I notice the stage is in a different location than at the 2001 Opening. Then it was off to the left side
of the parking lot as you face the Centre. Now the stage is front and center.

The location of the tour bus at right is also interesting. At the 2001 Opening, there was nothing
but big boulders and trees on that hillside. I remember it distinctly, for as I sat there overlooking
the parking lot in a yellow raincoat that day, I penned the following:

R1N20
This [picture below] is the Centre on Opening morning, before the crowd began to grow. It was actually darker
due to the weather, but I brightened the negative scan in my image editor for clarity. You can see the lights
still on at the walls of the Centre.

I’d spent nearly an hour in the early morning, sitting alone on some big rock formations among the pines
to the right of this picture, uphill from the Centre, with a great view, as the place came to life that day.

Initially it was very quiet. The cool, moist, night air of summer in the north woods was interrupted only
occasionally by the voices of the few workers outside the site. As I slowly shed the shackles of normal
human defenses and became slowly attuned, I began to sense other things happening, sort of
in layers of awareness and existence. I wrote a lot about that. But what I’m writing now is
from memory alone.

I noticed the gentle, comforting mist. Birds I’d never noticed before, were singing, chirping and
communicating gently in the background; as if part of a symphony so natural, it just quietly and beautifully
existed. No matter whether you noticed it or not.

And I sensed a presence there, the specific kind I do not know. I thought about the feeling that had caused
people to come there today. Was it in the air around us somehow? I felt a connection between
that feeling, and the feeling that had gone into Shania’s songs, which in turn led to the Centre project
and drew us there to celebrate, share, and grow.

I thought about the explorers, trappers, miners, foresters, service people and families who had
toughed it out and built this community, so far from the comforts of the rest of civilization. What hopes,
pains sacrifice and success had led to this time?

I imagined being the eyes, senses and other awareness for the peoples who inhabited this land
before the white man came. What had they witnessed from the top of this hill through the ages?
What would they think about what was happening now? Somehow, I felt they would be interested
and pleased that one [Shania] so aware and respectful of them would cause a monument to rise on this spot.

And I wondered how this all tied in with the larger scheme of things, to other continents, planets,
galaxies and into the continuum of time.

Some of the Centre staff had been working all night with no sleep in last minute preparations to meet
the deadline for the Opening. Many had only a few hours sleep before they began to trickle back in.
Slowly, visitors and guests also began to appear. Not as many as I expected. But many Timmins residents,
like Joanne, a member here, explained they had to work that day, to provide the various services for Canada Day
weekend, and for the extra people from out of town.

I watched as Will Saari and other leaders moved about, communicating and coordinating activities.
Workers approached them recurrently to give or obtain information. Will spent extra time explaining
diplomaticaly to a pickup driver, why no private vehicles were allowed in the parking lot that day.
I spoke with him and a few of the other leaders during the lulls. He’d been up late for the Gala
the night before, then spent much of the night at the Centre inside trying to get ready in time.
The pace was picking up.




more of this thread about the original Opening can be seen at:

http://www.shania-twain.org/mb/show...15&pagenumber=5

AWESOME!! THE LINE OF CARS WAS TO GREAT!! Glad u all got wristbands, thank u for the continued reports and great pics so far

Well, just to clarify some earlier posts about waiting on line for bracelets. It was very well organized process. The security was well prepared, and the fans were all well behaved and we had a great time!!!!


All of the members from here who camped out with us, are going to be meeting Shania tomorrow.


It is starting to have the same feel that the original STC opening had in 2001.


-Chris

__________________
Shania's Place
Shania: often imitated, never duplicated!!

"...Living, Loving, Laughing and Dreaming....."-Shania Twain

Dax, there is no way Shania is going to be able to miss your cartoons of her. The mug is awesome!!!


-Chris

__________________
Shania's Place
Shania: often imitated, never duplicated!!

"...Living, Loving, Laughing and Dreaming....."-Shania Twain

The Centre also has new merchandise....a new STC hockey jersey: SUPER! white and blue...and more merchandise surprises tomorrow during the day...

__________________
NEW Shania album 'NOW' out September 29, 2017! Pre-Order it HERE !

Tomorrow during the day, Debbie Lemaire will try to take pics and post them as soon as possible throughout the day...so you may be able to see us on the Shania Centre's website immediately after the event.. of course w'll post more photos ourselves after the event had ended..

__________________
NEW Shania album 'NOW' out September 29, 2017! Pre-Order it HERE !

Thanks Alan, for all the nice pictures, posted so promptly.

It's great to see who's there, and recognize so many members.

Surprised to see you all seem to have your wrist bands already. I thought that with the large turnout of locals expected, they'd get most of them and you'd all be out in the cold. Maybe I should have known that Tracy and gang would take better care of you than NBC reps did in Chicago outdoors concert which was recorded on TV.

Man that Doc Bill is either in Aruba or the Colorado Mtns during most of these ST fan events in Timmins in recent years. I have a hard time just matching half his adventures. I did succeed at climbing up to 14,265 feet on a peak 20 miles south of Aspen a couple months ago tho. So I ain't dead yet.

Hope you all have a great time and enjoy a large crowd turnout for the main event(s).

Maybe someday at a Timmins event, we can get the whole gang there including key members like Dax, aFinn/kirppu, Doc Bill, bmac, byrdman, Wing, VivaShania, Debbie, Sheri, Tower, Grace, jen, Joni, Mary R, Shaniawarrior, Twain Crazy, Steve F, and talkalot, among others.

With all these posts chiming in every few seconds for the last 20 minutes, I have a suspicion that lots of coffee is being consumed by people I know, who've travelled afar to Timminsweb.

Bob

This group really knows how to light up a restaurant. Looks like the coziest and liveliest place in town.

bob u forgot me in that list of names e

__________________
Shunyeuh
----------------
SHAZ IS THE QUEEN OF NAMES
I Had A Blast Giving Shania The Flowers And Seeing her Reaction! was the best Feeling Ever! Meeting Her Was Awesome! getting the oprah transcript signed was a blast and having her recognize me was cool!

Here's FV modeling that new Jersey.



Tracy models the STC Staff version, which has the word "staff" on the back of the shirt.

__________________
Alan

Fancon 3 was a blast! Thanks to all who made it so, including all my new Shania friends.

Shania Twain Centre.

Security hands out the wristbands inside the STC.

__________________
Alan

Fancon 3 was a blast! Thanks to all who made it so, including all my new Shania friends.

Shania Twain Centre.

Congrats on the wristbands, you guy's all deserve them. Wish we were there with you's. AWRA BEST. SCOTTY.

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scotty

Congrats to everyone who got a wristband! I'm so happy for you. You all look like you had a great time. Give Shania a hug for me! Get lots of pictures, too! Post back whenever you can. Have a great time tomorrow. I know you will.

__________________
Love
Forever And For Always,
*~Paige~*

Shania's Still The One, Forever And For Always!

I You, Shania!

53 DAYS UNTIL THE FIFTH ANNUAL WORLDWIDE SHANIA TWAIN FAN CONVENTION!!! GET READY TO PARTY HARDY!!!

Shania's got the greatest fans in her corner...Including Tracy, Will, Frank and Ren...Glad to see you guys all wearing wrist bands in time for Shania's home coming tomorrow...Guess you guys are ready for the big event tomorrow... Don't forget to welcome her home now everyone...

Tracy you look great in that Shania Twain Centre Jersey...Is that what you going to wear when Shania arrives??

Benjamin

__________________
In This Awesome Universe of ours, sometimes we only have each other !!!

Congrats to all of you that got the wristbands! It looks like everyone is having so much fun and thanks so much for the pics! I'm getting emotional just seeing you all and reading about what has been going on up there!! I'm sure on Tuesday, this is going to be an awesome experience and priceless moment for all of you and you don't know how much I envy you!!!! Boy, I wish I was there!!! Keep the pics and info coming and just give Shania a great big huge hug for all of us that couldn't make it!!!!!

I you so much, Shania!!!

__________________
Cheryl Kimpel