Shania Twain Centre

[Tracy]

Hey Everyone,

I just thought I would let you know that Omar Sachedina ran his story late last week and he managed to edit out every possible positive comment. He also didn't seem to have many of his facts straight. The Daily Press ran this story today and hopefully this will set things straight.

http://www.timminspress.com/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=24563&catname=Local+News&classif=News+%2D+Local

[nds76]

Thanks for the article Tracy!

David

[Shaz]

thanks for posting that article.. ... that article ... didnt surprise me one bit just ticked me off..

[FinnFreak]

[Roger]

Jack Watson's comments are bang on! You gotta invest money to make money as John says.

I made the same point in my email to Sachedina. Here are two excerpts from my email:

I want to comment on the support that the STC enjoys within Shania's fan community. The main thing to realize is that in 2003 the Shania Twain Centre took a major step. It ran the first fan convention. Until then the STC was a museum, a repository of Shania memorabilia. But once the fan conventions started, the STC became something else - a meeting place for Shania's fans. At the fan conventions, fans, who earlier knew each other only on the internet, finally met and solidified their friendship. These friendships have expanded to bring in other fans to later conventions. The first fan con (as we call it) attracted only a couple of dozen fans. The third numbered over 100, many of whom came from overseas. We have every reason to believe that number will grow even more at future conventions. When you consider that every fan who attends a convention spends money in Timmins, you realize that this more than makes up for any small financial shortfall on the City's books. We all stay in Timmins hotels, eat in Timmins restaurants and tour all over the city. While I am participating in convention activities, my wife is often away shopping at stores like Bucovetsky's.

I conclude the email with:

These are the achievements of the Shania Twain Centre so far. I am not going to speculate to the press on future potentialities but they are considerable. The STC has put Timmins on the map for literally thousands of Shania fans. It has become "home" for the fan community, a kind of Mecca that every Shania fan intends to visit at least once in his or her lifetime. In my opinion, the STC is a gem in your community. You should be proud of it too.

By the way, I did not receive an acknowledgement of this email from Mr. Sachedina.

[STC2001]

Thanks Tracy. The STC hasn't had time to know yet what it's capabilites are, profit or loss wise. It has to have that time. Of course it may never be, but Roger made some good points as are also brought out in the Timmins article.

Talk about profits? I just read here in my newspaper last week that AMTRAK, which litereally serves every large and small metropolitan area in the US, has never had a profitable year. : I was pretty surprised at that!

I did know from all my years at the Maine Department of Transportation [DOT] that the US Federal Rail Program that was part of the US DOT had pretty much always subsidized the Nations railways. In fact the FRA is now gone and that function has become part of the Federal Highway Administration [FHWA] under the USDOT. But, I never knew that AMTRAK which FHWA heavily subsidizes had never made a progit in the 50+ years of existence.

So, the bottom line is just because the Shania Twain Centre hasn't turned a profit as yet doesn't mean it won't at some point, and even if it doesn't, there are far larger organizations in the World that don't either and have a lot larger deficit. Besides, the most important thing is like Roger says, "the STC has put Timmins on the map for literally thousands of Shania fans. It has become "home" for the fan community, a kind of Mecca that every Shania fan intends to visit at least once in his or her lifetime. In my opinion, the STC is a gem in your community." Well put!

Steve

[Tower]

By Trevor Terfloth
Local News - Wednesday, April 12, 2006 @ 07:00

Tourism is a complicated business for which people sometimes need to look past the bottom line, says the Timmins city clerk.

Jack Watson came to the defence of the Shania Twain Centre, which has received its share of criticism for carrying a $348,000 deficit at the end of 2005.

However, he believes the centre isn’t an anomaly, saying profits aren’t the name of the game, especially in this region of the province.

“There’s not one tourism attraction in Northern Ontario that I’m aware of that makes any money,” he said.

“Science North is funded $3 million by the province of Ontario; the Polar Bear Habitat the new kid on the block you think it’s going to make money? Not on your life.”

Despite this, Watson called such facilities investments needed to provide a boost to local economies.

He said the monetary benefits to businesses are worth the headaches, citing the Timmins Economic Development Corporation’s study which states the centre was responsible for $1.6 million in economic activity last year.

“Tourism attractions are there to bring people into your community so people will spend money on restaurants, your gas stations, retail outlets your commercial market,” he said.

“We try our utmost to run as cost effective an operation as possible.”

However, Watson said the notion of the Shania Twain Centre ever seeing a return isn’t a pipe dream.

“We’re streamlining our costs as best that we can to put it in a position where we can make a profit,” he said. “I can’t guarantee anything, but all I can tell you is we run a very, very tight ship.”

The clerk acknowledged there is room for improvement and said being in the red is not something the city takes lightly.

At the end of 2004, the centre’s deficit was $403,000, with Watson saying the gold-mine tour component is generally the largest expenditure.

“We’re tackling our deficit. We’re not hiding from it we’re paying it down,” he said. “If you want a comparison, if you went to the Timmins Museum, how much money do you make? You don’t. It costs you $300,000 a year.”

Touted as a multi-purpose facility, the 11,500-square-foot Shania Twain Centre officially opened its doors in 2001.

Watson is curious why the city’s other services don’t seem to undergo the same scrutiny.

“How much do your arenas cost?” he said. “They all cost money, but if you didn’t have these things, you wouldn’t be able to attract professionals, you wouldn’t be able to attract people to your community.

“We’re heading in the right direction. It’s coming very close to what we call the break-even point.”


http://www.timminspress.com
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Just to put this into perspective, this is a $7.7 Dollar loss each YEAR to every person who lives in Timmins...

HEADLINE news again in the Timmins Daily Press. I could say more about the un published news and the real economic issues of Downtown Timmins, things that effect people like George and Teri at Timmins Web

I have edited this post after receiving a personal email from Heather, one of the Staff reporters who did such a good job covering the Fan Convention over the years to point out that my anger is directed at the Loose Cannon and not the Timmins Daily Press editorial team, who she points out does not have the resources to investigate many issues in the City which goes largely un reported.

However back to the story and will this be headlines in tonight's daily press "International Outrage over the Loose Cannon's attack on the Shania Twain Centre"...

Now there is a story Heather!

Had the Loose Cannon pointed out how only about half pay property tax in Timmins so that is $16 dollars Canadian or around 8.00 pounds Sterling per tax payer per year and that is exactly what a year....

That is NOT even 4 Beers, or a decent Meal at one of the many Franchise places which are only on Riverside to attract Car drivers and help them drink drive.

You know the place - same menu all OVER North America - same Minimum Wage - Same lack of community spirit, same lack of exposure for local singing talent... They are not interested in Live bands, or even Beer - just food and mostly FAST food~

Yes now Franchise Taverns and other outlets who are taking over Timmins, that would be a story - The financing of them, how they avoid borrowing local money or paying back into the City with corporate lawers who know all the tricks to lower local taxation terms.

I am still waiting for our Local Paper to tell the community that a major part of this great City - Melrose - has no local Tavern as Mendez was closed down over a year ago with NO Comment from the Loose Cannon.

Nah STC is a soft target and this Man and will sell newspapers..

More sighs from me. Nice photo of Tracy though in tonight's 'Daily Press'

[cbspock]

"the STC has put Timmins on the map for literally thousands of Shania fans. It has become "home" for the fan community, a kind of Mecca that every Shania fan intends to visit at least once in his or her lifetime. In my opinion, the STC is a gem in your community."

Actually, Shania put Timmins on the map. The STC gave the fans the chance to actually visit.


The article sounds a lot like the coverage of our Cradle of Aviation musuem here on Long Island.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-licrad214670368mar21,0,4579527.story?coll=ny-linews-headlines

http://www.longislandpress.com/?cp=226&show=article&a_id=7915


http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-opsta054690346apr05,0,4104571.story?coll=ny-viewpoints-headlines


-Chris

[Roger]

[STC2001]

Let me say good comments and with the other thread on the Timmins Press article, it seems the STC is under fire. This will probably be a continuous irritant from time to time, but as Chris has so aptly pointed out, the key is: