July 2, 2002-Canada Day at the Shania Centre! On July 1 Timmins residents gathered at the Shania Twain Centre to celebrate Canada Day. This is from an article posted at the Timmins Daily Press website: "Canada Day a real blast in Timmins.
It was a grand celebration of Canada's 135th birthday, with fun, food and games for all who visited the Shania Twain Centre on Monday. 
MP Reg Belair (Liberal — Timmins-James Bay) and Timmins Mayor Jamie Lim were on hand to cut the ceremonial cake and address the crowd. Belair said Canada Day is the highlight of the year, encouraging Canadians to celebrate their unity. 
"We all celebrate our freedom — Native, French and English," he said. "As a country, we celebrate our cultural mosaic and multiculturalism." The day was also a great occasion to visit the Shania Centre and the Underground Gold Mine: "The crowds visiting the many activities and concessions at the Gold Mine Tour also found shelter in the Shania Twain Centre. Will Saari, tourism and attractions manager for the city, was pleased with the turnout. "We typically get between 2,000-3,000 people out for these events and today were were over 2,000," he said. 
"It was a very good response to Canada Day, in spite of the sweltering heat." Click HERE to read the full article! 
You can also download a special "Happy Canada Day" Wallpaper prepared by Super Shania Fan and Wallpaper creator Cbspock! Click on the image below!

June 30, 2002-Shania Centre's First Anniversary! On June 30 the Shania Twain Centre will be celebrating its first anniversary, the Shania Twain North American Online Fan Club has sent in a letter to Thank the Centre and the City of Timmins for their great commitment and for making Shania fans very happy! 
Please join me in congratulating the Shania Centre on the occasion of their first anniversary! 
Here's the Letter sent to the Centre: 
"One year has gone by since the opening day of the Shania Twain Centre on June 30, 2001, but the wonderful memories that many Shania fans have from that occasion are still vivid. Members of the Shania Twain North American Online Fan Club (STNAOFC) came from all over North America, and beyond, to attend the opening ceremony of the Shania Twain Centre. We came knowing the lady in question was not able to attend, but wanting to celebrate this fine commemoration of her life and achievements with her hometown. That day offered all of us the perfect occasion to share our affection for a person whose songs mean so much to many individuals. 

The Shania Centre has accomplished what many fans were dreaming of, and in our small way we have tried to express how truly important this accomplishment is. The Centre's memorabilia and exhibits communicate the values and successes of Shania's life and career: the perfect representation of "Timmins' singing sweetheart." The STNAOFC's Shania Star Certificate and the Fans' Scrapbook have been a way to thank Shania for her wonderful music and profound inspiration to many. The Fundraiser for Timmins Hospital has allowed us to thank the city of Timmins and all its residents for simply being such extraordinary people. 

The members of the STNAOFC came to Timmins to celebrate Shania and enjoy the Centre. But we found so much more. First of all, we found each other. We had been chatting on the internet for a couple of years and now for the first time some of us had the chance to meet in person. More importantly, we discovered that the slogan "The City with the Heart of Gold" was more than just a slogan. We were absolutely overwhelmed by the heartwarming hospitality of everyone with whom we came in contact during our stay. It began with the Mayor, it carried on through Mr. Will Saari, Mr. Dave McLaughlin and Ms. Corinna Wrona, as well as numerous other people who came over to greet us (the Senator hotel staff for instance). The hospitality of the people of Timmins did not stop there. It was manifest in ordinary people who had nothing to gain and, in any case, did not know who we were. 

The celebration of the first anniversary of the Shania Twain Centre is another opportunity for us to thank the city of Timmins, and the Shania Centre, for the great hospitality towards Shania fans. It is time for us to give back to the city of Timmins and to the Shania Centre. As a way to honor the first anniversary commemoration, the North American Online Fan Club has organized several projects to join in the celebrations: 1)a special "First Anniversary" computer wallpaper has been posted to be downloaded at http://www.shaniafans.com/stcentre.htm; 2) a draw among Fan Club members for Shania Centre's souvenirs; 3) a computer screensaver, to be downloaded at http://www.shaniafans.com/Screens/Timmins.exe, to commemorate Timmins, the Shania Centre and many of the attractions we have visited, and to bring back the great memories of our 2001 trip, as a means to spread the word on the internet about the beauties of Timmins and the generosity of its wonderful citizens; 4) a special "Congratulations" thread on our messageboard to let the fans express their fondness towards Timmins and the Centre. 

As a result of our visit, the members of our club feel an even stronger tie of affection with your city than we did before. We all agreed that we will be back to Timmins (and some of us will already be in town for FanFest this year), to celebrate Shania, the city and to get together with the friends we have made there. Thank you again for everything, you made many Shania Fans incredibly happy. 

HAPPY FIRST ANNIVERSARY SHANIA TWAIN CENTRE! 

With the Warmest Regards, 
Members, 
Shania Twain North American Online Fan Club" 
Here below are the flowers sent in by the STNAOFC as a way to Thank all the people in Timmins who work to make the Shania Centre a grea place for Shania fans! Thank YOU TIMMINS!

Photo Taken from the Shania Twain Centre website!

June 13, 2002-New Article on Shania's Possible Visit to Timmins. On June 11, 2002 the Timmins Daily Press website posted an article on the possibility of Shania visiting Timmins by the end of the year. The article highlighted what Mayor Mrs. Lim and the director of tourism in Timmins Jack Watson said regarding invitations made to Shania to visit the Centre: ""Hopefully arrangements can be finalized for this year but if not then, in the summer of 2003," Watson said. "If she were to come to Timmins for a weekend visit, we could expect 3,000 to 5,000 extra visitors to the centre and quite possibly more because of the fan interest in her. 
"People want to see her make a big comeback." You can read the full article HERE! 
This new article followed a clarification from the city of Timmins regarding the previous article published in the Timmins Times. Mr. Will Saari's comments on the date of a possible Shania visit to Timmins has been misquoted: "In the article, Tourism and Attractions Manager, Mr. Will Saari is misquoted as saying that a visit by the internatinal superstar is expected sometime in the fall of 2002. This is not the case. 
Mr. Saari's comments relate to information from Mercury Records in Nashville that a new Shania Twain release is expected sometime in the fall. The staff of the Shania Twain Centre feel that it is reasonable to expect that scheduling of any promotional events would be developed after that date, therefore it would be at least fall before a possible visit could be confirmed." You can read the full clarification HERE!

June 9, 2002-Shania to Visit Centre in the Fall? According to an article published in the Timmins Times yesterday titled "SHANIA TWAIN EXPECTED TO VISIT TIMMINS THIS FALL (By MAGGIE RIOPELLE),"  Shania Twain could be visiting the Shania Twain Centre this Fall. The Director of the Centre, Mr. Will Saari was interviewed by the newspaper and commented on the possible visit: "We are still confident that she will visit the centre and make a public appearance," he explained. "Last year with starting a new family and recording, she was unable to visit the centre. But we have been in contact with her management and we have been told that early this fall will be the release date of her record. Then she will have her promotional schedule set and we expect that she will be able to visit the centre around that time." Of course it will all depend on timing, whether Shania will be able to stop in Timmins during the tour and if there is enough time to prepare for the event, he added." You can read the full article HERE and view a larger version of the photo posted here to the left that was taken from the Timmins Times website! (Thanks Teri, Tower, Debbie, Paul, and Cbspock from the STNAOFC Messageboard!) 

June 9, 2002-More Info on New Exhibits at Shania Centre! The official website of the city of Timmins has just posted an update on the Timmins Gold Mine expansion and the new exhibits at the Shania Twain Centre: ""This year, we are already seeing our numbers increase for visitors opting for the package tour with the Shania Twain Centre and the GMT." 
As for the Shania Twain Centre, the exhibits have been enhanced and more of Shania's memorabilia is now on display. "We have some of her handwritten lyrics, fans really like to look at it so they can see what the original words were," he added. "We also have some new outfits, with one exhibit case that centres around the more high end evening gowns." 
As well, the lobby of the centre has a number of musical instruments as well as a few outfits of which fans can take photographs. "We have not allowed cameras in the exhibit area because of copyright," he explained. "But, we have a lot of fans who want to take photographs next to the exhibits, so we have taken a few exhibits out into the lobby." 
Also new to the exhibit is the electronic guest book in the lobby, which allows visitors to write their comments about the centre. Feedback is an ideal way to not only keep track of where the visitors are travelling from, but also what improvements can be made to the exhibits. 
Visitors signing the guest book also have the option of sending an online Shania Twain Centre postcard to as many friends as they would like. The postcards, along with other new Shania products, are also available at the gift shop." Click HERE to read the full article and view pictures! (Thanks Cbspock, from the STNAOFC Messageboard!) 

June 2, 2002-Download the Screensaver and the Wallpaper! The North American Online Fan Club has decided to join in the celebrations planned at the Shania Centre for its first anniversary on June 30, 2002. To prepare Shania fans to remember the first anniversary of the Shania Twain Centre's opening, the Fan Club has prepared a "First Anniversary" wallpaper and a screensaver for all Shania fans to download: it is a way to thank the city of Timmins and the Shania Twain Centre for making Shania fans very happy! The screensaver will show you images of Shania in Timmins, of other attractions in the city with a Heart of Gold, of memories and photos taken by members of the North American Online Fan Club who have been to Timmins and visited the Shania Centre. Click on the links below to download them!

Click on the image above to download the screensaver and save it on your computer. Double click on the file to install it and follow the simple instructions from there.

800X600 1024X768 To download the "First Anniversary" wallpaper, click on the corresponding resolution for your computer screen, then double-click on your mouse and choose the option: "Set as Wallpaper."

May 15, 2002-Shania Centre Exhibits UPDATE and New HOURS! The Shania Twain Centre will have a newly organised exhibit of Shania memorabilia by the end of May 2002! Many more Shania items will now be on display, they have totally re-done the hall of inspiration as well as the musical intrument area. Some work is also being done in the backstage area. Here below is a short description of some of the many innovative changes made:
"The musical instrument area: the only thing that remains is the wall piano, since it is built right in, and the kids especially seem to enjoy it. The large pipe organ is now out in the front foyer. 

The Foyer: they have three new costume cases as "teaser" exhibits, as well as the organ as mentioned and a video kiosk that highlights the video shot during Shania's homecoming in 1996 and the outfit she wore then. We are also working on an "electronic" guest book to replace the paper version. It will sit on a large design table that Shania autographed. This kiosk will also eventually allow people to send an "electronic postcard" to a home or friends e-mail address and will consist of an e-mail message with a graphic attachment of the building with "Greetings from the Shania Twain Centre" printed on it. People could then print it, save it as a desktop background, or whatever. We are working on some technical issues for the programming on this one. 

The Hall of Inspiration: they are carrying on the three themes of Fans, City of Timmins and "Early Career," but with expanded exhibits including more costumes from the early days at Deerhurst. They have converted the two guitar kiosks into personal viewing stations that show DVD and Video clips of varous performances, for those that just can't get enough. There is a new costume case installed on the back wall that is identical to the one we already had in place. There are four costumes installed from the videos along with some background designs and props. The original costume case is being re-done to highlight some of the other outfits as well as some of the more obscure stuff that the "general" sort of fan may not have seen.
The wedding dress is being moved to it's own stand alone case. Overall, we will be highlighting an additional 15 - 18 outfits than we had before. 

The Backstage Area: it is also being re-done to a new level. 

The Theater Presentation: it will also be re-formatted at some point, but probabley not until the new release is out so that we can incorporate some of that material. It is very expensive to have the production redone, so we will have to see where that takes us." A HUGE Thanks to Mr. Will Saari and Karen  Bach for a job well-done!

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW HOURS OF OPERATION FOR SUMMER 2002!

-The Timmins Underground Gold Mine Tour will be opening for the 2002 season on Wednesday May 15th.

Spring Season
May 15 – June 30
Gold Mine Tour
Open Wednesday to Sunday,
Tours at 10:30 A.M. and 1:30 P.M.

-The Shania Twain Centre will also be open from Wednesday to Sunday from 
10:00 A.M. to 5 P.M.

Both facilities are closed Monday and Tuesday. 

Visitors are reminded to be on-site approximately 15 minutes before tour time

Gold Mine Tour open 7 days a week
Tours at 9:30 A.M., 10:30 A.M., 12 Noon, 1:30 P.M. and 3:00 P.M.

Shania Twain Centre open 7 days a week
9 A.M. – 6 P.M.

May 10, 2002-Timmins FanFest-Buy Your Ticket! You can now buy your ticket for Timmins FanFest 2002! You have many options, and you can win tickets to other concerts too! For all information on how to buy your tickets in Timmins as well as the current program, go HERE! If you want to buy your tickets online at TicketMaster Canada, click HERE! See you all there!:) Thanks Will Saari!

May 8, 2002-Timmins FanFest Lineup! The Timmins Daily Press website has published an article with details on who is going to perform in  Timmins for FanFest this year: "Organizers (pictured here to the left, from left: Will Saari, tourism and attractions coordinator; Jack Watson, event general manager; Kenn Sullivan, Molson's representative (major sponsor of event, and, in front, Frank Roch, event co-ordinator) unveiled the all-Canadian line-up for Timmins FanFest 2002 — 100 per cent Canadian, at the Shania Twain Centre on Tuesday. 
FanFest, recently named one of the top 50 festivals in Ontario, drawing more than 5,000 people last year, is slated for July 13 at Hollinger Park. Jann Arden will headline the event. Other all-Canadian performers are Blue Rodeo, The Wilkinsons, Jason McCoy, Natalie McMaster, The Ennis Sisters,The Good Brothers, The Searsons, and a francophone act to be named at a later date." In addition all ticket buyers will have a chance to win tickets to opther concerts this summer: "Organizers are holding a series of draws for ticket buyers.
From May 7 to 31 the draw is for two round-trip tickets to Toronto, two nights accommodations at Travelodge and two tickets to a Tim McGraw concert, courtesy of Molson's, Travelodge Timmins and Air Canada Jazz.
From June 1 to 30 the draw is for two tickets to the Walkerton Watershed Festival with acts such as Barenaked Ladies, Brooks & Dunn, Paul Brandt and Carolyn Dawn Johnson, compliments of Next Presentations Canada, co-presenter of the event with the City of Timmins.
July 1 to 7 will see one ticket holder win two tickets to the Kapuskasing Lumberjack Festival, courtesy of same." 
Stay tuned for info on where to buy your FanFest tickets! 

April 24, 2002-Your Favorite Shania's Outfit? The Shania Twain Centre in Timmins is currently re-organizing and expanding the exhibits at the Centre. New outfits and Shania photos will be on display soon! The Centre's director for the exhibition has asked the help of all Shania fans in finding which outfit worn by Shania is your favorite one. Please let the Centre know which costume among the many Shania outfits is your all time favorite. Go HERE to give your opinion! Thanks KarenBT!

March 21, 2002-Shania Rocks the North Sea! The Timmins Daily Press website has published a letter from a Shania fan who is a radio officer on the MODU Britannia in England: it seems that Shania's music is entertaining Shania fans all over the planet! Shania fan Tom Waller works on a Mobile offshore drilling unit, the Global Santa Fe Britannia, and plays the new Shania DVDs aboard: "Since we got the "TV Specials" and the "Platinum Collection" DVDs featuring Shania Twain, they have been played non stop, for over a week now — so much for the image of the big tough "roughneck" oil men...It would appear that Shania's magic, and the promotion of the City of Timmins reaches even to the North Sea oilfields..." Shania's music has no boundaries, the Shania Centre proves it! Click HERE to read the full letter at the Timmins Daily Press website! 

February 3, 2002-Snowmobilers to Shania Centre! According to an article posted at  the Timmins Daily Press website, 50 snowmobilers from Pennsylvania have pulled up to the Shania Twain Centre (see photo from the newspaper site here below), Friday, to visit it and the Timmins Gold Mine Tour. Despite the cold weather, they stated that "We don't want any part of buses — we like to snowmobile to what we see," like the Shania Twain Centre, the Timmins Gold Mine tour and Cedar Meadows, where they took the horse-drawn sleigh ride, getting up close and personal with moose, bison, musk ox and other animals large and small." Sled access in Timmins, he said, "is good — you can get in and out easily."" Visiting the Shania Twain Centre in the snow environment has a very special effect! :) Click HERE to read the full article!

January 29, 2002-A Jersey Dress for Shania! The official website of the Shania Twain Centre in Timmins has posted a picture of the Dallas Cowboys Jersey dress donated to Shania as a Thank You for her Dallas Show in 1999! Can you recognize the tshirt? That is indeed the same number 8 tshirt that Shania was wearing during the TV Special from Dallas...Click HERE to see where the photo has been posted at the Shania Centre! 
 
 

January 29, 2002-Timmins Native Defends Shania Centre! K. Wilson from Ottawa, but originally from Timmins, Ontario, has written an open letter to the Timmins Daily Press to support and defend the Shania Twain Centre and its touristic value from recent attacks of some Timmins residents. The letter, published on January 25 in the newspaper, states what many visitors of the Shania Twain Centre have already been saying for a long time: "It is this kind of pessimistic thinking that will continue to undermine the positive promotion of this great city to the rest of Canada and the world. ...I believe the people who have made considerable sacrifices to see these projects come to light, deserve more appreciation for their efforts than mumblings about snow and garbage removal. Tourist attractions need time to grow and attract visitors. Wherever I travel, the people I meet instantly associate Timmins with Shania Twain and they are very interested to learn more about the city in which she was raised. I think the Shania Twain Centre is an excellent vehicle for raising the profile of our city..." Very well said K. Wilson! :) Click HERE to read the full article!

January 17, 2002-Shania Twain Centre In the Snow! The official website of the Shania Twain Centre in Timmins has just posted new photos of the Centre in the typical snow environment of the city! You can also see a better photo of the holiday decorations at the Centre!

December 22, 2001-New Front Page! The Shania Twain Centre official website has just uploaded a new image of the centre as its new front page! You can see it here to the left, to download a larger version, just click on the image! 
 

December 18, 2001-Shania Going to Timmins? According to an article posted today on the Timmins Daily Press website, the mayor of Timmins has hinted that Shania may be visiting her hometown next summer! "Mayor hints Shania visit in the works. Timmins may get a visit from its hometown singing sweetheart, Shania Twain, as early as next summer. Mayor Jamie Lim hinted at the visit during the year-end speech she delivered at Monday night's regular council meeting. "We are already planning for next year's summer FanFest and just maybe a visit from our brightest international ambassador, Shania Twain," Lim said. Twain has been out of the limelight this year during her pregnancy and after the birth of her first child in August. Even the opening of the Shania Twain Centre in Timmins this summer failed to draw the country singer into the public. The mayor touched on a number of other issues which impacted Timmins in 2001 during her annual speech." That would be great news for the Shania Centre and for all the fans, however a statement given to the STNAOFC by Mr. Will Saari, the Centre director, confirms that at the moment there is no certainty that Shania will be in Timmins next summer: "Yes, we are working (and hoping) for a visit by Shania in 2002, but nothing confirmed yet. The invite is there, but a summer promotional schedule has not been set yet, to our knowledge."Click HERE to read the full article! 

December 13, 2001-Shania Centre Lights UP! The Shania Twain Centre in Timmins has now lit up! In the hall of the building, as you can see in the image here to the left, there are Christmas trees and special events with school choirs singing! "The Shania Twain Centre turned on 15,000 Christmas bulbs, both inside and out, in a celebration of the season Thursday evening. "It's the idea of bringing everybody together and encouraging people to come up and see the lights," said Will Saari, tourism and attractions manager for the City of Timmins. The centre was planning to light up 20,000 Christmas bulbs, but the wind storm Thursday knocked down two 15-foot Christmas trees from the top of the centre. Those trees are expected to be lit today. Once the lights were on Thursday, the Bertha Shaw Public School Choir took over the entertainment scene and held a mini concert for a part of the evening. Other performances by local schools will be held in the next two weeks." Click HERE to read the full article and photos posted at the Shania Twain Centre official website! 

December 8, 2001-Shania Centre Gets Ready for Xmas! The Shania Twain Centre in Timmins has lit up for Christmas: "Shania Twain Centre lights up the season with gigantic display of lights. A part of the city has been lit up with 15,000 Christmas lights. The Shania Twain Centre turned on 15,000 Christmas bulbs, both inside and out, in a celebration of the season Thursday evening. "It's the idea of bringing everybody together and encouraging people to come up and see the lights," said Will Saari, tourism and attractions manager for the City of Timmins. The centre was planning to light up 20,000 Christmas bulbs, but the wind storm Thursday knocked down two 15-foot Christmas trees from the top of the centre. Those trees are expected to be lit today." Click HERE for the full article from the Timmins Daily Press website! The Shania Twain Centre website has also added the Centre merchandise section: now open to all Shania fans who would like to have that special Shania Centre gift in time for Christmas! Here to the left you see some of the Shania Centre items you can buy online! Hurry up, Christmas is around the corner! Click HERE to check out the Shania Centre Online Store! 

December 1, 2001-Festivities at the Shania Centre! School choirs to perform at Shania centre! "Harmonies and melodies will be coming from the Shania Twain Centre this holiday season. But they won't be coming from the world renown songstress. Local school choirs will perform on an elevated stage in the lobby of the centre which has been decorated with thousands of Christmas lights. More than 20,000 bulbs will be lighting up the centre, both inside and out, this Christmas." Click HERE to read the full article at the Timmins Daily Press website! Here below is the new intro image to the Shania Twain Centre main webpage to celebrate the festivities! The red gala gown was worn was Shania during her 1995 Macy's Thanksgiving Parade! Thank you Shania Twain Centre! 

November 22, 2001-STNAOFC Check Ceremony at Shania Centre!On Thursday November 22, at 10.30 am at the Shania Twain Centre, the Timmins Hospital held a special Check Presentation ceremony to thank the Shania Twain North American Online Fan Club for the Baby Lange Donation in the amount of CAN $1,100 this past September. Two Timmins members of the Fan Club represented all the Shania Fans who have contributed to this fundraiser to help the Paediatric Department of the Timmins Hospital. In the photo here below, you can see Mr. Will Saari (first one on the left) and Ms. Faye Naveau with her daughter (on the left) representing the Fan Club at the Check Ceremony with Mr. Robert Perrault, Timmins Hospital Foundation Chairperson. The Fan Club also made the 6 pm News that same day on the MCTV channel! Thanks Corinna! Click HERE to read the Media Press release! Thanks YOU Shania Fans and Timmins!

November 11, 2001-Shania Centre in the News! In addition to the mention of the Shania Centre in Timmins in this week issue of CountrWeekly (see news above), the Shania Centre is also getting recognized in Canada! Read here below the press release from Will Saari:
"Shania Twain Centre Garners Provincial Recognition!
An article entitled "Dream Gardens and Starlit Sky's – Ten New Things to Know About Ontario" highlights the recently opened Centre Shania Twain Centre in Timmins, Ontario.
Based on "a top-ten list of the freshest and newest attractions from around the province for every kind of tourist" the article places the Shania Twain Centre as number one on the list.
The article appears in the Fall 2001 edition of The Road Explorer, which is the official publication of the Ontario Motor Coach Association and is received and read, by major travel tour operators and industry officials across Ontario, Upstate New York and other Canadian provinces. Other attractions appearing on the list include Niagara Under Glass, a greenhouse exhibit in Niagara Falls, the Going Ape exhibit at the Toronto Zoo which is the largest indoor gorilla exhibit in North America, 25,000 Years in the Life of Canada at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa-Hull and the Music of Life music garden in Toronto.
The staff and management of the Shania Twain Centre are very excited and pleased with the article and have also recently supplied information and photos for stories on the centre to writers in the U.S., Great Britain and Finland." (Thanks Will!)

November 6, 2001-Construction Costs for Shania Centre. The Timmins Daily Press website discusses the issue of the real costs the city of Timmins had to pay for the construction of the Shania Twain Centre. Specific numbers are not available yet, but there is the prediction that final costs were much higher than expected. "Construction costs still not known for new Shania Centre. More than four months after the opening of the Shania Twain Centre, the City of Timmins has yet to reveal the actual cost of the centre. Two city councillors are starting to fear the worst about the construction costs. Coun. John Curley and Coun. Tom Laughren both expect the $11.5 million Shania Twain Centre and Timmins Gold Mine Tour upgrade to come in over budget. Since the centre opened June 30, councillors have been pushing to find out the financial details of construction. Laughren is frustrated at the amount of time it has taken to gather the finances of the centre...The initial cost of the project was shared by a number government and private sector sources. The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation committed nearly $5 million, the City of Timmins provided $1.5 million and private sector donations and other government sources covered the remainder of the cost of the 990 square metre centre which includes the Miner's Pick store, a small cafe and offices, a temporary exhibit area and the main Shania Twain exhibit area." Click HERE to read the full article! 

October 30, 2001-Shania Centre "On Its Way"! An article posted online at the Timmins Daily Press website states that the Shania Centre is indeed a success: projections for visitors are very good! "The Shania Twain Centre is on track to achieving its projected number of visitors for its first year. Will Saari, tourism and attractions manager for the city, says visitation is meeting initial projections even with a decrease in American and European visitors in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The centre and the Timmins Underground Gold Mine Tour combined have had about 12,000 visitors since the centre opened in the summer. Saari estimates 7-8,000 went through the Shania exhibits. Initial projections called for 30,000 visitors in the first year." Click HERE to read the full article!

October 26, 2001-Shania Twain Centre Fall Hours! Super Shania Fans, if you are planning to go to Timmins this fall here are the latest information from the Site Manager Director, Mr. Will Saari: 
"The Timmins Underground Gold Mine Tour will close for the Winter Season as of Thursday November 1st, 2001. This means that the last opportunity for an Underground Gold Mine Tour in 2001 will be October 31st, at 10:30 A.M. and 1:30 P.M. It has been a successful and exciting season and we look forward to our 2002 opening next May. At that time we will be unveiling a number of new and interesting exhibits including our new vertical lift that will better enable large groups to enjoy or tour.
The Centre Shania Twain Centre will remain open and will also begin Fall/Winter hours of operation as of Thursday November 1st, 2001. As of that date the Centre will be open from:
Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00 A.M. to 6 P.M.
Sunday from 12 Noon to 5:00 P.M.
The Centre will be closed to the public Monday and Tuesday. Group Tours by prior arrangement are available at any time. This change in scheduling reflects visitor traffic patterns and also follows operating hours of similar facilities in Northern Ontario. The Centre Shania Twain Centre will also be offering a number of Special Events on our site over the winter months that may occur outside of normal operating hours. Please watch for further details as we develop these activities and events.
For further information, please contact the Shania Twain Centre / Timmins Gold Mine Tour site at (705) 360-8500." (A HUGE Thanks to Will!)

October 15, 2001-Finland's Ambassador Visits Shania Centre! The Ambassador from Finland to Canada, Ilkka K. Ristamaki, paid a visit to the Shania Twain Centre in Timmins, Ontario this past week. You can see him in the photo to the left taking a pic with the now famous cut-board at the Center: he is not the only Shania fan to have done that! :) Thanks to the website of the Timmins Daily Press for the photo and to Roger!

September 26, 2001-Shania Centre's New Sign! There is a picture today on the Timmins Daily Press website (shown here to the left) of the sign for the Shania Twain Centre. The story reads: "THE NEWLY repainted sign for the Shania Twain Centre, located on Park Road in Timmins, was in place Tuesday. Centre staff, responding to complaints the sign was difficult to read because of the light colouring, brightened it up. Now it is almost impossible for drivers to miss." I am sure Shania fans would never miss that sign! Click on the image to enlarge! 

September 17, 2001-The Shania Bus! The Shania Twain Centre official website has posted information on a special promotion to spread the voice about Timmins and the Shania Twain Centre as tourist locations in Northern Ontario: "In a joint effort to promote Northern Ontario communites and attractions, Timmins, Kapuskasing and Cochrane have cooperated in the development of a bus wrap for an Ontario Northland bus. The bus wrap will help create awareness and provide contact information for the Shania Twain Centre and Gold Mine Tour (Timmins), the Lumberjack Heritage Festival (Kapuskasing) and the Polar Bear Express (Cochrane)." You can see here below the great looking image of Shania on the bus! Click on the images to download a larger format.