Timmins was founded in 1912; the community was a "by-product" of the Porcupine Gold Rush. Situated 680 km north of Toronto, the camp attracted men and women eager to find their fortune and carve a name for themselves in "New Ontario". Starting in 1907, the area became home to dozens of prospectors who explored the areas around Porcupine Lake and the Frederick House River.
It was not until the discovery of the Dome Mine in 1909, by Jack Wilson, a member of the Harry Preston crew, that the area became known as an important gold camp.
Benny Hollinger and his partner Alex Gillies were not far behind the Wilson party; they were to discover the Hollinger Gold Mine.
"Alec Gillies and Benny Hollinger after they staked the nucleus of the great Hollinger Mine."
Discovered by Alexander Olifant (alias Sandy McIntyre), the McIntyre Mines completed the string of important gold discoveries in the Camp.
Many other gold mines would open up in the area around the Porcupine Camp in the next 60 years; however, no other gold mines discovered to date have ever equaled the importance of the first mines in the Timmins area called the "Big Three".
Most of the people who came to the Porcupine area settled around Porcupine Lake; Placer Dome Mine is situated one mile from the lake. Four miles down the road, around the McIntyre Mine, the hamlet of Schumacher (named after Frederick Schumacher, druggist and supplier of "miracle medicines" in a "dry" camp) grew. A mile from that site, the town of Timmins, which was in fact the company homes for employees of the Hollinger Mines, came to be. This entire area would form the core of the present City of Timmins, Canada?s largest city in size (3,185 km2).
"Noah Timmins joined the party in the first camp on the Hollinger; 1909. From the left: Mr. Reid, Jim Labine, unknown, Alex Gillies, Noah Timmins and R. G. Campbell." (This is Shania's Tour Bus from her UP! concert tour. You can enjoy this bus on display outside the Shania Twain Centre.)
The arrival of the rail system in 1911 accelerated the growth of the Camp; until then, the trek to the Porcupine was done by canoe and by foot from Haileybury. That same year, (two days after the first train arrived in the Porcupine), the entire Camp was destroyed in the fire of 1911. Because of the importance of the gold discoveries, very few people abandoned the camp and the area was rebuilt in two months.
(The picture below is of Shania's high school.)
The twenties and thirties were prosperous years; the Great Depression did not adversely affect the economy of the area. Jobs were available from any of the mines 
and lumbering facilities. Farming also offered opportunities for the residents of the area. A third important event in the history of the camp was the decline of the gold mines in the fifties; until then, the community had been sheltered from the Great Depression and its effects on the economy. The discovery of base metals in the area in the sixties resurrected a dying industry; today, the city continues to prosper because of numerous additional gold deposits and these important zinc, copper, nickel, and silver finds. Secondary industries such as lumbering, government $amp; business services and most recently, tourism have also helped to maintain this growth.
In the nineties the City of Timmins has become a regional service and distribution centre for Northeastern Ontario. In addition to our natural resource based business, new areas of manufacturing, high technology and a labour intensive service industry have emerged. Based on our vast wealth of natural resources, our region enjoys a strong and diversified industrial sector, using the latest technological advances to compete on the world market. Our key industries include: mining and smelting, forestry and manufacturing value-added wood products, metal fabrication, service industries, and tourism.
This I believe is the shield of Timmins,Ontario,Canada. 
"The City with the heart of gold"