From modern showcase to open pit mine
It was a true rags to riches story. Shania Twain who is now 47, grew up poor in the hard-rock mining town of Timmins in northern Ontario. Her career began by singing in local bars to make a little extra money to make ends meet. However, she eventually had a breakthrough and made it rich in the US and on the world stage.
Attempting to capitalize on her rise from struggling young singer, to international superstar fame, the town of about 44,000 built the centre with the idea it would attract tourists to the area, much like the Graceland, home of Elvis Presley in Tennessee.
Estimates were it would attract up to 50 thousand visitors a year who would contribute to the local economy through hotel stays, restaurant meals and other local purchases.
The estimated cost to build the modern centre, site development, and upgrades to the co-located gold mine tour atttactioin was around $10-million in public funds.
The centre needed 33-thousand visitors a year just to break even, but in spite of high hopes and promises, its best year never topped 15-thousand.
The death knell sounded in 2012 when Twain’s management removed most of the trophies, clothing and other memorabilia including an entire tour bus, and took them to Las Vegas, where the singer now has a regular show. The centre then stopped chargin an entrance fee given that there were so few Twain items left to see.
The 65 acre site was sold to a gold mining firm for $5-million, and the demolition was completed this week and after less than 15 years all that’s left are barren hills and some rubble. The site has already begun its transformation into an open-pit mine.
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