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See inside buildings you've always wondered about during 'Digital Doors Open Timmins-Porcupine'

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TIMMINS -

Every year, the Ontario Heritage Trust works with communities throughout the province to open up unique and fascinating cultural sites so that the public can explore and learn about the history behind closed doors. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year the Timmins Museum and the Municipal Heritage Committee is working with the group to present 'Digital Doors Open Timmins-Porcupine.'

Museum curator, Karen Bachmann said people are naturally curious and they walk by buildings every day questioning what goes on inside them. 

"So I think this gives you a great opportunity to go and have a snoop."

Bachmann said it's a concept that began in France in the eighties and the province picked it up in 2000.

Each year, different locations are selected and she said, all of them can be viewed online via the Doors Open Ontario website.

There are currently fifteen locations in the Timmins area featured on it. 

“There’s a fantastic video on the McIntyre Arena that takes you through the arena plus through all the rat holes and all of the secret areas of the McIntyre that you wouldn’t be able to see. The Croatian Hall is part of it this year; the Greek Orthodox Church is part of it."

And, if there is a building or landmark you want to know more about, but it no longer exists, the Timmins Public Library might be able to help you find information about it.

"I have a microfilm reader that’s set up right now showing one of the old newspapers which is the Porcupine Advance. It goes back to 1912 and covers up to 1950. It is also also all digitized online so you can access it anywhere from around the world," said Karina Douglas-Takayesu, a reference librarian. 

More than a dozen other municipalities are also included on the 'Doors Open Ontario' website including North Bay, Thunder Bay and Barrie.

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