Summertime in Timmins is spent doing various outdoor activities! Many of us enjoy the water, whether we are swimming, boating, or paddling.
Looking back at summers in The Porcupine, so many people enjoyed the river on a hot sunny day. As the towns grew bigger every year, more and more recreational activities were available. A popular pass time was boat rides on the Minga, the Foch, and the Haig which travelled the Mattagami River for leisure.
In 1921, according to the Porcupine Advance, a trip on the S.S. Minga was $1 return, with refreshments onboard. Schedules were posted in the Advance. The Minga measured 67 feet and was purchased in 1920 to replace the previous ship, Agnes, that burnt. It had a toilet on board, hot and cold running water, and was equipped with a little kitchen with all its modern conveniences. They often hired musicians to play onboard to entertain passengers — many recall dancing the evenings away on the water.
There were various trip options throughout the 1920s. Every weekday evening, leaving at 8 p.m., the steamer boat was chartered down the Mattagami River. The ride was two hours in length. A daytime trip was also available. It left Timmins Landing at 9 a.m. and travelled up the River to the Ontario Tie. Co and Northern Canada Power Co. dock above the Redsucker (Tatachikapika) River. It left there around 11 a.m., and returned to Timmins for 1 p.m.
Some clubs in town chartered the boats for their annual celebrations. In June 1923, the A.S.D. club held a moonlight sail on the Minga. It left around 8:30 p.m. and went up the river as far as Colonel Worthington’s farm, and returns towards Sandy Falls. The boat was filled with passengers and even included a Victrola to play music for anyone who wished to dance.
The Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre regularly provides TimminsToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.
Find out more of what the Timmins museum has to offer here and read more Remember This columns here.
