Page 58 By Gregory Reynolds Mines are a non-renewal resource and smart money says communities de - pendent upon mining will have short lives. When T immin s reached the ripe age of 25 in 1937, it had fooled both the experts and the naysayers. It not only turned itself from a collection of shacks into a modern, progressive town it had all the amentias based on a healthy economy and a bright future. Although T imm ins qualifed to be a city , taxes and government grants dic - tated it remain a town. It also enjoyed boasting it was the lar gest town in Ontario. It had a population of 44,000, 14 pro - ducing gold mines (eight of which paid dividends), and a mill under con - struction. It was bad economics but each producing mine had its own mill to treat its ore. There were fve major development gold operations approaching the stage where a mill could be considered. All fve achieved production status, the Broulan Reef, Hallnor , Moneta, Pres - ton and Porcupine Lake (revived after Cont’d on pg. 58 In 25 years r ough mining town of T immins became modern Original fre hall is at left beside new town hall which opened in 1938 after construction started in 1937 “The Porcupine Camp” 100 Y ears of Mining Page 56