Barrie is a city of 128,430 residents, the 35th largest municipality in
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located on
Kempenfelt BayKempenfelt Bay is a 14.5 km long bay that leads into the Canadian city of Barrie, Ontario. It is as deep as 30 m in places, and is connected to the larger Lake Simcoe...
, an arm of
Lake SimcoeLake Simcoe is a lake in southern Ontario, Canada, the twelfth-largest lake in the province. It is also one of the world's largest freshwater lakes to freeze over completely in the winter....
in the central portion of
Southern OntarioSouthern Ontario is the portion of the Canadian province of Ontario lying south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14-15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of Canada.Southern...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Although geographically a part of Simcoe County, the municipality is politically separate.
The city's north and south ends are separated by a deep valley which contains the downtown area along Kempenfelt Bay (Lake Simcoe).
Due to the social and economic interconnectedness of Barrie and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), many consider Barrie to be an outer suburb of Toronto and an unofficial part of the GTA.
History
Barrie at its inception was a small group of houses and warehouses at the foot of the Nine Mile Portage from Kempenfelt Bay to Fort Willow. The city was named in 1833 after Sir
Robert BarrieSir Robert Barrie KCB, KCH was a British officer of the Royal Navy noted for his service in the War of 1812....
, who was in charge of the naval forces in Canada and frequently had to portage from Lake Simcoe to
Georgian BayGeorgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located in Ontario, Canada. The main body of the bay lies east of the Bruce Peninsula and south of Manitoulin Island....
through the city. The Underground Railroad in the mid 1800s allowed many American slaves to enter Barrie. This contributed to the development (and the name) of nearby Shanty Bay.
During
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the
Royal Canadian NavyThe Royal Canadian Navy was the navy of Canada from 1911 until 1968 when the three Canadian services were unified to form the Canadian Forces....
named a
Flower class corvetteThe Flower class corvette was a class of 267 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic...
HMCS Barrie.
On 27 September 1977, in dense fog, a small plane hit the 68 meter tall CKVR Television Tower, knocking CHAY FM and CKVR-TV off the air. All passengers on the aircraft were killed, and the tower was destroyed. A new 304 metre tower was erected and operational within a year.
On 31 May 1985, an
F4The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
tornadoA tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud...
struck Barrie, during the The "Barrie" Tornado Outbreak of 1985.
On 12 June - 13 June 1987, a sculpture called
Spirit CatcherSpirit Catcher is a sculpture originally created by sculptor Ron Baird for Expo 86 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is now situated on the shore of Kempenfelt Bay, in Barrie, Ontario, Canada....
by Ron Baird was moved to Barrie from
VancouverVancouver is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. The city is bounded by English Bay, Burrard Inlet, the Fraser River, the city of Burnaby, and the University Endowment Lands. Vancouver is named after Captain George Vancouver, a...
,
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
, where it had been exhibited as part of Expo '86. The sculpture was erected permanently at the foot of Maple Avenue on the shore of Kempenfelt Bay. However, with the re-development along the waterfront/Lakeshore Drive, the city is considering moving the Spirit Catcher to the gravel outcropping at the foot of Bayfield Street.
In January 2004, Barrie made international news when its city police raided the former
MolsonMolson is the Canadian division of the world's fifth-largest brewing company, the Molson Coors Brewing Company. It is the second oldest company in Canada after the Hudson's Bay Company. Molson's first brewery was located on the St...
breweryA brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made in the home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
, and found Canada's largest illegal
cannabisCannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa L., Cannabis indica Lam., and Cannabis ruderalis Janisch. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for medicinal purposes, and as a...
grow operation.
Barrie's
Park PlacePark Place is a former park located at Highway 400 off Mapleview Drive East in the south end of Barrie, Ontario, Canada....
(formerly Molson Park) was chosen to host Live 8 Canada on 2 July 2005. The success of the concert contributed to the resistance to a plan to convert the concert area to a commercial district. However, the stage, buildings and many of the trees on site have been destroyed since construction of the Park Place commercial district has begun.
An explosion in the Royal Thai restaurant, housed in the landmark Wellington Hotel, at the historic Five Points intersection in Barrie's downtown core occurred at 11:20 PM on 6 December 2007. The fire quickly spread to several neighbouring buildings. Firefighters battled the blaze well into the following morning, requiring assistance from other Simcoe County fire services. Officials estimate the damages to be in the millions. The Wellington Hotel building collapsed. It was over one hundred years old. On 17 February 2008, two people were charged in connection with the fire, after the Ontario Fire Marshal's office concluded the explosion and fire were the result of arson.
Geography
Barrie is located in the central portion of Southern Ontario, known as
Central OntarioCentral Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario which lies between Georgian Bay and the eastern end of Lake Ontario....
and in the far northern fringes of the urban agglomeration, the
Golden HorseshoeThe Golden Horseshoe is a densely populated and industrialized region centred around the western end of Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, with outer boundaries stretching south to Lake Erie and north to Georgian Bay. Most of it is also part of the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor...
. It is accessible via Highways
26Highway 26 is a provincial highway in the Canadian province of Ontario, connecting the cities of Barrie and Owen Sound.- Routing :Highway 26 is Owen Sound and Meaford in the west is not as highly traveled as the tourist area to the east...
,
400The King's Highway 400, more commonly known as Highway 400 or the 400, is a key north-south 400-Series Highway in the Canadian province of Ontario that links the city of Toronto to the central and northern sections of the province...
,
11Highway 11 is one of the longest of Ontario's King's Highways, with a current length of 1,780 kilometres . Highway 11 begins at Highway 400 in Barrie, and stretches across northern Ontario, around Lake Superior, to the Ontario/Minnesota border at Rainy River...
and has convenient access to
Highway 401Highway 407, officially called the 407 Express Toll Route , is a tollway in North America, located in the Greater Toronto Area, Southern Ontario, Canada. It begins at the junction of the Queen Elizabeth Way and Highway 403 in Burlington, and travels 108 km east to its present terminus at...
, the
Highway 407 Express Toll RouteHighway 407, officially called the 407 Express Toll Route , is a tollway in North America, located in the Greater Toronto Area, Southern Ontario, Canada. It begins at the junction of the Queen Elizabeth Way and Highway 403 in Burlington, and travels 108 km east to its present terminus at...
and to neighbouring Toronto. Pearson International Airport in Toronto is a one hour drive from Barrie via
Highway 400The King's Highway 400, more commonly known as Highway 400 or the 400, is a key north-south 400-Series Highway in the Canadian province of Ontario that links the city of Toronto to the central and northern sections of the province...
, a six lane highway that runs directly through Barrie.
The Province of Ontario has enacted legislation that will enable Barrie to annex 2,293 acres from the town of
InnisfilInnisfil is a town in Ontario, Canada located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe in Simcoe County, immediately south of Barrie and 80 kilometers north of Toronto. It has historically been a rural area, but growth in the Barrie area and the Greater Toronto Area has meant greater residential...
as of January 1 2010. The land in question extends south beyond 10th line west of the 10th Sideroad, and as far south as Lockhart Road on the east side of the 10th Sideroad. Innisfil retains the community of Stroud, but the community of St. Pauls will shift to Barrie.
Communities
The city of Barrie has 23 communities. The communities of Allandale, Allandale Heights, Ardgah, Bayfield, Bayshore, Bayshore Estates, Codrington, East Bayfield, Grove East, Holly, Letita Heights,Lakeshore, Mapleview West Buisness Park, Northwest, Painswick North, Painswick South, Queens Park, Sanford, South Barrie Buisness Park, South Barrie Industrial Park, Sunnidale, and Welham Industrial Park.
Topography
Barrie's downtown is situated in a distinct curved or wrapped valley, surrounding the western edge of Kempenfelt Bay. Terrain is generally flat near the city's centre. Moving away from the downtown and up the valleys, the terrain can be rather steep in areas. Over the last few decades, the city has expanded its urban area beyond the confines of the valley, particularly to the south and south-east.
The city does not have any major rivers within its limits, but does have numerous creeks and streams, most of which empty into Kempenfelt Bay.
Climate
Barrie has warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. The proximity to the Great Lakes does moderate temperatures somewhat. Barrie is located in Ontario's snow belt region, where lake-effect snow falls throughout the winter. An average of 238 centimetres (95 inches) of snow falls annually, the snowfall gradient is tight therefore snowfall totals tend to be significantly higher just north of the city, as compared with the south end. As a result, there are numerous winter recreation activities and facilities in the surrounding area, including skiing, snow tubing and snowboarding resorts, snowmobile trails and ice fishing. The Barrie area and Simcoe County are well known for heavy thunderstorm activity in late spring and summer and less frequently, the occasional funnel cloud or tornado.
Economy
There are several manufacturers located in Barrie and
Canadian Forces Base BordenCanadian Forces Base Borden is a Canadian Forces base located in Ontario.The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, CFB Borden is the largest training facility in the Canadian Forces...
is nearby. The perception of Barrie is that it is a bedroom community for people who
commuteCommute or commutation may refer to:* Commuting, the process of travelling between a place of residence and a place of work* Commutativity, a property of a mathematical operation* Commutation of sentence, a reduction in severity of punishment...
to
TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
, which is approximately 90 km south of Barrie. However, only 32% of the resident-employed labour force (17,040 persons/53,400 persons) actually commute out of Barrie for employment purposes. In addition to this, 28% of the resident-employed labour force (14,880 persons/53,400 persons) actually commute into Barrie for employment for a net out-commuting figure of only 4.26%(17,040 persons –14,880 persons]/(50,665 persons employed in Barrie)). Source: 2001 Census and City of Barrie Economic Development.
Tourism plays an important role in the local economy. Barrie's
waterfrontWaterfront may refer to the dockland district of a community. It may also mean:In music:*Waterfront , a 1980s British pop duo*Waterfront Records, an Australian record label*"Waterfront" , by Simple Minds...
is at the heart of its tourism industry, with events like the Kempenfest
arts and craftsArts and crafts comprise a whole host of activities and hobbies that are related to making things with one's hands and skill. These can be sub-divided into handicrafts or "traditional crafts" and "the rest"...
festival attracting more than 300,000 people. Recreational activities include
skiingSkiing is a group of sports using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
at nearby
Horseshoe ValleyHorseshoe Valley may refer to:* Horseshoe Valley * Horseshoe Valley * Horseshoe Valley * Horseshoe Valley * Horseshoe Valley * Horseshoe Valley, North Dakota...
,
Snow ValleySnow Valley can refer to:*Snow Valley Ski Club, a ski resort in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada*Snow Valley , a ski resort in Barrie, Ontario, Canada*Snow Valley Mountain Resort, a ski resort in Running Springs, California, United States...
, Mount St.Louis Moonstone, and Blue Mountain as well as
boatingBoating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether power boats, sail boats, or yachts , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or waterskiing...
in Kempenfelt Bay. The city also boasts several beaches including Minet's Point Beach, Johnsons Beach, The Gables, Tyndale Beach, and Centennial Beach. Barrie's waterfront is currently under heavy construction, with the relocation of several roadways to provide more greenspace and parkland along the lakeshore. Being strategically situated between Toronto and Muskoka on
Highway 400The King's Highway 400, more commonly known as Highway 400 or the 400, is a key north-south 400-Series Highway in the Canadian province of Ontario that links the city of Toronto to the central and northern sections of the province...
, Barrie is also considered the gateway to cottage country resort destinations.
Transportation
Barrie is served by highways
400The King's Highway 400, more commonly known as Highway 400 or the 400, is a key north-south 400-Series Highway in the Canadian province of Ontario that links the city of Toronto to the central and northern sections of the province...
and
26Highway 26 is a provincial highway in the Canadian province of Ontario, connecting the cities of Barrie and Owen Sound.- Routing :Highway 26 is Owen Sound and Meaford in the west is not as highly traveled as the tourist area to the east...
(which is known as Bayfield Street within Barrie). Highway 400 goes right through the city on a roughly north-south basis, and highway 26 starts at the 400 interchange with Bayfield St. and runs to the north-west. Barrie was once served by Ontario highways 90,
27Highway 27 refers to a major arterial running through the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada. It is considered an undivided expressway in Toronto's municipal expressway network...
,
131Highway 131 is a former provincial highway of Ontario, located in Simcoe County, Ontario, near Barrie.The road was designated in 1984 as Highway 131; its previous designation was Simcoe County Road 31...
and 11 but after the province downgraded many highways in the late 1990s, these are now known as
Simcoe County Road 90Simcoe County Road 90 originates from Simcoe County Road 10 in Angus, and continues east along the border between Essa and Springwater, where it turns into Dunlop Street in Barrie, at the border of Barrie, Essa and Springwater....
(Dunlop St.),
Simcoe County Road 27Simcoe Road 27 is formerly Ontario Highway 27. After the Highway 400 extensions northeast of Barrie were completed in the 1980s, the section of Highway 27 north of Waverly was re-designated as an extension of Highway 93. In 1998, the road was downgraded to a county road. The section north of...
, Simcoe County Road 30, and the portion of Highway 11 through Barrie is
Simcoe County Road 4Simcoe County Road 4, or locally known as Yonge Street and Barrie Street, is a major north-south county arterial route linking the Town of Bradford-West Gwillimbury and the City of Barrie in Southern Ontario, Canada...
.
Public transit is provided by
Barrie TransitBarrie Transit is the public transport operator for the City of Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Daily operation of the Barrie Transit bus service and Barrie Accessible Community Transportation Service is provided under contract by First Canada.-Routes:...
, which operates several bus routes. Barrie is also served by
GO TransitGO Transit is an interregional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada, currently operated by the provincial crown agency Metrolinx. It primarily serves the conurbation referred to by Metrolinx as the "Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area" with operations extending to several communities...
through a
train stationBarrie South GO Station is a train and bus station in the GO Transit network located in Barrie, Ontario in Canada. It is the northern terminus of the Barrie line train service. It began operating on December 17, 2007, with the first morning train leaving the station at 05:43 that day...
and bus service.
Demographics
The 2006 census metropolitan area found that Barrie and surrounding area has 177,061 residents, which included the City of Barrie (128,430 residents) and its surrounding communities. With the surrounding communities'
urban areaAn urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
, the city has 157,501 residents. The City is attracting people from all over Ontario, Canada and internationally. It is the fastest growing Census Metropolitan Area and one of Canada's fastest growing cities.
From 1996 to 2001, Barrie saw phenomenal growth. According to StatCan, the city grew by 31.0 per cent, the second fastest growing city in the province of Ontario. This is due to both the young population profile, and a growing number of Canadians moving into the city for economic and technological opportunities. The city grew by an average 4.8% per year from 2001 to 2006 (Census).
According to 2006 census data from Statistics Canada, 5.8% of residents in the Barrie CMA are visible minorities.
| Ethnic origin |
Population |
Percentage |
EnglishThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity as a people is of early medieval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn....
|
65,160 |
37.2% |
| Canadian |
58,510 |
33.4% |
ScottishThe Scots people and an ethnic group indigenous to Scotland.An ethnic group, historically they emerged from an amalgamation of Picts, Gaels and Brythons....
|
45,300 |
25.8% |
IrishThe Irish people are a Western European ethnic group who originate in Ireland, in north western Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolgs, Tuatha Dé Danann and the Milesians The Irish...
|
41,390 |
23.6% |
FrenchFrench people can refer to:* The legal residents and citizens of France, regardless of ancestry. For a legal discussion, see French nationality law.* People whose ancestors lived in France or the area that later became France....
|
23,050 |
13.1% |
| Racial Groups |
Population |
Percentage |
| Total visible minority population |
10,130 |
5.8% |
| Black |
2,310 |
1.3% |
| South Asian |
1,900 |
1.1% |
ChineseChinese Canadians are Canadians of Chinese descent and constitute the largest visible minority group in Canada, standing at 1,216,570 which comprises 3.9% of the population in 2006. Out of those 1,216,570 people, 211,145 people were of Chinese and one other ethnic origin.-History:The first record...
|
1,180 |
0.7% |
| Latin American |
1,165 |
0.7% |
FilipinoFilipino Canadians are Asian Canadians who trace their ancestry to the Philippines or Filipino people. Filipino-Canadians are also a subgroup of the Overseas Filipinos....
|
1,075 |
0.6% |
| Southeast Asian |
535 |
0.4% |
| Korean Korean Canadians are Canadians of Korean descent. According to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, there were about 216,628 Koreans or people of Korean descent in Canada as of 2007, making them the 5th-largest group of overseas Koreans...
|
410 |
0.3% |
| Japanese |
350 |
0.2% |
| West Asian |
310 |
0.2% |
| Arab |
300 |
0.2% |
| Visible minority n.i.e |
310 |
0.2% |
| Multiple visible minority |
495 |
0.3% |
| Not a visible minority |
165,205 |
|
Religious Affiliations
| Religious Affiliation |
Total |
| Catholic |
28,385 |
| Protestant |
46,840 |
| Christian Orthodox |
865 |
| Christian, n.i.e. |
2,815 |
| Muslim |
445 |
| Jewish |
340 |
| Buddhist |
205 |
| Hindu |
250 |
| Sikh |
95 |
| Eastern religions |
105 |
| Other religions |
75 |
| No religious affiliation |
21,930 |
Education
Barrie has two major school boards that operate inside the city at a public level. The
Simcoe County District School BoardSimcoe County District School Board, also known as SCDSB is one of Ontario's largest public school boards, serving Simcoe County. The schools and learning centres are dotted throughout 4,800 square kilometres in Simcoe County...
administers a Public education in Barrie and Simcoe County, while the
Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School BoardThe Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board administers and oversees Catholic education from Kindergarten through grade 12, in Simcoe County and the District of Muskoka, in Ontario, Canada. In 2006, it encompassed 42 elementary and 9 secondary school communities...
administers to the Catholic population and serves the Simcoe and Muskoka areas.
Georgian College
Georgian CollegeGeorgian College is an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology. Its primary campus is in Barrie, Ontario, with satellite campuses in Orillia, Midland, Collingwood, Bracebridge, Orangeville, and Owen Sound....
's main campus, with 9,000 full-time students and over 28,000 part-time students, is located in Barrie. As a result, many of the bars and clubs in downtown Barrie are filled with students during the school year. Georgian College also offers various university degree programs in conjunction with
Laurentian UniversityLaurentian University , founded in 1960, is a mid-sized bilingual university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada...
,
York UniversityYork University is a university located in Toronto, Ontario. It is Canada's third-largest university and has produced several of the country's top leaders across the humanities and in sciences such as chemistry, meteorology and space science....
,
Nipissing UniversityNipissing University is a small liberal arts university located in North Bay, Ontario, Canada, on a 720 acre farm site overlooking Lake Nipissing...
, Embry-Riddle University and
Central Michigan UniversityCentral Michigan University is a coeducational state university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan. Nearly 28,000 students are enrolled, of which approximately 20,000 are undergraduates, making the university the fourth largest in Michigan. CMU also has off-campus sites...
.
Municipal
The current mayor of Barrie is
Dave AspdenDavid Aspden is the 41st mayor of Barrie, Ontario.Aspden defeated incumbent Mayor Robert J. Hamilton in the November, 2006 municipal election by a margin of 14,616 to 12,175 votes....
, who was elected in November, 2006, succeeding Rob Hamilton.
Federal representation
| Party |
Member of Parliament |
From |
To |
District |
|
>
ConservativeThe Conservative Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Tories, is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. The party is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
|
Patrick Brown Patrick W. Brown is a Canadian lawyer and politician affiliated with the Conservative Party of Canada. In 2006, Brown was elected to serve in the Canadian parliament representing the riding of Barrie...
|
January 23, 2006 |
present |
BarrieBarrie is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004. It consists of the City of Barrie in the County of Simcoe...
|
Provincial representation
| Party |
Member of Provincial Parliament |
From |
To |
District |
|
>
LiberalThe Ontario Liberal Party is a centrist provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally...
|
Aileen Carroll Margaret Aileen Carroll, PC, MPP is a Canadian politician. Formerly federal Minister for International Cooperation in the Paul Martin government, she is now Ontario's provincial Minister of Culture and Minister Responsible for Seniors.As a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons she...
|
October 10, 2007 |
present |
BarrieBarrie is a provincial electoral district in central Ontario, Canada. It was created for the 2007 provincial election. The entire riding was created from Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford.The riding includes all of the City of Barrie.-Provincial election results:...
|
Culture
In 2008 Barrie city council started electing an exemplary citizen as an honorary Mayor. This occurs on the first day of summer as a symbolic start to the lucrative tourist season in the City.
Michael BarnesMichael Barnes, CM is a Canadian writer who is an authority on the history and folklore of Northern Ontario....
has been recognized as the first recipient for this award.
Barrie is home to a number of live performance companies. The Georgian College is the home of the Gryphon Theatre, which is a professional company and the Huronia Symphony. The Maclaren Art Centre is the home of Theatre by the Bay. Grove Park Home is the practice hall for On Stage Performance Group which performs in Cookstown. Talk is Free Theatre, the Strolling Youth Players, and the Kempenfelt Community Players also all perform in Barrie. In addition, an annual live concert series is hosted by Georgian College.
Barrie is home to many galleries and studios. A Studio tour in the Barrie, Orillia area takes place on the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend every year. It is called the Images Studio Tour and has over 25 artists on average. The self guided tour allows people to visit artists in their working studio and see how the art is created while enjoying the beautiful fall colours driving through the two cities and the countryside. Potters, jewellers, painters, textile artists and fashion designers make up a few of the disciplines of the talents on display.
Barrie is also home to the
MacLaren Art CentreThe MacLaren Art Centre is an art gallery and museum, located in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. It houses many important Canadian works of art, and is the permanent home to a cast of Rodin's The Thinker....
, an innovative art gallery that supports the visual arts in Simcoe County. It inspired the "Art City" project, which has had many different large sculptures installed around the city. These can be found in parks and along the scenic waterfront.
The MacLaren Art Centre is a large and beautiful building on Mulcaster Street in downtown Barrie. International and Canadian artists display in the three main galleries. A permanent collection of art is slowly growing, the Radio Cafe, a gift shop, film nights, speakers, theatre and many children's programs and community art projects are just a small part of the gallery's mandate. This gallery contributes overall to a vibrant arts community in the Barrie area with it leading edge arts. An August Rodin sculpture in bronze called "The Thinker" is housed permanently on the front gardens of the gallery.
On Lakeshore Mews two galleries have opened recently: Gary Owen Gallery and Awkward Gallery. The Gary Owen Gallery specializes in local original art and Awkward Gallery opens its doors to all types of contemporary Canadian art.
Lakeshore mews is quickly becoming a hub of galleries and studios in the downtown area.
Barrie's Downtown Community Theatre is located at the site of the former Scotiabank site at Five Points in downtown Barrie. The Downtown Theatre was renovated in Fall 2008 for interim use by community groups. Currently the Theatre is a "black box" type theatre with risers and seating for 120 people. In spring 2009, the tender process will begin for the multi-million dollar final renovation of the site. The Downtown Theatre is currently the main venue for the Talk Is Free Theatre Company.
Print
There are both a daily and a semi-weekly newspapers in the City of Barrie.
The
Barrie ExaminerThe Barrie Examiner is the daily newspaper for Barrie, Ontario and the surrounding area.-History:The Examiner was founded in 1864. Publisher William Manley Nicholson launched the paper as an alternate to the Northern Advance, which already had a strong political voice in the community of over 3,500...
, established in 1864, is one of Canada's oldest daily newspapers. It is distributed 6 days a week (Monday to Saturday) to paid subscribers and is also delivered to the remainder of the market each Thursday. It features coverage of local and national news, entertainment, weather, sports and local community events. It also sponsors charity golf events and local high school football.
The
Barrie Advance-History:The newspaper was founded in 1987 by Metroland Media Group. Shortly after publishing its first issue, the Advance purchased the former Barrie Banner, a community newspaper with more than 20-years history in the Barrie area...
is a free newspaper established in 1983, delivered twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) to every residence in the city, Springwater Township, and parts of Oro-Medonte. The newspaper contains local news, classifieds, advertisements and flyers.
Television
- Channel 3: CKVR
CKVR-TV, is a television station in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Owned by CTVglobemedia, it is the flagship station of CTVglobemedia's secondary broadcast television system, A, with facilities located at 33 Beacon Road in Barrie...
- A
- Channel 10: Rogers TV, community channel
Radio
- FM 93.1 - CHAY
CHAY-FM is a Canadian radio station based in Barrie, Ontario broadcasting with 100,000 watts at 93.1 on the FM dial. It provides an upbeat adult contemporary format to Simcoe County, including the communities of Orillia, Midland, Collingwood, and dozens of others.-History:CHAY-FM began signed on...
(FM 93), adult contemporary
- FM 95.7 - CFJB
CFJB-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 95.7 FM in Barrie, Ontario. The station broadcasts an active rock format branded as Rock 95.Owned by Rock 95 Broadcasting Ltd., the station launched in 1988...
("Rock 95"), active rockActive rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across Canada and the United States. Active rock plays current rock artists with a mix of classic rock songs.-Format background:...
- FM 100.3 - CJLF
CJLF-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting a Contemporary Christian music format on 100.3 FM in Barrie, Ontario. Using the on-air brand name Life 100.3, the station was founded by Scott Jackson in August 1999 and is owned by Trust Communications....
("Life 100.3"), christian radioChristian radio is a radio format that focuses on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering associated topics...
- FM 101.1 - CIQB
CIQB-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts a Top 40 format at 101.1 FM in Barrie, Ontario The station uses the on-air brand name B101 and broadcasts to Barrie & surrounding areas of Simcoe County, including the communities of Orillia, Midland, Collingwood, and dozens of...
("B101"), hot adult contemporary/CHRContemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the top 40 music charts...
- FM 107.5 - CKMB
CKMB-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 107.5 FM in Barrie, Ontario. The station airs a hot adult contemporary format branded as 107.5 KOOL FM....
("1075 Kool FM"), hot adult contemporary
The area is also served by
TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
radio stations.
Sports
| Club |
League |
Venue |
Established |
Championships |
| Barrie Colts The Barrie Colts are a junior ice hockey team in Ontario Hockey League, based in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. There were two previous Barrie Colts team which played Junior A & B hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association, one from 1907 until 1910 and another from the 1920s to 1940s.-Original Colts:The...
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OHLThe Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
Hockey |
Barrie Molson CentreThe Barrie Molson Centre is a 4,195-seat multi-purpose arena in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. The Barrie Molson Centre, also known as the BMC, held its first ever OHL game on December 31, 1995 when the Barrie Colts hosted the Sudbury Wolves. It is home to the Barrie Colts ice hockey team and the Barrie...
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1995 |
1 |
| Barrie Baycats The Barrie Baycats are an independent, minor league baseball team of the semi-pro Intercounty Baseball League based in Barrie, Ontario. They play their home games at Barrie Metals Stadium at the Barrie Sports Complex outside of Barrie.-Players:...
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IBL The Intercounty Baseball League is a semi-professional baseball organization located in the Canadian province of Ontario. The league was formed in 1919....
Baseball |
Barrie Metals Stadium |
2001 |
1 |
Barrie LakeshoresThe Barrie Lakeshores are Senior "A" box lacrosse team from Barrie, Ontario. The Lakeshores play in the Major Series Lacrosse Senior "A" Lacrosse League.-History:...
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MSL Major Series Lacrosse is a Senior A box lacrosse league based out of Ontario, Canada sanctioned by the Ontario Lacrosse Association. Most of the players in the league play or have played in the National Lacrosse League. Each year, the playoff teams battle for the right to compete against the...
Lacrosse |
Barrie Molson CentreThe Barrie Molson Centre is a 4,195-seat multi-purpose arena in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. The Barrie Molson Centre, also known as the BMC, held its first ever OHL game on December 31, 1995 when the Barrie Colts hosted the Sudbury Wolves. It is home to the Barrie Colts ice hockey team and the Barrie...
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2004 |
N/A |
Equations:
N/A = Information not available at this time
Barrie is also home to the
Mariposa School of SkatingThe Mariposa School of Skating, located in Barrie, Ontario, is a major figure skating training center in Canada.-History:It was founded in Orillia, Ontario in 1973 by Doug Leigh...
which has trained many world-class figure skaters, including
Brian OrserBrian Orser OC is a Canadian retired professional figure skater. He is the 1984 & 1988 Olympic silvermedalist, 1987 World champion and the 1981-1988 Canadian national champion....
,
Elvis StojkoElvis Stojko, MSC, MSM is a Canadian figure skating world champion.-Personal life:His parents named him after Elvis Presley because they were fans of the singer...
and Jeff Buttle.
Recreational facilities
Barrie has many community centres throughout the city. There are a total of nine facilities in Barrie open to the public. Barrie had eleven community facilities until March, 2008 when
City CouncilA city council is the legislative body that governs a city, municipality or local government area.-Australia:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council may vary slightly...
announced it would tear down Barrie's Oldest arena and replace it with a new fire hall.
- Allandale Recreation Centre
- Barrie Sports Complex
- Dorian Parker Centre
- East Bayfield Community Centre
- Eastview Arena
- Holly Community Centre
- Lampman Lane Community Centre
- Parkview Community Centre
- Southshore Community Centre
- Victoria Village
Architecture
- CKVR Television Tower
- Simcoe Hotel
- The Queens Hotel
- Allandale Station
Allandale Station is a historic and now unused train station and large property on the southern shore of Barrie's waterfront.The station was built in 1904 by Richard Scruton, as a replacement to the first station which burned down several years earlier. The location has been vacant for some time....
- Barrie City Hall
- Nautica Condominium
- MacLaren Art Gallery
Notable people and residents
- Perry Anderson
Perry Lynn "Wheels" Anderson is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played ten seasons in the National Hockey League with the St. Louis Blues, New Jersey Devils and San Jose Sharks, and was also a part of the OHA-C, OMJHL, CHL, AHL and the IHL, where he ended his career with the...
, retired NHL hockey player
- Stevie Cameron
Stevie Cameron is a Canadian investigative journalist and author.- Biography :Formerly with the Globe and Mail newspaper and CBC Television's investigative news programme, the fifth estate, Cameron is best known for her 1994 book On the Take: Crime, Corruption and Greed in the Mulroney Years, an...
, investigative journalist
- Ken Carson
Ken is a Mattel toy doll introduced in 1961 as the fictional boyfriend of toy doll Barbie introduced in 1959. Similar to his female counterpart, Ken had a fashionable line of clothing and accessories. In the Barbie mythos, Ken and Barbie met on the set of a TV commercial in 1961...
, retired Athletic Trainer for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Blue Jays; retired General Manager of the Dunedin Blue Jays
- Shayne Corson
Shayne Corson is a retired Canadian professional hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Dallas Stars...
, retired NHL hockey player
- Stockwell Day
Stockwell Burt Day, Jr., PC, MP , is a Canadian politician and a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He is a former cabinet minister in Alberta, and a former leader of the Canadian Alliance. Day is currently MP for the riding of Okanagan—Coquihalla in British Columbia and the Minister of...
, Member of Parliament and former leader of the Canadian AllianceThe Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003...
- Joe DiPenta
Joseph "Joe" DiPenta is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, NHL hockey player
- Kevin Frankish
Kevin Frankish is a Toronto-area media personality. He co-hosts Breakfast Television on Citytv.After getting a diploma in radio and television broadcasting at Canadore College, he started his career at CKNY in North Bay. He also had a nine year stint at The New VR in Barrie, Ontario...
, CitytvCitytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications, and is Canada's largest television system since Canwest's E! closed down on September 1, 2009...
news anchor
- Brent Franklin
Brent Franklin is a Canadian professional golfer.-Biography:Franklin was born in Barrie, Ontario. He was coached in golf by Jack McLaughlin as a youth, and first came to prominence when he won the 1981 Vancouver City Match Play Championship as a 15-year-old amateur, to become the youngest champion...
, professional golfer
- Gary Goodridge
Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge is a professional Super Heavyweight kickboxer and mixed martial artist of Trinidad and Tobago descent, now living and fighting out of Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Goodridge is known for his hard-hitting fighting style and showmanship...
, UFC fighter
- Barry Harris
Barry Harris is a Canadian composer, artist, producer, musician, remixer & DJ. He created the band Kon Kan , who had world-wide top 5 success with "I Beg Your Pardon'. Initially issued on Toronto Indy label Revolving Records, was quickly discovered and signed by Atlantic Records U.S...
, Alias - Kon Kan, OuttaControl, Thunderpuss - Musician
- Ed Harper
Ed Harper is a former Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Simcoe Centre in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 until 1997....
, former Member of Parliament and only MP from the Reform Party of CanadaThe Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a conservative and populist party...
to be elected east of Manitoba
- Ric Jackman, NHL hockey player
- Christopher Mabee
Christopher Mabee is a Canadian retired competitive figure skater. He is the 2007 Canadian national silver medalist. He announced his retirement from competitive skating in December, 2008..-Early career:...
, figure skater
- John Madden, NHL hockey player
- Richard Porritt
Richard Valentine Porritt was a Canadian mining industry executive and an inductee to the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame....
, mining industry executive and inductee in Canadian Mining Hall of FameThe Canadian Mining Hall of Fame aims to recognize the accomplishments of leaders in the mining industry.It was conceived by Maurice R. Brown as a way to recognize and honour the legendary mine finders and builders of this Canadian industry. The Hall was established in 1988...
- Mike Rowbotham
Mike Rowbotham is a Canadian amateur wrestler and professional mixed martial arts fighter. He was the 2007 Canadian juvenile Greco-Roman wrestling champion in the 84 kg weight class.-Biography:...
, Professional Mixed Martial Arts Fighter
- Darren Rumble, retired NHL hockey player
- Darryl Shannon
Darryl Shannon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was drafted 36th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft and as well as the Leafs, he played for the Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, Atlanta Thrashers, Calgary Flames, and the Montreal Canadiens...
, retired NHL hockey player
- Kate Todd
Kate Todd is a Canadian actress, singer and songwriter. She's best known for her role as Lily Randall in Radio Free Roscoe and Sally in Life With Derek.-Early life:...
, Canadian Actress
- Dave Wright
Dave Wright, is a retired Canadian broadcaster.Wright started his broadcasting career in 1950 at CHNO in Sudbury, Ontario but soon moved to CKBB in Barrie as sportscaster and play by play announcer for the Barrie Flyers of the Ontario Hockey Association Junior A league...
, retired broadcaster
- Ray Gariepy
Ray "Rockabye Ray" Gariepy was a hard hitting Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played most of his NHL career with the Boston Bruins. The majority of his career was spent in the AHL....
, retired NHL hockey player
- Greg Johnston
Greg Johnston, Greg Johnston, Greg Johnston, (b. January 14 1965 in Barrie, Ontario, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He played 187 games in the NHL, most of them for the Boston Bruins, but also a few for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has also played in the AHL for various...
, retired NHL hockey player
See also
- Barrie City Council
Barrie City Council is the governing body for the city of Barrie, in Ontario, Canada.The council consists of the Mayor of Barrie and ten councillors, who represent the ten wards of the city...
- Royal Victoria Hospital
The Royal Victoria Hospital, located at 201 Georgian Drive in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, was established in 1891 as the Barrie General Hospital. It was originally opened on Duckworth Street, near Ardagh's Grove, as a small cottage with just four beds....
- Barrie Transit
Barrie Transit is the public transport operator for the City of Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Daily operation of the Barrie Transit bus service and Barrie Accessible Community Transportation Service is provided under contract by First Canada.-Routes:...
External links