Ojibway and Cree communities were among the early inhabitants of the region. They were drawn to the area's abundant natural resources, and participated in vast trading networks with other First Nations. Europeans arrived in the late 1600s and in the centuries that followed, local French, English and First Nations communities were largely reliant on the fur trade. In the early 1900s, the Ontario government promoted further settlement in the region, and infrastructure – such as the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway – made the area more accessible. In 1909, a substantial gold discovery in the region initiated a gold rush and led to the creation of mines, including Hollinger, Dome and McIntyre. A fire destroyed the mining settlement Porcupine Camp in 1911 and soon after Timmins developed as a "company town" of Noah Timmins's Hollinger Mines. Settlers from diverse backgrounds – including French-Canadian, Finnish, Ukrainian, Italian and Chinese – were drawn to Timmins, making it a vibrant community and an important cultural and economic centre for the region.

Location

In Hollinger Park, on the southeast corner of Algonquin Blvd. East and Brunette Road, Timmins

Themes

• Communities
• Industry and trade