As in other parts of Canada,Christmas in Timmins is a special time of the year. Past Christmas traditions are fondly held as shown by the theme of this year’s Santa Claus Parade – “Memories of Christmas Past.”

Christmas in Timmins, is a time to celebrate and share in the spirit of the season with family and friends. Among the traditions that find most delightful none can compare to the gift-giving traditions that have developed over the years.

Gifts for the Children of Schumacher
One of the treasured Christmas traditions was introduced by Fred Schumacher, a travelling pharmaceutical salesman who eventually built Schumacher mines. Fred made several donations to the town which now bears his name over the years. Among these donations, the one which may be the best known part of his legacy is the $1,000 donated for presents each Christmas since 1916 for the school children of the town of Schumacher, which now is part of Timmins

The tradition continues today 98 years later. Schumacher left a trust fund for the children of Schumacher. Volunteers meet prior to Christmas at the Schumacher Volunteer Fire Department to wrap fits will be given to Schumacher school children at an event just before leaving for the Christmas holidays.

Hollinger Mine Christmas
The Hollinger Mine in Timmins started to provide Christmas hampers for mining families in the 1920s. This is a story that still has to be fully told.

In addition, Timmins service organizations like the Shriners, the Lions Club and the Rotary Club also organized fund-raising to help bring Christmas cheer to the Timmins community or to help with other charities.

The Christmas Bird Count

The Christmas Bird Count was started 114 years ago by the Audobon Society. The Timmins Naturalists introduced this Christmas event only 20 years ago but it has since become a cherished part of the festive season. Over the last 20 years there has been over 75 participants, over 400 volunteer hours spent and 45 species identified. For more information, visit http://www.timminslcc.org/CBCdata.htm .

A New Church
Christmas in 1926 was a particularly merry occasion for the parishioners of the Church of the Nativity as their new church opened on December 23, 1926. Today the Church is better known as the Father Costello Community Care Centre on Spruce St. N.

Bucovetsky’s Christmas
Bucovetsky’s was the place that Timmins shopped for Christmas gifts and ornaments. Every Christmas the store was festooned with Christmas goodies and gift ideas. Walking by and gazing at Bucovetsky’s Christmas window was a cherished Timmins tradition. Sadly, this year, Tweed and Hickory, the successor to Bucovetsky’s will close its door just before Christmas bring an end to a cherished institution and tradition.

The Santa Claus Parade
The Timmins Santa Claus Parade Committee annually draws between 12,000 to 15,000 people to the Santa Claus Parade an event held the first or second weekend in November. The parade traditionally attracts more than 50 or 60 entries each year.

Christmas from Around the World in Timmins
Being a mining town, Timmins attracted people from all over the world to work in the mines or to provide services for the communities. Many of these communities celebrated with their families in their traditional ways that they brought with them from England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Poland, Finland, Russia, Ukraine, and Croatia, Serbian, Germany and other locations. Often the celebrations included a service at the local church in their native language.

Here is how you say Merry Christmas in Timmins and in some cases Happy New Year too!

English – Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
French – “Joyeux Noël et Bonne Anneé”
Cree – Mino Makoshay Keyshegow and Mino Oh-ski Pay-boon
Ojibway – Minoganawaamdig Niibaanaamaang Miinwaa Nimkoodaading
Chinese – [Mandarin] – “Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan”
Chinese – [Cantonese] – “Saint Dan Fai Lok”
Croatian – “Sretan Bozic i Nova Godina”
Filipino “Maligayang Pasko, Manigong Bagong Taon”
German – “Froehliche Weihnachten”
Hindi – “Shub Naya Baras”
Irish – “Nollaig Shona Dhuit”
Italian – Buon Natale e Buon Anno
Lithuanian – “Linksmu Kaledu”
Polish – “Wesolych Swiat, Bozego Narodzenia”
Portuguese – “Feliz Natal” “Boas Festas”(Good Holidays.)
Serbian – “Hristos se rodi”
Scottish Gaelic “Nollaig chridheil huibh”
Spanish – “Feliz Navidad”, “Feliz Año Nuevo”
Ukrainian – “Z Rizdvom Khrystovym!” – “Z Novym Rokom !” –
(Source http://xmasfun.com/Merry-Christmas-In-Other-Languages.aspx)

My daughter Sophie said I should layoff all the heavy political stuff…people don’t want to hear that crap. She insisted that people want to read about nothing…the ordinary nothingness about unimportant things that may be humorous or insightful. But as my son Giancarlo said when he was but five or six years old – “Dad even when you are doing nothing….you are doing something.”

Even Nothing is Something

So here I am once again caught in life’s complexity between my daughter’s wish for me to write about nothingness a la Jerry Seinfeld; and my son’s intuitive grasping at a very young age that even nothing is something.

In my quest for Northern Nothingness I am today posting a story… a sidebar…if you will to the story of “Wolf Man Joe LaFlamme” as told by Suzanne F. Charron at Timmins Voices in Christopher’s Coffee House on the evening of February 12, 2014 (which also happened to be my 59th birthday).

I learned this interesting fact listening to Suzanne Charron’s story. To most people this fact is probably a nothing piece of information…which for me and this blog is a good thing! I was amazed to learn from Suzanne’s talk about her book “Wolf Man Joe LaFlamme: Tamer Untamed” (Scrivener Press- http://www.scrivenerpress.com ) that well-known Canadian painter Charles Pachter was inspired by Wolf Man Joe LaFlamme.

Suzanne Charron at Timmins Voices, Feb.12, 2014

I was literally floored when Suzanne started talking about renowned Canadian artist Charles Pachter being influenced by Joe LaFlamme. Pachter’s art includes the insertion of moose onto his canvas. His studio is affectionately called the Moose Factory. For more info on Charles Pachter http://www.cpachter.com/

… here is the coincidence. Pachter is the cousin of my high school chum Ted Sanders at whose place I stay when visiting Toronto these days while I live in Timmins and engage in searching for Northern Nothingness.

One Degree of Separation

This fact solidified my belief that in Timmins there exists only one degree of separation. In large urban centres like Toronto or New York City, the ratio increases to six degrees of separation.

Early last year I actually spoke with Charles over the phone. I still haven’t met Charles, but intend to visit his studio/gallery when I return to Toronto shortly. The internationally renowned artist, Charles Pachter, painted the infamous Montreal Canadien/Toronto Maple Leaf players at the Toronto College Subway Station; you know the one where Leaf owner Harold Ballard refused the use of the words “Toronto Maple Leafs” on the maple leaf logo. Pachter also painted the famous painting of Queen Elizabeth riding a moose.

I listened to Suzanne Charron tell the Christopher Coffee House crowd that young Charles Pachter met Joe LaFlamme when he was 4 years old while Joe was at the Sportsmens Show in Toronto back in 1947. She even included a photo of young Charles and the Wolf Man and his moose in her book. See below for the photo.

That meeting with LaFlamme and his moose impacted Charles Pachter so much that moose have been an inspiration in his art work all his life. By the way those Ontario road signs showing Moose Crossing were also designed by Pachter. I am all to familiar with those signs driving the roads north of the watershed divide. They can be life savers reminding drivers to be alert and watch for moose darting across the highway usually during twilight or dawn.

But this one degree of separation happens all the time in Timmins…if the person you are talking to doesn’t know or isn’t connected to the other person you speak of – the next person will know them.

Wolf Man Joe LaFlamme an Excellent Example of Northern Literature

The goal of Timmins Voices and Northern Voices Journal is to develop and promote Northern literature. Well, you can’t find a better example of contemporary Northern writing than Suzanne Charron’s “Wolf Man Joe LaFlamme:Tamer Untamed.”

I bought the book and so should you…it is an amazing story. A true story that is stranger than fiction. And that reminds me that in the pre-television era the public had an intense desire to hear about the bizarre, the outlandish, the unusual, the larger-than-life and Wolf Man Joe LaFlamme certainly fits that description.
I’m sure young Charles Pachter felt the same way when he met the Wolf Man – that he was in the presence of a larger than life character.

In that era you had the likes of Robert Ripley galloping the globe looking for exotic stories to amaze the public through the popular Ripley’s Believe it or Not. Suzanne Charron illustrates in her book that ..Wolf Man Joe LaFlamme definitely fits in that Believe It or Not mold.

Psst…Listen to This!

By the way and don’t tell this to my daughter Sophie…but I still do believe we do need to be politically aware and involved…I do agree with political philosopher Edmund Burke who wrote “Evil grows in the world when good people stand by and do nothing.” For my politically charged blogs please visit

http://www.wallywatch.wordpress.com

http://www.franklyspokenfrank.wordpress.com

Until next time

And like my son Giancarlo says…”Even Nothing is Something”….Got that Jerry Seinfeld?
Wishing you Sweet Nothings…on this February 14 Valentines Day 2014

For Further Information

For further information on Suzanne Charron and her Timmins appearances see the following sites:

For Timmins Voices please click this link http://www.facebook.com/timminsvoices

For Nabi-Alexandre’s interview with Suzanne Charron and myself please click on this link
http://www.radio-canada.ca/util/postier/suggerer-go.asp?nID=1173112

For Kyle Gennings promo of his coverage of Suzanne Charron at Timmins Voices
http://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/video?&binId=1.1142313

I will post the link to CTV’s full report Suzanne Charron’s Timmins Voices appearance as soon as it is available

Two Other Timmins Events For Suzanne Charron

She also told her story of Joe LaFlamme at the Book Bin http://www.bookz.ca/ – Timmins’ best book store– the morning of Feb.13th and the Timmins Public Library on the afternoon of Feb.13th (http://tpl.timmins.ca/).

I’m trying to write about nothing, as my daughter Sophie insists this is what people want to read about and not my long, boring political diatribes. So here is my first Blog About Northern Nothingness – a sort of chilled-out, frozen-stiff version of Jerry Seinfeld. But Timmins is not New York City, where Seinfeld’s urban nothingness takes place. In fact, Timmins at 40,000 people, is about 300 times smaller than New York City’s population of nearly 12 million people.

However, I hazard to guess that the per capita cast of wacky characters may be about equal. There certainly are plenty of Cosmo Kramer goofball, free spirits up here. And I guess, I don’t have to look any further than myself to find the local George Costanza as I often remind people of George.

Elaine? Well there are a few up here who remind me of Elaine Benes…but mostly the women in Timmins are a bunch of zany, crazy, wild, northern, savage women – who have a very unconventional dimension to their persona…by the way there is even a Kathy Griffin type up here…remember Kathy Griffin? – the ditzy red-head who based her entire one-woman theatrical off-Broadway play on whatever Jerry happened to say as she hounded him and then incorporated ridiculing Jerry’s progressively angry responses into her next performances.

Well our little Kathy Griffin moment up here north of the watershed divide occurred when I naively accepted an invitation to go back to this savage Timmins female’s house. The house was nicely furnished in early frontier decor…you know moose head, bearskin rug….deer antler…lot of rough hewed wood furniture…quilts every where…it smelled like cedar.

Anyway, when Ms.X sat down next to me on the sofa, I started to massage her neck…the back of her neck to be exact. Much to my shock…she jumps about fifty feet away from me to the other side of the room and tells me she does not like that and she would prefer I stopped. Which I did.

Now comes the Kathy Griffin part….at my next Timmins Voices, a literary reading series I founded up here and held at Christopher’s Coffee House, Ms.X gets up to the open mic and begins her rant…”There are 4 people in Timmins who are trying to seduce me!” she shrieked.

Yikes…I cringed and slid down in my seat…this could prove to be embarrassing if she names names…I start crafting my defense..which really wasn’t that hard..as it is a long stretch to go from a brief neck massage to seduction, although I do admit the two are on the same continuum, and the thought did cross my mind. Damn thought-crime!

I searched the room to see if anyone was casting glances at me. Ms.X continued…”Why do men in Timmins always want to seduce me?!” The audience was laughing now with anticipation of names being belched out from this fire- breathing, relentless-ranter’s mouth; and a person whom I had permitted to rant at my own reading series open mic!
How about being hoisted by my own petard!

But Ms.X pulled back..holy coitus interuptus! Just as I thought I was going to be screwed…Ms.X didn’t spit out my name, or the names of any of her four, filthy seducers!

I went home that night and sent Ms.X an email….”Dear Ms.X: I hereby resign from ever wanting to seduce you. Next time you give your rant please say there are only three men trying to seduce you.”

I heard nothing from Ms.X for a week; and then I received an email from her….”Frank, just to let you know there are now no men trying to seduce me” she said,”the other three resigned as well….”.

I guess the other three must have been at Christopher’s Coffee House that night at Timmins Voices and also dreaded being outed as disgusting, Timmins seducers and they too also resigned.

Now Ms. X can roam the streets of Timmins, free of those constant nagging, attempts by depraved men trying to seduce her.

I hope this story is sufficiently nothing enough to quench people’s desire to read stories about nothing as my literary adviser, my daughter Sophie, insists…so instead of my usual, long winded political diatribes against Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Canada Post, LOL, I will continue writing about Northern Nothingness. I actually enjoyed writing about nothing.

Stay tuned for my next Blog About Northern Nothing. I think I am getting the hang about writing about nothing…well not exactly nothing, because as my son Giancarlo,the philosopher, realized when he was only five or six and I am paraphrasing his quote…”Dad, even when you are writing about nothing, you still are still writing about something.” I wonder if Seinfeld ever figured that out?

A Northern Blog 2nd Entry January 5, 2013

Welcome to A Northern Blog my second entry. In the next several entries I will write about the most significant mining issues facing Northern Ontario, indeed, all of Canada in the first dozen years of the 21st century. How this story unfolds will tell us much about our values, who we are as a people, how we deal with the need to produce wealth, create jobs, protect the interests of our First People’s and operate future mines and rehabilitate the environment once the mining comes to a close.

Today’s blog will set the background and give an overview of what transpired in 2012. Subsequent blogs will examine the progress made by the key mining and mining exploration companies in advancing their plans to open their mines in the Ring of Fire. I will examine the activities of Cliffs Natural Resource, Noront Resources, KWG Mines, Bold Ventures Inc. and MacDonald’s Mining

The articles on developments in the Ring of Fire appears courtesy of Mining Life Magazine. I want to thank publisher Glenn Dredhart for the permission use the article original published in the December, 2012 issue of Mining Life Magazine. For excellent coverage of mining issues in the North and throughout Canada visit the Canadian Mining Portal. Glenn’s company Canadian Trade Ex hosts the largest mining show in the North

http://www.canadianminingexpo.com

Glenn also is in the process of setting up the Canadian Mining Portal which will carry the latest mining information on the internet including e-versions of Mining Life and Exploration News. http://mininglifeonline.net/

Please share your reactions and comments to the articles that appear on A Northern Blog. I value your reaction and feedback

Work on Ring of Fire Percolates in 2012

By Frank Giorno

Preparatory work leading to the development of the vast mineral resources in an area in Northwestern Ontario known as the Ring of Fire continued to percolate in 2012.

The Ring of Fire is the name given to an area of rich mineral deposits located in the muskeg swamps in the James Bay Lowlands of Northern Ontario approximately 500 km. northeast of Thunder Bay and 70 km. east of the Webequie First Nation. The area contains large deposits of chromite, nickel, copper, gold and other valuable minerals. The area is isolated and can only be accessed by air.

Photo1 – Map companies in the Ring of Free courtesy of Ring of Fire Secretariat, Ministry of Northern Development and Mines

Most of the work being done by the 23 companies with claims in the Ring of Fire mining camp is in the exploration stage, with over $278 million being spent to confirm and further detail the mineral content available for extraction.

Two companies, Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (Black Thor Property) and Noront Resources Ltd., (Eagle’s Nest Property) are completing their respective joint federal and provincial environmental assessment studies. Before they can begin mining operations, they must obtain government approval of their environmental assessments.

In 2012, Cliffs and Noront both completed their feasibility studies and terms of reference, the first steps towards completing their environmental assessment studies.  To complete their environmental assessment reports, Cliffs and Noront must engage the active participation of the First Nation communities in the area of the proposed mining operation, communities along the proposed transportation corridor which includes an all-weather, north-south road which links to a rail line where trucked ore concentrates would be placed on rail cars for hauling to the proposed chromite refinery that Cliffs wants to build near Sudbury.

A third company, KWG Resources Inc., is undertaking a geotechnical assessment for a potential rail line from the proposed mining sites to refineries and markets.  It also reported on the results of bore hole samples taken on its Big Daddy property.

Two other companies, Bold Ventures and MacDonald Mines, announced the results of their drilling programs which both showed promising results for future mining developments.

In September, a new player arrived on the Ring of Fire Stage — CBC radio reported that a China’s Consul General visited Webequie First Nation and that Sinocan, a Chinese owned company was expected to start drilling near Webequie in October, 2012.  However, a spokesperson said the Ring Secretariat had “no knowledge” of the Chinese visit.

Ontario Government Strongly Supports Mining Development in the Ring of Fire

The Ontario government under Premier Dalton McGuinty is strongly supportive of efforts to develop the Ring and has been active in helping to iron out infrastructure concerns such as the building of an all-weather road from the mining sites that will then connect to a provincial resource road.

The McGuinty government stated in the 2010 and 2011 Throne Speeches that it is fully committed to working with northerners, Aboriginal communities and mining partners to fully realize the Ring’s potential. The McGuinty government wants all companies in the Ring to actively engage and involve First Nation communities whose traditional lands are in the Ring or nearby.

Ring of Fire Secretariat

To help coordinate the activities of the mining companies and address the concerns of the First Nations, McGuinty created the Ring of Fire Secretariat. The Secretariat works with all levels of government, industry and Aboriginal peoples to encourage responsible and sustainable economic development in the region.

Photo 2 – Map First Nations near the Ring of Fire- Courtesy of Ring of Fire Secretariat, Ministry of Northern Development and Mining

Dr. Christine Kaszyicki was appointed as the Assistant Deputy Minister for Ring coordination in 2010. In this role, Dr. Kaszyicki works to ensure a collective effort is undertaken to advance economic development in this promising area.

Memorandum of Understanding with Marten Falls First Nation

In September, the province signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Marten Falls First Nation pledging to work together to address employment, economic development and environmental impacts. The MOU is in keeping with the McGuinty Government’s commitment to strengthening First Nations ‘communities while supporting a thriving mining sector. This approach is part of the McGuinty Government’s plan to create jobs for Ontarians, create opportunities for First Nations’ communities and strengthen the Ontario economy.

 First Nations Concerned About Lack of Involvement and Lack of Benefits

Meanwhile, some First Nations in the area are concerned about the lack of benefits and environmental and social impacts from mining on their communities. They continue to press their demands about the need to be consulted prior to development of any mines.  Over the summer of 2012, Six First Nations in the Matawa First Nations council threatened to issue eviction notices to 20 mining companies currently conducting explorations in the Ring, or, as in the case of Cliffs and Noront, preparing their EA.

The six are, Aroland, Nibinamik, Neskantaga, Constance Lake, Ginoogaming and Long Lake #58. The Assembly of First Nations supported the call to issue the eviction orders and so did the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.

However, Marten falls Chief Eli Moonias did not support the call for evictions, saying his community had been adequately consulted.

Judicial Review

A decision is still pending on the judicial review request filed by the Matawa First Nation Council (MFNC). It filed the judicial review on Nov. 7, 2011, calling on the federal government to implement a Joint Review Panel – the most comprehensive form of environmental assessment (EA) – for the Ring.  MFNC claims that an EA limits the opportunity for First Nation involvement in the process.  It is calling for a Joint Review hearing that would allow for greater participation for Matawa First Nations.

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