Changes this year to 'Welcome to Timmins Night' will allow it to happen in-person
Organizers of the annual 'Welcome to Timmins Night' have found a way to host the event in-person this year. For 26 years, it was held in the McIntyre Curling Club and last year it was a virtual experience due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the Porcupine Health Unit's approval, the Welcome to Timmins Night committee said its event will take place earlier than usual and in the open air in downtown Timmins.
“There’ll be hand sanitizer everywhere and it’s up to people at some point to also observe their own physical safety and physical distancing, but we will have markers out to help people be safe," said Cindy Campbell, executive director for Downtown Timmins.
The information session will showcase approximately 40 booths representing a wide range of organizations and services. It's scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 18, from 6-8 p.m.
Kirkland Lake Gold, a mining company, is pitching in for prizes.
“A lot of our employees live in Timmins and it’s important that we support initiatives in the communities where our people live and work," said Stephanie LaBelle, communications manager for Kirkland Lake Gold.
Organizers are inviting all new and long-time residents to attend the free session. Timmins Transit and Timmins police are just a couple of the groups that will be represented.
"So if they have any questions regarding their safety or what they can do or what they cannot do in the community, they can have a chat with them," said Shashanka Rangi, the coordinator of the Timmins Local Immigration Partnership with the Timmins and District Multicultural Centre.
"And post-secondary students and school boards will be here, too, so for families who move to Timmins, if they have any questions regarding enrolling their kids in the schools, they can have a chat about it, too."
Those who work with people who've immigrated to Timmins said in the past 18 months, dozens of new families from outside the country have made Timmins home.
“We have 90 people that currently have gone through the (Rural Northern Immigration Program), so that’s 90 people that have moved here and with their families, so that doesn’t include the numbers of the family (members)," said Noella Rinaldo, director of community economic development with the Timmins Economic Development Corporation.
A recent survey conducted by the Timmins and District Multicultural Centre found newcomers are feeling safe living in the city and overall said Timmins is a welcoming community.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.