Families, first responders and community organizations came together in Timmins for the second annual Boats, Bikes, Mics and Lights Educational Fun Fair. The free family event, held at the White Waterfront Conservation Area in South Porcupine, is a partnership between the Voices of Porcupine community group, the Timmins Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police. Organizer Carol Tanguay said the event is designed to create positive connections within the community. “If you stay here today, you walk through the park, you’ll see lots of smiles and people laughing all day,” she said. “There’s so much bad news all the time that you need something good every once in a while.” The event gave residents an opportunity to meet and interact with people who serve the community, including police, conservation officers, mine rescuers, paramedics and firefighters. Ontario Associate Attorney General Michael Tibollo said community gatherings, like the fair, can help strengthen relationships between residents and local organizations. “To build strong communities, you need to have gatherings like this that are safe, that are family oriented,” he said. For participants, the event offered a full day of activities, including a bike parade. “I’ve been with my friend the entire day, and we’ve, like, I went to the bike parade and all of that stuff,” said participant Ella Tessier. This year’s event also supported the Timmins and District Humane Society. Chelsey Romain, with the humane society, said the event is about more than raising money. “It’s about bringing people over to share their stories and share some knowledge about how everybody can help animals in this community.” Organizers told CTV News that year’s event was even larger than last year’s, with more community groups and residents taking part.
