city, Cochrane district, east-central Ontario, Canada, on the Mattagami River, 130 miles (210 km) north of Sudbury. The region was settled after the discovery of gold there in 1905. Mining operations began in 1907, and by the time of the 1909 gold rush, the settlement at nearby Porcupine had established itself as the region's main centre. Timmins was founded in 1911 by Noah Timmins as a residential community to serve the nearby Hollinger gold mine, one of the world's largest. Rapid growth enabled Timmins to surpass Porcupine to become the primary commercial centre and largest town of the Porcupine gold-mining region. Hydroelectric power for the mining operations and for the town and its brewing and paper, pulp, and lumber milling industries is supplied from plants at Wawaitin and Sandy falls. A popular summer recreational centre, Timmins is also a religious retreat, holding seats of Roman Catholic and Anglican bishoprics. Pop. (2006) 42,997.