The Shania Twain Centre was a city-owned tourist attraction that operated in Timmins, Ontario from 2001 to 2013. It exhibited memorabilia, awards and other personal items loaned to the Centre by singer Shania Twain, who was raised in Timmins.
History
The Shania Twain Centre was opened on June 30, 2001. On November 2, 2004, Twain visited the Centre and officially declared it open before an audience of hundreds of fans from around the world, some of whom had queued for up to 20 hours for the opportunity of an autograph and greeting with Twain.
From 2003 to 2012, fans of Shania Twain traveled to Timmins for the International Shania Twain Fan Convention. 32 fans attended the inaugural fan convention in 2003. Attendance peaked at approximately 100 for the four-day event in 2005. At subsequent conventions held each August:
2004: Two large gifts from Twain to the Centre were unveiled: the stage from her "Up" tour and her tour bus. Twain band members Cory Churko and JD Blair attended the convention.
2005: 100 fans attended the third convention. Drummer JD Blair and guitarist Randall Waller participated.
2006: Drummer JD Blair and fiddler Allison Cornell attended.
2007: 50 fans attended. Events included a karaoke night, a country party, a mini-golf tournament and Go-cart races. Drummer JD Blair and guitarist Randall Waller sent messages.
2008-2012: conventions were held annually. Visitors at the 2011 convention included fans from the U.K., Denmark, and the U.S.
Annual attendance for the Centre was originally projected at 50,000 but never reached above 15,000. Annual subsidies to the center cost the city of Timmins $7 per resident, or $33.72 per centre visitor. A 2011 financial study suggested that the city council faced either closing the centre or spending $233,000 per year subsidizing its operations.
Closing
In May 2012, Shania Twain's management company had the singer's items repatriated to Las Vegas, removing most of the Centre's exhibits. In January 2013, Timmins city officials announced plans to sell the Centre building due to declining attendance. The land and building were sold to Goldcorp for $5 million, half the building's $10 million construction cost, as part of Goldcorp's plan to create an open-pitgold mine on the site. The Centre officially closed on February 1, 2013. Officials stated that items remaining after the centre's closure would be displayed at the city's airport and library. The building was demolished on December 3, 2014.
