April 2025 - Posts
City Council is committing another $100,000 to support the City’s Safety Improvement Grant, part of the Downtown Community Improvement Plan (CIP). The Safety Improvement Grant helps commercial, industrial, and institutional businesses in Timmins cover the purchase of security measures for the business property.
To date, the City has received 21 CIP grant applications to support building improvements, façade updates, and safety upgrades, exceeding the approved 2025 budget for CIP funding. While the City’s CIP reserves can cover the additional cost, Council is adding $100,000 to the Safety Improvement Grant so that businesses can continue to apply.
The Safety Improvement Grant, which provides a one-time grant opportunity for up to 75% of costs, to a maximum of $7,500, to cover the purchase of security upgrades, is the only CIP stream that has been expanded outside the pre-designated CIP downtown areas. The eligible area was amended by City Council in 2024.
Interested applicants can fill out the Downtown CIP application form, select Safety Improvement Grant, and submit directly to the City’s Community Development Planner by email or in-person at City Hall. It’s important to note that applications are only considered approved once due diligence checks have been completed and a funding agreement with the City is in place. No project should proceed before the funding agreement is confirmed.
For more information and to access the Safety Improvement Grant application, visit: https://www.timmins.ca/doing_business/community_improvement_grants.
Amanda Dyer
Click to download job description
Full-Time Accounts Payable Clerk
How to apply
To apply for this position, applications must be received by the Human Resources Department no later than 4:00 pm on the closing date of April 17, 2025.
APPLY NOW
AnneMarie Fournier
“Potholes are a big problem,” says Scott Tam, Director of Growth and Infrastructure for the City of Timmins. “They show up after a long winter, and the constant freeze-thaw cycle in the north means that in spring, the roads are rough.” That’s why Tam has made a recommendation to City Council to secure funding for road repair to commit $5 million-dollars per year for the next three (3) years to municipal roads.
The money would top-up the $2.5 million already allocated to the annual “shave-and-pave program,” which sees the layer of deteriorated asphalt removed, or shaved off, and replaced with a new layer of asphalt. It’s a cost-effective method to address larger areas of damage. The challenge is keeping up with road conditions.
“The City bases our “shave-and-pave” priorities on feedback from Public Works and a 2024 Roads Needs Study, which ranks roads based on a Pavement Condition Index (PIC),” says Tam. “We have a number of roads that need rehabilitation. Investing over the next three years means we can repair more roads, take advantage of competitive asphalt pricing, and make more accurate budget projections for future planning.”
The increase in funding would be sourced through debt financing, repaid over the next five years, so, while Council is ready to grind the contract out, they still need to approve a subsequent report from the Finance Department for the borrowing of funds.
“Council has continued to make record investments in road improvements,” says Mayor Michelle Boileau. “Sometimes it seems hard to tell when you’re coming out of a long winter and you hit a pothole on Riverside Dr., but Public Works and our Growth and Infrastructure Dept. are working together to prioritize road repairs. This investment makes sense for Timmins’ roads now, and in the future.”
The City’s list of roads included in this year’s “shave-and-pave” program will be available soon at: https://www.timmins.ca/our_services/engineering/capital_works
Amanda Dyer
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/
Amanda Dyer
Volunteers play a crucial role in creating positive change. There is power in being able to recognize local needs, like a gap in sports inclusion or lack of live music and entertainment, and offer support that directly addresses the need and improves the quality of life within the community. The City’s latest Heart of Gold civic award recipients have made a lasting impact on Timmins.
Julia Romauldi - figure skater, public speaker, medal winner, and athlete leader – can add national influencer and inspiration to her long list of accomplishments. Selected to support Tim Horton’s latest Global Day of Inclusion campaign, Julia spoke eloquently about the importance of inclusion and improving opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Now, Julia is being recognized with a Heart of Gold civic award from the City of Timmins for the positive contributions she has made in her own hometown. Her list of accomplishments is long, and highlights her tenacity and passion to mentor and encourage young athletes, support Special Olympics, and advocate on behalf of the Canadian Down Syndrome Society. Julia is the founder and administrator for the local Special Olympics Facebook group in Timmins, which celebrates the accomplishments of our local athletes, while reinforcing the importance of inclusion in sports. She actively fundraises for the Law Enforcement Torch Run, Bell Let’s Talk Day, is a volunteer coach for both the CanSkate Program and Special Olympics Fundamentals Program, and is a board member for Special Olympics Ontario.
Julia’s efforts inspire meaningful social change, promoting equal rights and opportunities. To meet Julia is to understand that when we help break down the systemic barriers that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities face, both the individual and the community thrive.
And then there’s the Timmins Festivals and Events Committee (TFEC). A powerhouse of volunteer drive and determination. One group whose objective was to bring live music back to Timmins on a large scale. Big name rock and pop artists. Chart-topping country stars. Crowds of screaming audience fans in the wash of stage lights and a pounding sound system. Over a decade of rocking the river and Timmins, with a move to a larger outdoor venue to accommodate more people and more music. With “Rock on the River” came “Beerfest” and “Rocktoberfest” and more ways to fundraise for the star headliner, like Timmins’ own Preston Pablo, who will be playing a sold-out show at the McIntyre Community Centre in May.
For local music fans, TFEC reinvented the outdoor concert experience. For music enthusiasts, it meant a trip to Timmins. “Rock on the River” puts heads in beds and boosts local summer tourism, with an economic value of over $500K annually, including the residuals from food, beverage sales, vendors, and more. The event gets Timmins noticed. TFEC supports local retailers, restaurants, and hotels, and there’s no sign of slowing down. The group is working to perfect sustainable live entertainment production, rain or shine.
John Olaveson, Jeremy Wilson, Sean Harris, Norm Dwyer, Sara Bertrand, Sarah Tonelli, Lise Groulx, and Paul Pigeau, thanks for making Timmins rock even more!
Recipients of the Heart of Gold Recognition Program are recognized during a regular meeting of council. Residents are encouraged to nominate someone they know who has made a positive impact on the community or achieved outstanding accomplishment in the following categories:
• Volunteer and Community Service
• Youth Community and Civic Engagement
• Achievement in Sports
• Achievement in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics)
For the nomination form and program eligibility, visit: https://www.timmins.ca/our_services/city_hall/mayor_and_council/heart_of_gold_civic_recognition_program
Amanda Dyer
The City of Timmins Environmental Services Department wishes to advise the public of a traffic disruption for a scheduled Manhole Repair closing following road:
Area:
• Brunette Rd. from Algonquin Blvd. E to James Ave.
• All of James Ave from Lakeshore Rd. to Toke St. and Sixth Ave.
• Lakeshore Rd. from John Ave. to James Ave.
Date & Time of Disruption:
• April 8, 2025, from 8:00am-6:00pm
Environmental Services would like to thank residents for their patience and cooperation during this necessary infrastructure repairs. Road closure within this area might last longer than the estimated date and time of disruption once the repair is completed.
Sara Perron
Click to download job description
Full-Time Deputy Fire Chief
How to apply
To apply for this position, applications must be received by the Human Resources Department no later than 4:00 pm on the closing date of April 28, 2025.
APPLY NOW
AnneMarie Fournier
Click to download job description
Full-Time IT Operations/Analyst Technician
How to apply
To apply for this position, applications must be received by the Human Resources Department no later than 4:00 pm on the closing date of April 17, 2025.
APPLY NOW
AnneMarie Fournier
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