We hope that everyone will experience a little piece of the city’s heritage and culture or learn something new. If you are from Timmins, we hope to offer new and exciting information that perhaps you’ve never heard before and if you are new to Timmins or visiting, we hope to give you an overview of the community's stories and rich history. 

Beyond Timmins, where do your Doors Open visitors typically come from?

In the past, we’ve had visitors from the surrounding areas, Kirkland Lake, Matheson, Iroquois Falls etc. The stories and history of our communities are connected so it's great to host our neighbours. 

What can visitors learn from the city’s mining heritage, particularly through historical sites like the Hollinger House and Porcupine Historical Park?

Mining is very much a part of our identity. It has been and continues to be a driving force in our community. It has an exciting, at times tragic, and turbulent history that dates back over 100 years. Some of the sites listed help us share the history of what went on and how we can view our future. 

Do you have any educational sites that are particularly relevant for students?

The library and the museum are great resources for education. Both offer excellent programming and spaces to conduct research. Quilt for Survivors also offers a space to learn more about the Residential Schools System and the survivors. They also teach quilting in-person and virtually! 

Can you discuss the role of Timmins’ mining history in the event and how it contributes to the city’s heritage?

Our mining history has helped shape who we are as a community.  It’s the main industry here and has been for over 100 years.  Knowing this, we are also so much more.  The story of our region is one of perseverance, discovery, and opportunity experienced by many different groups of people over thousands of years.

Can you share the significance of the Mattagami River in Timmins’ development and what visitors can learn from sites along the river?

I like to describe the river as the vein of our city. It runs throughout and brings everything and everyone together. It's how hundreds of generations before us travelled and thrived in this region. It’s a landmark in our community and a core component of our story. 

What role do the Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre and the local arts community play in Doors Open, and are there any special exhibits or programs featured this year?

The museum is a National Exhibition Centre which means we bring exhibitions from across the country into our galleries. We also include local artists as well throughout the year for various exhibitions, events, workshops or lectures.  On October 5, 2024 we will be hosting tours of our gallery and historic house throughout the day. We will also provide a unique and rare behind-the-scenes tour of our collections area. 

How does the Timmins Museum’s virtual-reality mining experience and the “Where We Stand” exhibit deepen visitors' understanding of local history and community impact?

Our custom VR experience takes users underground into a gold mine from 1912. You become a miner and are given the chance to try different jobs underground under the conditions of the time, for example, working by candlelight. It's not too challenging for first-time users and takes about 10-15 minutes to complete the tasks. Our permanent exhibition, “Where We Stand: Stories of the Land” takes visitors through the gallery to explore over 6,000 years of history in our region.  It explains how the lands of our region have challenged us to persevere, have allowed us to discover and invent, and work towards creating a community.  It is our exchanges with the land and people that has shaped the region as we see it today.  

Which local restaurants or coffee shops in Timmins do you recommend for visitors to take a break during the event?

My favourite food stop is the McIntyre Coffee Shop (85 McIntyre Rd, Schumacher, ON P4N 8R8). It has a great history and is a cherished spot in our community. It's been there since the 1930s!

What’s your favourite tip to share about the Doors Open Timmins event?

The event is completely free. A lot of the sites are self-guided but we have three sites that offer in-person tours. Please get your maps and additional information at the museum (325 Second Ave. Timmins, ON P4N 0B3)!

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Doors Open Timmins is not just a celebration of local history—it's a community event that brings people together. Organized by the Timmins Museum in partnership with the Ontario Heritage Trust, this year’s event promises to engage visitors of all ages. Whether you’re a history enthusiast or looking for a weekend adventure, there's something for everyone. Plus, connect Timmins’ past as a historical mining region to present as a regional modern mining hub by attending the Level Up! Career Fair on October 4th, where students in grades 7 to 12 can learn about modern mining with the OMA’s This is Mine Life campaign. Mark your calendar for both educational events!