TimminsCon, a Northern Ontario Expo event, is on this weekend

TimminsCon is bigger than ever TimminsCon is back in the city this weekend and organizers say the event bigger than ever, with a Superman star flying in to meet with fans.

Setup for the 14th annual TimminsCon at the McIntyre Community Centre was well underway Friday.

The Fandom Comic Con-style event has grown from a small 200-person comic book convention to a two-day event bringing in thousands from around the province, Quebec and the United States.

It’s why several local and out-of-town vendors said it is worth it to set up shop here for the weekend.

“We have a giant booth and we get to, like, bring almost all of our store here,” said Kieron Goguen of Comic Alley Toys, located in Oshawa.

“All people in Timmins will love the rock ‘n’ roll stuff. People in Timmins will love the, like, gory horror stuff.”

“It's very welcoming over here,” said Victoria McLenon of Comic Alley Toys in Oshawa.

“In Oshawa it's sort of busy, everyone's in a rush, no one really wants to talk to anybody. But when you're in Timmins, it's more so relaxed. It's almost cottage pace up here for us because we're used to the city, right?”

TimminsCon’s special guest this year is Brandon Routh, an American actor who played Superman in the 2006 film, ‘Superman Returns.’

“We also have, you know, our second annual TimminsCon Family Feud, which was a huge hit last year,” said Jason Denis, founder of Northern Ontario Expo, which hosts TimminsCon.

“We also have a new Mario Kart track for the young kids to drive around … our good friends from the GTA, the Star Wars group, the 501st -- they're back with two new displays this year.”

Denis said he’s grateful for all the support from volunteers and for the $40,000 from the Municipal Accommodation Tax Fund to help put the show on.

“So growing up, I was one of those people saying there was never anything to do in Timmins,” said Denis.

“Well, now I'm trying to do something to change that mindset.”

TimminsCon runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Northern Ontario Expo website has all the details, including admission fees.