The Official Tartan of Timmins
The Porcupine Tartan was designed and patented in 1956 by Mrs. Eva O'Connor, a weaver and former resident of Timmins. The tartan represents the Porcupine Gold Mining Camp, with gold as the predominant colour and eight other fabric colours to represent the area's vast natural resources and cultural diversities. The tartan fabric was used throughout the community for scarves, handkerchiefs and neck ties.
60 years after the tartan's creation, Diane Belanger Armstrong, Marnie Ferguson-Lapierre, and Karina Miki Douglas-Takayesu worked to preserve the heritage of the tartan. They found a company in Scotland who could match and reproduce the colours, and a request was made to City Council asking for the adoption of the Porcupine Tartan as an official symbol of the City. Resolution #16-470 was passed unanimously on October 17, 2016.
Residents can still purchase a piece of the tartan fabric off the bolt at the Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre.
Today, the Porcupine Tartan is proudly displayed in Council Chambers at City Hall.