A new Timmins travel guide is hot off the press with a focus on showing people what they can experience in the city.
Noella Rinaldo, the city’s director of community development, said tourists are interested in Timmins for reasons locals may take for granted.
“People from Europe, for example, love this area. People from the Asian countries love the space, they love the woods and we have to be sure that we’re continuously showing that aspect of us,” Rinaldo said.
“That is something that we can offer at no cost, really, that we have here. I think that sports tourism package is (also) very important.”
Rinaldo said the travel guide is just one tool. Timmins city council also recently passed a new 10-year culture and tourism plan that identifies demand for agri-tourism, as well as francophone and 2SLGBTQI+ tourism and Indigenous experiences.
Strategic planning
“You know, it really is that strategic planning that we want to do,” said Rinaldo.
“It’s telling us what the public and what the stakeholders are looking for, and it’s written down on paper. It gives us those recommendations of what we can do, looking forward to the future to grow and to improve.”
Karen Bachmann, the city’s director of cultural services, said she’s heard from groups and event organizers that when it comes to producing and supporting arts and culture, space is needed.
“We need to really have some discussions with the groups in terms of what are their space requirements,” Bachmann said.
Using existing assets
“We need to look at how that can be best addressed and we’re certainly not looking at building a building -- I’ll say that right now. What we are looking at is using the assets that currently exist within the community and how can we make that work for organizations -- and how can we bring everybody together to really deliver some excellent programs for the community.”
Bachmann said the timing of the plan coincides with an increase in domestic travel, driven by the current political climate.
“If we look today where Canada is … and we’re all saying we’re proud Canadians and we’re proud about who we are and what we do," she said.
“I think it’s really important for us now to understand what that means and we’ve got really good culture here. We’ve got … a really great heritage and that’s all part of being Canadian. And I think that message to the world is that we are all here.”
The city said the new culture and tourism master plan can help Timmins stay competitive and make the area a sought-after destination.
