Timmins City Council has adopted a long-term strategic plan to address future needs and opportunities for culture and tourism in Timmins over the next 10 years. Building on the 2014 Culture, Tourism, and Recreation (CTR) Master Plan, the document provides a renewed vision to support and celebrate a culturally diverse community, with a nod to current and evolving data, trends, and changing priorities. With the update, recommendations and strategy for recreation, culture, and tourism have been divided into three unique plans designed to work harmoniously together. Council previously adopted and set direction for the Recreation Master Plan in late 2023. Now, plans to improve and enhance the municipal focus for culture and tourism can move forward.
While the 133-page document can be daunting, the goals and recommendations are laid out for short, medium, and long-term implementation, with direction and associated actions provided separately for culture and tourism. The City’s Culture Master Plan includes 27 recommendations that are designed to foster community pride, improve engagement in culture, and support cultural diversity and emerging needs. The recommendations include developing a municipal culture policy, expanding the City’s current Community Improvement Plan (CIP) to enhance support for culture and heritage preservation, and prioritizing the development of cultural spaces.
“We’ve heard from residents, cultural community groups, and event organizers that space is a valuable commodity when it comes to producing and supporting arts and culture,” says Karen Bachmann, the City’s new Director of Cultural Services. “We will need to explore solutions to address this, and look at cultural investment and funding strategies that can support artists and organizations. There is a business case to be made for the economic impact of the cultural sector that we can harness and enhance.”
Bachmann’s decades long experience as curator of the Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre leaves her well-prepared to steer the City’s Culture Master Plan. “The plan is focused on opportunity and sustainability, and ways that the City can tap into the potential of culture and heritage,” adds Bachmann.
The City’s Tourism Master Plan leverages work completed as part of the 2014 CTR and the 2021-2022 Tourism Timmins Plan to enhance and develop tourism products and experiences, secure sustainable sources of funding and industry partnerships to enhance tourism, and focus on increasing overnight tourist visits. The plan has 43 short, mid, and long-term recommendations. The City’s recent move to bring Timmins Tourism under Timmins Economic Development speaks to the opportunity to leverage tourism opportunities to enhance the community and diversify the economy.
“Work being conducted by Timmins Economic Development to support non-profit and community groups, and to attract film, television, and commercial production to Timmins, supports tourism as an economic driver,” says Noella Rinaldo, Director of Community Development. “It makes sense to bring Timmins Tourism under the Timmins Economic Development portfolio. We will be able to add resources to assist with enhancing sports tourism opportunities, developing and implementing marketing strategies to promote Timmins and the broader region, and explore new tourism products.”
The Tourism Master Plan identifies market demand for food and agri-tourism, Francophone tourism, 2SLGBTQI+ tourism, and Indigenous experiences and tourism, with a recommendation to consider using the municipal portion of the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) to fund or co-fund new tourism products. This is partnered with a deeper analysis of and strategy to use MAT funds for long-term tourism development.
“Demand for travel and tourism experiences is on the rise, particularly domestic travel that is now driven by the current political climate,” adds Rinaldo. “Canadians want to travel within Canada and are looking to support Canadian companies and tourism operators. Timmins is a vibrant city that is celebrated for its scenic location and outdoor activities. Our Tourism Master Plan can help us stay competitive and make Timmins a sought-after destination.
For more on the City’s Culture Master Plan, visit: https://www.timmins.ca/our_services/culture_and_heritage
For more on Tourism Timmins, visit: https://tourismtimmins.com/
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