Timmins

Understand

thumb|right The city is in one of the richest mineral producing areas in the Western Hemisphere. It is a leader in the production of gold and base metals. Main attractions are mining tours and outdoor recreation.

Get in

thumb|City Hall Engineering Building Timmins is fairly easy to access. Ontario’s section of Highway 11 (one of the longest roads in the world) connects with Highway 101 about 1 hour east of the city. It is always best to check weather and road conditions before departure, since the winter months (December through to early April) in Northern Ontario can sometimes provoke difficult and unsafe driving conditions. Timmins is also accessible by snowmobile.

Get around

If you are staying downtown, you can get around on foot for the most part. Otherwise, the city offers efficient bus service, and has many taxi and car rental companies.

See

Timmins' main appeal is its outdoors atmosphere, seeing as how it is surrounded by beautiful forests. There are a multitude of outdoor activities offered in the region year-round. Timmins is also an important landmark in the history of mining, following its success in the 1909 gold rush.

Do

The atmosphere in Timmins is generally relaxed and slow-paced. Most activities revolve around the outdoors. The summers are great for camping, golfing and more. There are plenty of winter activities such as downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, tubing, snowmobiling and more. The Timmins recreation services website offers more information on outdoor activities.

Buy

There is also an area of Riverside west beyond the Timmins Square that has Canadian Tire, Wal-Mart, Michaels, Mark’s Work Warehouse, Dollarama and Home Depot.

Eat

While in Timmins, be sure to dine at some of the fantastic locally-owned restaurants. All restaurants, bars and bingo halls in the city are smoke-free.

Stay safe

If you're driving in to the area, be warned that the roads can be snow-covered and icy in the winter and early spring - take to heart everything discussed on the winter driving page. Your best bet is winter tires (chains aren't allowed), however taking a bag of sand or kitty litter in your trunk can help you if you're stuck and spinning your tires. Most locals are happy to help push if you get stuck. In case of a breakdown, make sure that you take along a standard road safety kit with flares, gloves, and a warm blanket.

The forests surrounding the city are home to potentially dangerous wildlife such as black bears, always take caution when traversing the walking trails or when camping. One suggestion is to carry a whistle or arm yourself with bear spray to ensure your safety when enjoying the outdoors, both alone or with a group.

Go next

Timmins, along with Cochrane (Ontario), is a jumping-off point for towns further north that do not have year-round road access. Airline carriers such as Air Creebec and Thunder Airlines can take you to places like Moosonee and Attawapiskat.