Could Shania be coming back to Timmins to help celebrate Canada's 150th birthday?
Several sources both within the Timmins business community and close to City of Timmins administration have told Timminstoday that the city has made an offer to Shania Twain’s management to perform in Timmins in 2017 as part of the Canada 150 celebrations.
Some of the sources say that the offer has been transmitted to Shania Twain and is now in the hands of her managers.
However, Timmins Mayor Steve Black said the rumours are premature.
“Shania nor any other band has been confirmed or booked by City of Timmins at this time for Canada Day 2017,” said Mayor Steve Black when asked by Timminstoday.com
“We are meeting (this) week to discuss options and what we will be doing,“ added Mayor Black.
If the word on the street proves to be true it would mark the first concert in Timmins by Shania Twain since her homecoming show in July, 1999.
The musician also returned to Timmins in December, 2010 to be part of the Olympic Torch relay on its way to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games.
The city honoured the singer, who was born in Windsor but raised in Timmins, with a centre bearing her name and featuring many of the clothes she wore during concert performances. However, the money-losing Shania Twain Centre was purchased by Goldcorp and in December 2014 it was demolished to make way for its Hollinger Open Pit operation.
Earlier this summer Vicky D’Amours Bakery and the Coffee Warehouse on Third Avenue opened a patio containing a monument to Shania Twain erected in 1996 and hailing her as an ambassador for the city of Timmins.
The monument was located on lands purchased by Mark Soucie, the owner of Vicky D’Amours Bakery and the Coffee Warehouse from the CIBC who several years earlier blocked access to the monument to the public to deter illegal drinking and drug injection at the site.
The opening of the patio and the access to the Shania Twain monument has been hailed by customers of Vicky D’Amours Bakery and the Coffee Warehouse as good for the city of Timmins according to owner Mark Soucie.
