Newmont Porcupine opens spectacular lookout point of mining pit and city to public
Mining giant, Newmont Porcupine in Timmins is finished phase one of a land use plan-a partnership agreement it has with the city. It's a spectacular lookout area where people can watch mining activity happening in the Hollinger open pit mine and see many familiar areas of the city's landscape.
The three-hundred and sixty degree unobstructed view of the mining operation and the city became open to the public as of Friday afternoon.
“We’re expecting people to come up here, have their lunch; watch the operation. There’s plenty of seating. We’ve had requests for wedding pictures. We’ve had requests for weddings up here," said Bryan Neeley, sustainability and external relations manager for Newmont Porcupine.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind when visiting the landmark. There are only eleven parking spots at the top of the berm, including one accessible planking place, but there is another location at the bottom of the berm.
The viewing area is only open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and security guards will ask people to leave during blasting times. It will shut down for the winter season on October 1st.
“Security will be coming depending on the blast: either the 11:30 to 12:00 or 3:30 to 4:00 blast windows," said Neeley. "They will start about 45 minutes ahead of time and start removing people, get them to the bottom of the hill."
Once the all-clear is given, people can resume their site-seeing.
“To tell you the truth this is a phenomenon for Timmins," said Helga Kroll, chairperson of the Hollinger Project Community Advisory Committee. "It’s something that Timmins has never seen before. It’s going to be a legacy for years to come for the kids that are growing up and their kids and their kids."
Melody Bruneau of Timmins was able to wave at her husband on Saturday who was on the job for Newmont Porcupine.
“I’m watching my husband down in the pit getting loaded right now. So it’s pretty cool. I’m really excited," she said.
Another woman, Dellanie Robitaille, who recently moved to Timmins from Sudbury said it's great to see a mine she's learned about at Cambrian College during her mining engineering technology program.
“We’ve been just looking at it in freeze frames for the last little while and now it’s all come to life and I can name and point out all the stuff I remember," she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.