**TIMMINS PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS RELEASE**

The Timmins Public Library is pleased to announce that The Porcupine Advance (1912-1950) newspaper is now available online!

Preservation of community newspapers is crucial, as these gems allow us to understand issues over time, they represent the history of a community, and are important research tools for historians and amateur genealogists. The rich history of mining in northern Ontario and in Timmins has been well-documented over the years by its local newspapers. The Library receives local history reference queries from people around the globe on a regular basis and the completion of this project provides worldwide access to the entire newspaper issues with a few simple clicks.

The digitized version of The Porcupine Advance (1912-1950), available from the Library’s website via Our Ontario, is an invaluable tool for those researching historical records of the Timmins area. Full-text search capabilities and digital imaging permits the user to browse, search and download this information, which opens up research possibilities to a completely new level. In addition to full-text searching, both an Articles index and a Birth/Marriage/Death announcement index exist to facilitate browsing.

We were pleased to work with the Lake family on this project and with DRC Data Repro Com LTD who converted the images from microfilm to digital. We are very grateful to the Government of Ontario (Improving Library Digital Services grant), and to Our Digital World for making this project possible.

This new online resource is a welcome addition to the Library’s existing resources in the area of local history and genealogy. It complements the recently acquired collection of over 2,000 genealogy reference books which were donated by Généalogie Timmins Genealogy in 2016. Other resources at the Library include:

–A collection of local history books including some city directories, mining journals, historic site inventories, reports, and commemorative publications

–A cemetery index of burial plots, covering up to 2003

–Biographies of early settlers in the Porcupine region

–The Daily Press Newspaper 1933-present (on microfilm only)

–Access to Ancestry Library Edition (available only in the Library, on the computers)

Click here to access the online version of The Porcupine Advance (1912-1950). [Note: Years missing include 1913, 1914, and January to June 1915.] For assistance with using this resource, contact the Reference Desk at refdesk@timmins.ca or call 705-360-2623 x8532.

About The Porcupine Advance (1912-1950):

The Porcupine Advance (1912-1950) was the first newspaper to serve the Porcupine Camp, Town of Timmins, and surrounding areas. It was founded in 1912 by George Lake. The paper was originally published on a weekly basis, and later twice a week, until it ceased publication in July of 1950. Today, over a century after its founding, Porcupine Advance Printers continues to operate with members of the Lake family on staff.

In the early 2000s, a group of volunteers spent over a decade creating a comprehensive, hand-written index to The Porcupine Advance (1912-1950), on approximately 53,000 – 3″ x 5″ – cards. The information contained on each index card, which will be linked to articles and Birth/Marriage/Death announcements, is currently being entered into the database, and is a work in progress. The Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre is home to a bound set of the newspapers.

Upcoming Local History Event:

The Library is hosting a Local Discovery Afternoon on Saturday March 30th at 2:00 p.m., and will feature a real-time demonstration of The Porcupine Advance (1912-1950) online. Additionally, members of the Facebook Group, Timmins: Then and Now will tell how they use social media to keep local history alive. Bring in your Timmins memorabilia and share a story. This event is FREE, and open to all ages. Please sign up by giving the Library a call at 705-360-2623 ext. 8519.

For more information, please contact:

— Karina Douglas-Takayesu, Reference Librarian at 705-360-2623 ext.8532, karina.douglas-takayesu@timmins.ca or,

–Carole-Ann Churcher, CEO, Timmins Public Library at 705-360-2623 ext. 8517, caroleann.churcher@timmins.ca

Filed under: Local News