Barrie is a city in
Central Ontario, Canada, about north of
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
. The city is within
Simcoe County
Simcoe County is a county and census division located in the central region of Ontario, Canada. The county is located north of the Greater Toronto Area, and forms the north western edge of the Golden Horseshoe. The county seat is located in Mi ...
and located along the shores of
Kempenfelt Bay. Although it is physically in the county, Barrie is politically independent. The city is part of the extended urban area in southern Ontario known as the
Greater Golden Horseshoe. As of the
2021 census, the city's population was 147,829, while the
census metropolitan area
The census geographic units of Canada are the census subdivisions defined and used by Canada's federal government statistics bureau Statistics Canada to conduct the country's quinquennial census. These areas exist solely for the purposes of stat ...
had a population of 212,856 residents.
The area was first settled during the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
as a supply depot for British forces, and Barrie was named after Sir
Robert Barrie. The city has grown significantly in recent decades due to the emergence of the technology industry. It is connected to the Greater Golden Horseshoe by
Ontario Highway 400 and
GO Transit. Significant sectors of the city's diversified economy include education, healthcare, information technology and manufacturing.
History
Before 1900
Barrie is situated on the traditional land of the
Wendat and
Anishinaabe
The Anishinaabe (alternatively spelled Anishinabe, Anicinape, Nishnaabe, Neshnabé, Anishinaabeg, Anishinabek, Aanishnaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples in the Great Lakes region of C ...
g peoples.
At its inception, Barrie was an establishment of houses and warehouses at the foot of the
Nine Mile Portage from
Kempenfelt Bay to
Fort Willow, an indigenous transportation route that existed centuries before Europeans arrived in
Simcoe County
Simcoe County is a county and census division located in the central region of Ontario, Canada. The county is located north of the Greater Toronto Area, and forms the north western edge of the Golden Horseshoe. The county seat is located in Mi ...
.
The portage linked Kempenfelt Bay through Willow Creek, connecting
Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe is a lake in southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly within the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century, the lake was called ''Ouentir ...
to the
Nottawasaga River which flows into
Georgian Bay off
Lake Huron.
Barrie played an integral role in the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
. During the war, the city became a
supply depot for British forces and, in addition, the Nine Mile Portage was adopted by the British military as a key piece of their supply line which provided a strategic path for communication, personnel and vital supplies and equipment to and from Fort Willow and Georgian Bay/Lake Huron. Today, the Nine Mile Portage is marked by signs along roads in Barrie and in
Springwater Township. The scenic path from Memorial Square to Fort Willow is accessible to visitors year-round.
In 1815,
Treaty 16 was signed, which transferred 250,000 acres of land from the
Chippewa people to the colonial government.
In 1818, Treaty 18 was signed, which resulted in the surrender of an additional 1,592,000 acres of land.
The British supply depot would continue to prove useful for portaging Europeans and settlers making their way to northern and western
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada () was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the Province of Queb ...
.
The city was named in 1833 after
Sir Robert Barrie, who was in charge of the naval forces in Canada and frequently commanded forces through the city and along the Nine Mile Portage. Barrie was also the final destination for a branch of the
Underground Railroad. In the mid-19th century, this network of secret routes allowed many American slaves to enter Barrie and the surrounding area. This contributed to the development (and name) of nearby
Shanty Bay. In 1846, the population of Barrie was roughly 500, mostly from England, Ireland and Scotland. A private school, three churches, a brick courthouse and a limestone jail, (built in 1842), were in operation. Local businesses included three
taverns, six stores, three
tanneries, a wagon maker, a bakery, a cabinet maker and six shoemakers, as well as a bank.
By 1869, Barrie became the county seat of Simcoe County, flourishing with a population of over 3,000 people. With this population increase came the establishment of prominent businesses and landmarks. In 1850, Edward Marks had established the Barrie Hotel (now called the Queen's Hotel), the oldest continuously running hotel in Barrie, James and Joseph Anderton established the Anderton Brewery in 1869, which would go on to be one of Barrie's largest employers for years, and Edmund Lally opened one of the Canadian Bank of Commerce's original branches in Barrie in 1867. A line of the
Northern Railway was opened in 1853, connecting Barrie with Toronto and several other municipalities in Simcoe County and
Muskoka. The
Hamilton and North-Western Railway (H&NW) also ran through Barrie, and the two railways would eventually reorganize into the Northern and North Western Railway in June 1879.
Allandale Station was the primary train station serving Barrie at the time. The
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway (; ) was a Rail transport, railway system that operated in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and in the List of states and territories of the United States, American sta ...
purchased the original Northern Railway in 1888, and the line serving Barrie would become a branch of the
Canadian National Railway (CNR). Throughout the latter of the 19th century,
steamship
A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...
s ran from Barrie to the
Muskoka Territory,
Orillia and other communities and stages were taking passengers to
Penetanguishene.
The period of 1870 to 1890 defined Barrie's downtown development with a series of raging fires that sequentially destroyed multiple landmarks, giving rise to the moniker that Barrie was "among the best burning towns in Canada."
Many local businesses like breweries, tanneries and sawmills depended on fire to operate, endangering the ramshackle assortment of wooden homes and buildings that made up the city centre.
One of the most destructive fires came in mid-1875 when the entire section north of Dunlop Street to Collier Street, bounded by Clapperton and Owen Streets, was reduced to ash, destroying around 20 local businesses.
20th century
In the next century, the modern streets and buildings of Barrie began to take form in a massive rebuilding process. Other landmarks to eventually burn down over the years include the Queen's Hotel (1915) and two of Barrie's largest and most prominent companies; the Sevigny Carriage Shop and the Anderton Brewery in 1916.
During the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, residents of Barrie helped to construct
Canadian Forces Base Borden (CFB Borden) as a means of additional support and to serve as a major training centre of
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF; French: ''Corps expéditionnaire canadien'') was the expeditionary warfare, expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed on August 15, 1914, following United Kingdom declarat ...
battalions. The base would open on July 11, 1916, and since then has become the largest Canadian Forces Base in Canada, playing an important role through the remainder of the war by training some 350,000 troops for deployment in Europe. During World War II, the
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...
named a .
On September 7, 1977, a private aircraft, owned by Falconbridge Nickel Mines Ltd, dropped altitude to in dense fog and struck CKVR's transmitter tower, killing all five people aboard the plane and destroying the tower and antenna. The station's auxiliary tower was also destroyed with damage to the main studio building. CKVR returned to the air on September 19 at a reduced power of 40,000 watts until a new tower was built in 1978.
The 1980s and 1990s was a period of substantial growth for Barrie, with the population tripling in the span of 25 years. In 1981, the city had a population of 38,423; in 2006, Barrie had 128,430 residents living within city limits. The first larger scale developments would begin during this time, including high-density waterfront condos and the new Barrie City Hall which started construction in October 1985.
On May 31, 1985, Barrie was struck by a
devastating F4 tornado that killed eight people. Over 600 homes were damaged or destroyed by the tornado, and of those roughly one-third were rendered uninhabitable. About 155 people were also injured during the storm, and the tornado remains today one of the most destructive and violent in Canadian history. The tornado caused $150 million (1985
CAD), equivalent to $326 million CAD as of 2022.
Between June 12–13, 1987, a sculpture called ''
Spirit Catcher'' by
Ron Baird was moved to Barrie from
Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, where it had been exhibited as part of
Expo '86. The sculpture was permanently erected at the foot of Maple Avenue on the shore of Kempenfelt Bay and has since become a major Barrie landmark and tourist attraction. However, with the re-development along the waterfront and Lakeshore Drive, the city is considering moving the Spirit Catcher to a gravel outcropping at the foot of Bayfield Street.
21st century
On January 12, 2004, the former
Molsons plant was found to be home to an illegal marijuana grow-op housing an estimated 30,000 marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $30 million (~$ in ); at the time, it was the largest marijuana grow-op bust in Canada's history.
Barrie's
Park Place (formerly Molson Park) was chosen to host
Live 8 Canada on July 2, 2005. The overall success of the concert helped support a plan to convert the former
Molson Park lands into a commercial district. Construction of Park Place began in 2008 but was temporarily interrupted by the
Great Recession
The Great Recession was a period of market decline in economies around the world that occurred from late 2007 to mid-2009. and an
Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) appeal that proposed a rezoning of the Park Place lands that was initially denied by the City of Barrie. Construction resumed in 2010.

An explosion in the Royal Thai restaurant, housed in the landmark Wellington Hotel at the "Five Points" intersection in downtown Barrie, occurred at 11:20pm on December 6, 2007. The fire quickly spread to several neighbouring buildings and firefighters battled the blaze well into the following morning, requiring assistance from other Simcoe County fire services. Officials estimated the damages to be in the millions. The 100-year-old Wellington Hotel building collapsed later in the morning.
On February 17, 2008, two people were charged in connection with the fire after the Ontario Fire Marshal's office concluded the explosion and subsequent fire were the result of arson.
In 2013, Barrie was
twinned with the English town of
Harrogate
Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and civil parish in the North Yorkshire District, district and North Yorkshire, county of North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist de ...
as a result of Sir Robert Barrie's close connection to it.
On July 15, 2021, a tornado struck neighbourhoods in south Barrie, leaving several people injured and causing serious damage to property. Environment Canada categorized it as an EF2 on the
Enhanced Fujita scale
The Enhanced Fujita scale (abbreviated EF-Scale) is a scale that rates tornado intensity based on the severity of the damage a tornado causes. It is used in the United States and France, among other countries. The EF scale is also unofficially ...
.
Geography
Barrie is located in the central portion of southern Ontario, approximately north of
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
within the Greater
Golden Horseshoe subregion. It is accessible via Highways
26,
400
__NOTOC__
Year 400 (Roman numerals, CD) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Stilicho and Aurelianus (consul 400), Aurelianus (or, less frequently, year ...
and
11 and has convenient access to
Highway 401, the
Highway 407 Express Toll Route and to neighbouring Toronto.
Toronto Pearson International Airport is less than a one-hour drive from Barrie via Highway 400.
Barrie's historic downtown area 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 up the valley slopes toward the city's north and south ends, the terrain can be rather steep in some areas. The minimum elevation of Barrie is around the shores of Kempenfelt Bay and the maximum elevation is northwest of the
Lake Simcoe Regional Airport.
Barrie falls into Plant Hardiness Zone 5b. 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.
Intraurban communities

* Allandale
* Ardagh Bluffs
* Craighurst
* Cundles
* Dalston
* Downtown
* Eastview
* Ferndale
* Holly
* Horseshoe Valley
* Letitia Heights
* Little Lake
* Minet's Point
* Painswick
* St. Paul's
* The Grove
Expansion
Barrie has been designated an Urban Growth Centre by the province of Ontario. As one of the fastest growing cities in Canada, this designation aims to mitigate urban sprawl and concentrate higher-density development in areas specified by the City of Barrie. Its population growth can be attributed to the emergence of the city as a bedroom community for Toronto. In 1991, Barrie had a population of 62,728 and by 2017, Barrie had an estimated population of 147,000. By 2031, the city's population is expected to exceed 200,000 people. To plan for the continued growth of the city, Barrie successfully annexed of land from the neighbouring Town of
Innisfil to the south and southeast on January 1, 2010. The annexation comprised lands south beyond McKay Road and west of the 10th Sideroad, and as far south as Lockhart Road on the east side of the 10th Sideroad. The annexation allows Barrie to meet its future population needs without having to extend into the countryside north, east and west of the city. Intensification and infilling are simultaneously being undertaken in and near the downtown core to foster a more active urban environment within the city.
Climate
Barrie has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(
Köppen climate classification ''Dfb''), with warm, humid summers, and cold, snowy winters.
Winters are cold with frequent snowfall, the January average high temperature being , with a mean temperature of . Barrie is located in a
snowbelt, a region that experiences regular lake-effect snow every year. Snow squalls are a common occurrence between November and January when the water temperature is often higher than the cold air passing over
Lake Huron and
Georgian Bay. The city averages of snow annually, the brunt of which coming from lake-effect snow events.
Alberta clippers and
Colorado lows also generate ample snowfall in the region. Snow cover begins to build by the end of November, accumulating through December, and then lies through the end of February. March sees the spring thaw commence, with the snow cover being essentially gone by the beginning of April. Temperatures commonly drop to and occasionally drop to on the coldest nights of the year.
Summers in Barrie are warm with sometimes short stretches of hot, humid conditions. The average temperature in July is .Thunderstorms are very common in the summer months in Barrie due to the city being in a Great Lakes breeze
convergence zone. Also a result, there storms are occasionally severe, bringing with them torrential rain, very strong winds and hail. Tornadoes are generally rare in the city however the deadly
F4 rated Tornado did strike Barrie. In July 2021, an EF2 Tornado also hit the city. Barrie's average frost-free period is from May 26 to September 16, allowing a growing season of 113 days.
Precipitation falls year round but is typically heaviest in the summer months due to thunderstorm activity. The driest months are February through April, receiving around of precipitation each month per annum. The wettest months are August and September, seeing upwards of of precipitation each month. November is also a wet month, receiving of precipitation in the form of both rain and snow. October remains relatively dry in comparison to the months preceding and succeeding it. Despite this however, October has the most precipitation days and rainy days out of every month with 15.6 and 15.5 respectively.
The coldest temperature ever recorded in Barrie was on January 8, 1886.
The hottest temperature ever recorded was on July 5, 1911.
Demographics
In the
2021 Census of Population conducted by
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. It is headquartered in ...
, Barrie had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.
At the
census metropolitan area
The census geographic units of Canada are the census subdivisions defined and used by Canada's federal government statistics bureau Statistics Canada to conduct the country's quinquennial census. These areas exist solely for the purposes of stat ...
(CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Barrie CMA had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.
Ethnicity
As of the 2021 census Barrie was approximately 77.9% white, 17.1%
visible minorities and 5.0%
Indigenous. The largest visible minority groups in the city were South Asian (4.4%), Black (3.9%), Latin American (2%), Chinese (1.6%) and Filipino (1.4%).
*Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses.
Religion
According to the 2021 Census, Barrie was 52.5% Christian, down from 66.3% in 2011. 23.6% of Barrie residents were
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, 15.9% were
Protestants
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
, 8.2% were Christians of unspecified denomination, and 1.5% were
Christian Orthodox. Adherents to other denominations of Christianity and Christian-related traditions accounted for 3.4% of the population. 40.8% of Barrie residents were nonreligious/secular, up from 31.0% in 2011. All other religions and spiritual traditions combined make up 6.7% of residents. The largest non-Christian religions in Barrie are
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
(2.5%),
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
(1.5%), and
Sikhism
Sikhism is an Indian religion and Indian philosophy, philosophy that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. It is one of the most recently founded major religious groups, major religio ...
(0.8%).
Economy
*
Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre
*
Georgian College and the associated University Partnership Centre and Centre for Health and Wellness
* City of Barrie
*
County of Simcoe
*
Simcoe County District School Board
Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB, known as English-language Public District School Board No. 17 and Simcoe County Board Of Education prior to 1999) is an Ontario, Canada, English speaking public school board, serving Simcoe County. The ...
*
TD Canada Trust and
TD Waterhouse Regional Centre
* TD Canada Trust Technology and Operations Centre
*
Scotiabank Regional Centre
*
BMO Data Centre
*
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...
Canada Leadership Data Centre
*
The Source Distribution Centre
*
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...
Bottling Company
*
Canadian Mental Health Association – Simcoe
*
Hydro One Ontario Grid Control Centre
Notwithstanding these major employers, Barrie has increasingly been perceived as a
bedroom community
A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...
for the City of
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, which is approximately south of Barrie. In recent decades however Barrie's economy has diversified, and the local population's reliance on commuting to Toronto has decreased. The city's economy is rooted in
retail
Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is the sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholes ...
,
education
Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...
,
healthcare
Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...
, services,
manufacturing
Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the
secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer ...
and
technology
Technology is the application of Conceptual model, conceptual knowledge to achieve practical goals, especially in a reproducible way. The word ''technology'' can also mean the products resulting from such efforts, including both tangible too ...
. Major employers in the city include the
Simcoe County District School Board
Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB, known as English-language Public District School Board No. 17 and Simcoe County Board Of Education prior to 1999) is an Ontario, Canada, English speaking public school board, serving Simcoe County. The ...
with 6,000 employees along with the
Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board with 3,400 employees,
Georgian College with 2,500 employees and the
Royal Victoria Hospital with 2,465 employees.
Barrie has emerged as a growing tech-hub with several companies such as
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...
and
BMO constructing data centres in the city. Although not as prominent as cities like
Markham or
Waterloo in the tech industry, Barrie is considered one of the best high-tech centres in the country for small markets.
Tourism
Tourism plays an important role in the local economy. Barrie's historic downtown and
waterfront are at the heart of its tourism industry. Downtown Barrie has a number of older buildings that have been kept up over the years or given new facades that exemplify their historical importance. Several specialty shops, boutiques, pubs and restaurants are located throughout downtown Barrie, including along Dunlop Street East. Downtown Barrie is becoming well known for its fashion boutiques, local art, live theatre, indie-music and nightlife scenes. In addition, downtown Barrie is home to several annual festivals and events such as The Barrie Waterfront Festival, Barrielicious, Winterfest, Celebrate Barrie, Ecofest, Jazz & Blues Festival, Promenade Days, Ribfest and Craft Beer Show, Caribfest, Lawnchair Luminata,
Kempenfest, The New Music Festival,
Barrie Film Festival, Santa Claus Parade and the New Year's Countdown.
In the summer months, the city has several beaches including Minet's Point Beach, Johnsons Beach, The Gables, Tyndale Beach, and Centennial Beach. Boating is also popular in Kempenfelt Bay and Lake Simcoe as it connects to the
Trent Severn Waterway. In 2011, Barrie's waterfront was under redevelopment, with the relocation of several roadways to provide more greenspace and parkland along the lakeshore. There are a number of winter recreation activities and facilities in the surrounding area, including skiing, snow tubing and snowboarding resorts, snowmobile, snowshoe and Nordic skiing trails, and ice fishing. Recreational activities include skiing at nearby
Horseshoe Resort,
Snow Valley,
Mount St. Louis Moonstone,
Blue Mountain and
Hardwood Ski and Bike.
Arts and culture

Barrie is home to a number of performing and fine art venues. There are a number of live performance companies including Theatre by the Bay, Talk Is Free Theatre and the Huronia Symphony. Grove Park Home is the practice hall for On-Stage Performance Group which performs in
Cookstown. 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.
Performing arts
There are two main
performing arts
The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...
venues in the city: the Five Points Theatre, and the Georgian Theatre. Originally, the Five Points Theatre was known as The Mady Centre For The Performing Arts, but it was renamed in January 2018. It is located in Barrie's downtown at the Five Points intersection and was completed in 2011. This modern facility is home to many professional and amateur cultural productions,
film screenings, theatrical
plays, concerts,
dance recitals and other performances. It is also the main venue for Theatre by the Bay and the Talk Is Free Theatre Companies. The venue features a flexible stage area with lighting and sound for professional theatre, music, dance, and other presentations, an automated riser/seating system with capacity for 120-200 seats and a sprung performance floor.
The Georgian Theatre is a professional performing arts facility located in Barrie's north end on the campus of Georgian College. The theatre features a proscenium stage, sound, lights, fly gallery and seating for 427 on the main level, with three pods that can be used to increase the seating capacity to 690. The Theatre is used both for theatrical and non-theatrical activity, including conferences and seminars.
Galleries

The prominent
MacLaren Art Centre is located in Barrie. This is an
art gallery that 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 waterfront.
Barrie is also home to many independent galleries and studios. A concentration of independent galleries, studios and boutiques is located in Lakeshore Mews. This area is located behind the downtown's Dunlop Street. Lakeshore Mews artists also organize the annual "Arts ce Soir"; an all-night contemporary art event in celebration of visual, musical, theatrical and literary art.
In addition, 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.
Potters,
jewellers,
painters,
textile artists and
fashion design
Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has varied over time and place. "A fashion design ...
ers make up a few of the disciplines of the talents on display.
Festivals
Barrie is home to
Kempenfest; one of the largest outdoor arts and crafts celebrations in Ontario. This festival occurs annually over the August long weekend and features over 300 artisans, an antique show, food demonstrations, children's activities and live entertainment, including an indie-music stage.
Since 2021, Barrie has held Open Air Dunlop, in which Dunlop Street downtown is temporarily
pedestrianized to attract visitors to the downtown area.
Groups
Some of the main arts and culture groups in the city include:
* Barrie Art Club
* Barrie Concert Band
*
Barrie Film Festival
* Barrie Folk Society
* Campus Gallery
* Caribbean Culture Institute
* Huronia Symphony Orchestra
* Kempenfelt Community Players
* King Edward Choir
* Lyrica Chamber Choir
* Simcoe Contemporary Dancers
* Talk Is Free Theatre
* Theatre By The Bay
* Kiwanis
Attractions
Barrie has numerous recreational venues and community centres throughout the city:
* Allandale Recreation Centre
*
Barrie Community Sports Complex
*
Barrie Public Library
* Dorian Parker Centre
* East Bayfield Community Centre
* Eastview Arena
* Holly Community Centre
* Lampman Park
* Lampman Lane Community Centre
* Parkview Community Centre
* Southshore Community Centre
* Victoria Village
* YMCA of Barrie
* Shak's World Community Centre
Sports
Barrie is also home to the
Mariposa School of Skating, which has trained many world-class figure skaters, including
Brian Orser,
Elvis Stojko and
Jeffrey Buttle.
Government
Municipal

The current mayor of Barrie is
Alex Nuttall, who was elected in October 2022, succeeding
Jeff Lehman.
Provincial
Federal
Military
Barrie has a long military history dating back to at least the Nine Mile Portage of the War of 1812. By the time of the
1837 Rebellion, Simcoe County had a sufficient population to form a
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
of
Sedentary Militia of almost 600 strong. This battalion was involved in marching suspected rebels down Yonge Street to Toronto in order to face justice. By 1855, Barrie was home to an
independent company of Rifle Company of militia, followed in 1863 by a company of Infantry. These companies served during the
Fenian Raids. With the Militia Act of 1866, the companies in Barrie were respectively organized as Number 1 and Number 5 companies, in the newly formed 35th Battalion of Infantry (Simcoe Foresters), gazetted on September 14, 1866.
In 1885, four companies from the 35th Simcoe Foresters, including those from Barrie, along with four companies from the 12th York Battalion came together to form the York-Simcoe Battalion. This specially raised battalion served in
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West, or Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a list of regions of Canada, Canadian region that includes the four western provinces and t ...
during the
North-West Rebellion, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel W.E. O'Brien of
Shanty Bay, Ontario. For its efforts, The Simcoe Foresters received its first
Battle Honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or Military operation, operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In ...
"North West Canada 1885". Citizens of Barrie would next volunteer for military service during the
Boer War in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
from 1899 to 1902. It was during this conflict that at the
Battle of Paardeberg
The Battle of Paardeberg or Perdeberg ("Horse Mountain", 18–27 February 1900) was a major battle during the Second Anglo-Boer War. It was fought near ''Paardeberg Ford (crossing), Drift'' on the banks of the Modder River in the Orange Free St ...
, the citizens of Barrie and The Simcoe Foresters suffered their first fatal casualty, Private James Halkett Findlay. Private Findlay was killed-in-action on February 18, 1900, while serving with C Company of the 2nd Battalion
Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry.
In 1914, the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
broke out and many citizens of Barrie were quick to volunteer for service overseas with The Simcoe Foresters. Late the following year, the Regiment was tasked with raising two overseas battalions, the
157th Battalion (Simcoe Foresters), CEF and the
177th Battalion (Simcoe Foresters), CEF. In the spring of 1916, the Barrie and
Collingwood companies of the 157th Battalion began clearing the land for the construction of a new military camp on the Simcoe Pines Plain — Camp Borden (now
CFB Borden). This began Barrie's long friendship with the Base, hence the reason CFB Borden was used for ''
Canada's Worst Driver 2'' and ''
Canada's Worst Driver 5.''
With a re-organization of the Canadian Militia between the two world wars, The Simcoe Foresters, headquartered in Barrie, were amalgamated in 1936 with the Grey Regiment, headquartered at
Owen Sound
Owen Sound (2021 Canadian Census, 2021 Census population 21,612) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The county seat, seat of government of Grey County, it is located at the mouths of the Pottawatomi River, Pottawatomi and Sydenham River ...
, Ontario. This event created the present-day regiment of
The Grey and Simcoe Foresters, which is headquartered at the Armoury in Queen's Park, downtown Barrie. With the outbreak of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in 1939, citizens of Barrie volunteered for service overseas with The Grey and Simcoe Foresters, the Royal Canadian Navy and the
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Can ...
. The City of Barrie sponsored a ship in the Royal Canadian Navy, HMCS ''Barrie'', a Flower-class corvette.
Transportation
Airports
There are no major airports with scheduled flights near Barrie (the closest being
Toronto Pearson International Airport, located in
Mississauga
Mississauga is a Canadian city in the province of Ontario. Situated on the north-western shore of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, it borders Toronto (Etobicoke) to the east, Brampton to the north, Milton to the northwest, ...
). There are a few airports that are used for light aviation aircraft:
*
Lake Simcoe Regional Airport
*
Barrie/Little Lake Water Aerodrome
*
Springwater (Barrie Airpark) Aerodrome
Roads
Barrie is served by Provincial
Highway 400, which acts as the primary route between Barrie and Toronto. Highway 400 bisects the city on a roughly north–south basis.
Highway 26, also located in the city, is the main route to the Collingwood area and is known as Bayfield Street within the city limits. Barrie was once served by
Highway 27,
Highway 90,
Highway 93,
Highway 131 and
Highway 11. However, the province downgraded many highways in 1997 and 1998; these highways are now known as
Simcoe County Road 27,
Simcoe County Road 90 (Dunlop Street), and
Simcoe County Road 93.
The portion of Highway 11 through Barrie is known as
Yonge Street
Yonge Street ( ') is a major arterial route in the Canadian province of Ontario connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Great Lakes#Geography, Upper Great Lakes. Ontario's first colonial administrator, ...
, though it is actually part of the
Penetanguishene Road. Major arterial roads within the city include Mapleview Drive, Ferndale Drive, 10th Line, Big Bay Point Road, Essa Road, Huronia Road, Bayfield Street, Cundles Road, Anne Street, Dunlop Street, Livingstone Street, Duckworth Street, Wellington Street and St. Vincent Street.
Public transit
Public transport is provided by
Barrie Transit, which operates numerous bus routes within the city. Accessible transit is offered by booking with city run
Barrie Accessible Community Transportation Service. Most regular bus routes operated by Barrie Transit are accessible using low floor vehicles.
Barrie also has GO Trains and Buses.
Commuter rail
GO Transit connects the city to the
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the Toronto, City of Toronto and the regional municipality, regional municipalities of Regional Municipality of Durham, Durham, Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton, Regional ...
through daily train service along the
Barrie line, with trains operating from the
Allandale Waterfront GO Station and the
Barrie South GO Station. This is primarily a commuter rail service to the GTA, with southbound trips to Toronto's
Union Station
A union station, union terminal, joint station, or joint-use station is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway company, railway companies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently bet ...
in the morning rush hour and northbound trips in the evening rush hour. Limited weekend service to and from Toronto is also operated. Barrie was once a
stop for the Northlander train but re-routing resulted in the termination of service. The former Barrie station serving the Northlander still exists north of the Allandale GO Station.
Intercity and commuter buses
In addition to train service,
GO Transit offers daily commuter-oriented bus service to the Greater Toronto Area.
Ontario Northland operates bus routes from various locations to and from Barrie. All inter-urban buses operate from the
Barrie Transit Terminal at 24 Maple Street.
Barrie once had been served by various private interurban bus lines such as
Penetang-Midland Coach Lines and
Greyhound Canada, which ran buses between Barrie and Toronto's
Yorkdale Bus Terminal. Greyhound operated QuickLink commuter service from Barrie to Toronto seven days a week. In the past
Gray Coach offered service from Toronto to Barrie; the route was later acquired by Greyhound. Greyhound Canada ended all service in Ontario on May 13, 2021.
Barrie is also served by
Simcoe County LINX, which provides services between municipalities within Simcoe County, including Orillia, Midland and Penetanguishine.
Passenger rail
Historically, Barrie was served by scheduled passenger rail service. Allandale Station was a stop for the
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway (; ) was a Rail transport, railway system that operated in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and in the List of states and territories of the United States, American sta ...
,
Canadian National Railway and
Via Rail
Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via (stylized as VIA Rail), is a Canadian Crown corporation that operates intercity passenger rail service in Canada.
As of December 2023, Via Rail operates 406 trains per week across eight ...
. In addition,
Ontario Northland's
Northlander used the station as a stop, as did
CN Rail/Via Rail (namely
The Canadian). Regular passenger rail service to the station ended in the 1980s and has largely been replaced by regional/commuter rail service.
Education
Barrie has two major English school boards that operate inside the city at a public level. The
Simcoe County District School Board
Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB, known as English-language Public District School Board No. 17 and Simcoe County Board Of Education prior to 1999) is an Ontario, Canada, English speaking public school board, serving Simcoe County. The ...
administers a public education in Barrie and Simcoe County, while the
Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board administers to the Catholic population and serves the Simcoe and Muskoka areas. It also has two French school boards,
Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (formerly Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud), the Catholic board, and
Conseil scolaire Viamonde (CSV, formerly Conseil Scolaire de District du Centre-Sud-Ouest), the secular board. There are also several private schools both for K-8 and K-12.
High schools
*
Barrie North Collegiate Institute
*
Bear Creek Secondary School
*
Eastview Secondary School
* École secondaire catholique Nouvelle-Alliance
*
Innisdale Secondary School
* Maple Ridge Secondary School
*
St. Joseph's High School
* St. Joan of Arc High School
*
St. Peter's Catholic Secondary School
* École secondaire Roméo-Dallaire
*
Unity Christian High School
Georgian College
Georgian College's main campus, with over 10,000 full-time students and approximately 25,000 part-time students, is located in Barrie.
Media
Online
Village Media operates BarrieToday.com.
Print
There are both semi-weekly and monthly newspapers serving the City of Barrie. The ''
Barrie Advance'', published by
Metroland Media Group, is a free newspaper established in 1983 and delivered weekly (on Thursdays) to every residence in the city as well as residents of Springwater Township and parts of Oro-Medonte. The newspaper contains local news, classifieds, advertisements and flyers. ''Barrie Business'' is a free newsprint publication covering local and regional business news. Published monthly and distributed to every business in the City of Barrie through Canada Post, it seeks to highlight and support Barrie's local business community and events. The ''
Barrie Examiner'', established in 1864, was one of Canada's oldest daily newspapers. It was distributed five days a week (Tuesday to Saturday) to paid subscribers and also delivered to the remainder of the market free on Thursdays. The ''Examiner'' was one of several
Postmedia Network
Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (also known as Postmedia Network, Postmedia News or Postmedia) is an American-owned Canadian-based media conglomerate consisting of the publishing properties of the former Canwest, with primary operations in En ...
newspapers purchased by
Torstar in a transaction between the two companies in 2017. Following the acquisition, Torstar subsidiary
Metroland Media Group announced the closure of the paper effective November 27, 2017.
Radio
Local radio stations serving Barrie and area include:
Other radio stations from Orillia, Midland, Newmarket, Toronto and the surrounding areas can also be heard in Barrie.
Television
CKVR-DT (currently part of the
CTV 2 television system) is the only local television station in Barrie. It produces approximately 1.30 hours of local news on weekdays and 1 hour of local news on weekends.
Television stations and rebroadcasters based in the vicinity of Barrie Region are:
Notable people
*
Brent Burns (born 1985), professional ice hockey defenceman for the
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Con ...
*
Matthew Di Leo (born 1995), racing driver
*
Mark Dilley (born 1969), racing driver
*
Mitchell Hooper (born 1995), strongman and winner of
2023 World's Strongest Man
*
Rebecca Hornbrook (born 1975), atmospheric chemist at the
National Center for Atmospheric Research
*
Michael Hutchinson (born 1990), professional ice hockey goaltender
*
Gordon Meeking (born 1890), retired NHL player
*
Slava Pastuk (born 1990), music journalist and author of ''
Bad Trips''
*
Darrin Shannon (born 1969), retired NHL player
*
Darryl Shannon (born 1968), retired NHL player
*
Daniel Vandervoort (born 1994), CFL wide receiver
*
Samantha Win (born 1991), actress and martial artist
See also
*
Barrie Police Service
*
Barrie Speedway
*
Georgian Mall
Georgian Mall is the largest mall in Barrie, Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's mo ...
*
Sandy Hollow Landfill
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Cities in Ontario
Single-tier municipalities in Ontario
Populated places on Lake Simcoe