Barrie, Ontario
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| City of Barrie | |||
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| Motto: The People are the City, Barrie Means Business (advertising campaign) | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | Canada  |
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| Province | Ontario | ||
| Established (town) | 1837 | ||
| Established (city) | 1853 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Dave Aspden | ||
| - Council | Barrie City Council | ||
| - MPP | Joe Tascona (PCO) | ||
| - MP | Patrick Brown (CPC) | ||
| Area [1][2][3][4] | |||
| - City | 76.99 km² (29.7 sq mi) | ||
| - Urban | 171.52 km² (66.2 sq mi) | ||
| - Metro | 897.47 km² (346.5 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 76 m (249.3 ft) | ||
| Population (2006)[1][2][3][4] | |||
| - City | 128,430 | ||
| - Density | 1,668.14/km² (4,320.5/sq mi) | ||
| - Urban | 157,501 | ||
| - Urban Density | 918.27/km² (2,378.3/sq mi) | ||
| - Metro | 177,061 | ||
| - Metro Density | 197.29/km² (511/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| Postal code | L4M-L4N | ||
| Website: http://city.barrie.on.ca | |||
Barrie is a city of 128,430 residents,[1] the 35 largest municipality in Canada.[2] It is located on Kempenfelt Bay, an arm of Lake Simcoe in Central Ontario, Canada. It is the county seat of Simcoe County.
The city's north and south ends are separated by a deep valley which contains the downtown area along Kempenfelt Bay.
At the north end of Barrie is the Highway 11 and Highway 400 interchange. Many consider this the gateway to northern Ontario resort destinations (referred to as cottage country).
Barrie is also home to the MacLaren Art Centre, 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.
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[edit] History
Barrie at its inception was a train station, which is now disconnected. The city was named in 1832 after Sir Robert Barrie, who was in charge of the naval forces in Canada and frequently had to portage from Lake Simcoe to Georgian Bay through the city. The Underground Railroad in the mid 1800s caused many American slaves to enter Barrie. This contributed to the development (and the name) of nearby Shanty Bay. During World War II the Royal Canadian Navy named a Flower class corvette 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 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 F4 tornado struck Barrie, see United States-Canadian Outbreak for full details.
On 12 June - 13 June 1987, a sculpture called Spirit Catcher by Ron Baird was moved to Barrie from Vancouver, British Columbia, 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.
In January 2004, Barrie made international news when its city police raided the former Molson brewery, and found Canada's largest illegal cannabis grow operation.
Barrie's Park Place (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.
[edit] Geography and climate
Barrie is located in Central Ontario and is accessible via highways 90, 27, 11 and has convenient access to Highway 401, the Highway 407 Express Toll Route and to neighbouring Toronto. Pearson International Airport in Toronto is a 50-minute drive from Barrie via Highway 400, a six lane highway that runs directly through Barrie.
[edit] Topography
Barrie's downtown is situated in a bowl-shaped valley, surrounding the western edge of Kempenfelt Bay. Terrain is generally flat near the city's centre. Moving away from the downtown, the terrain becomes more uneven, with more rolling hills -- some quite steep. Over the years, the city has expanded its urban area beyond the confines of the valley onto higher ground surrounding the city.
The city does not have any major rivers within its limits, but does have numerous creeks and streams, all of which empty into Kempenfelt Bay.
[edit] Climate
Barrie has a temperate climate, with hot humid summers and cold, snowy winters. The proximity to the Great Lakes does help moderate temperatures somewhat. Barrie is located in Ontario's snowbelt region, where lake-effect snowfalls throughout the winter provide an average 238 centimetres (95 inches) of snowfall annually. As a result, there are numerous winter recreation activities and facilities in the surrounding area, including skiing and snowboarding resorts, snowmobile trails and ice fishing.
[edit] Economy
There are several manufacturers currently located in Barrie and Canadian Forces Base Borden is nearby. In recent years Barrie has become a bedroom community for people who commute to Toronto, which is approximately 100km south of Barrie, or (more often) to the northern suburbs of Toronto in York Region.
Tourism plays an important role in the local economy. Barrie's waterfront is at the heart of its tourism industry, with events like the Kempenfest Arts and Crafts festival attracting more than 300,000 people. Recreational activities include skiing at nearby Horseshoe Valley, Snow Valley, Mount St.Louis Moonstone, and Blue Mountain as well as boating 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 parklands along the lakeshore. Being strategically situated between Toronto and Muskoka on Highway 400, Barrie is also considered the gateway to northern Ontario resort destinations (referred to as cottage country).
[edit] Demographics
According to the Canada 2006 Census:
| * Population: | 128,430 (23.8% from 2001) |
| * Land area: | 76.99 km² |
| * Population density: | 1668.1 people/km² |
| * National population rank (Out of 5,008): | Ranked 35th |
| * Median age:† | N/A (males: N/A, females: N/A) |
| * Total private dwellings: | 48,196 |
| * Dwellings occupied by permanent residents: | 46,533 |
| * Mean household income:↑ | $N/A |
References:
Footnotes: ↑ The data has not yet been released and is based on 2001 Census.
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- N/A = Data Not Available
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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 area, the city has 157,501 residents.[3] The city itself had grown at an average 5% a year as it attracts people from all over Ontario. It is one of Canada's fastest growing cities.
Population
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 128,430 |
| 2001 | 103,710 |
| 1996 | 79,191 |
| 1991 | 62,728 |
| 1981 | 38,423 |
Racial Structure
From the years 1996 to 2001, the city of Barrie has seen phenomenal growth. According to StatCan, the city grew by 25.1 per cent, the fastest 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.
In 2001, some 23 per cent of the population is under 14, while 10.9 per cent of the population is of retirement age.
Religious Groups
- 47.0% Protestant
- 27.9% Roman Catholic
- 3.4% other Christian
- 0.32% Jewish
- 0.3% Muslim
- 21.08% other, non-professing
Barrie's Houses Of Worship
- Barrie's Am-Shalom Congregation (Synagogue)[1]
- St. George's Anglican Church [2]
- St. Giles Anglican Church
- St. Margaret's Anglican Church
- Trinity Anglican Church
- St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church
- Kingdom Hall Jehovah's Wittness
[edit] Education
Barrie has two major school boards that operate inside the city at a public level. The Simcoe County District School Board 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.
[edit] High Schools
[edit] Public
- Barrie Central Collegiate Institute
- Barrie North Collegiate Institute
- Bear Creek Secondary School
- Eastview Secondary School
- Innisdale Secondary School
[edit] Catholic
- St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School
- St. Joseph's Catholic High School
- St. Peter Catholic High School
- École Secondaire Catholique Nouvelle-Alliance
[edit] Independent
[edit] Colleges
Georgian College's main campus, with 5,000 full-time students and over 10,000 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.
[edit] Politics
[edit] Mayors and reeves
The current mayor of Barrie is Dave Aspden, who was elected in November, 2006.
[edit] Federal representation
| Party | Member of Parliament | From | To | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16. | Conservative | Patrick Brown | 2006 | present | Barrie |
[edit] Provincial representation
Below is a list of the Members of Provincial Parliament for the ridings that Barrie has been part of since 1968.
| Party | Member of Provincial Parliament | From | To | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Progressive Conservative | Joe Tascona | 2 October 2003 | Incumbent | Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford |
| 2. | Progressive Conservative | Joe Tascona | 3 June 1999 | 1 October 2003 | Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford |
| 3. | Progressive Conservative | Joe Tascona | 8 June 1995 | 2 June 1999 | Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford |
| 4. | New Democrat | Paul Wessenger | 6 September 1990 | 7 June 1995 | Simcoe Centre |
[edit] Twinnings/Friendships
- Twin City:
Zweibrücken, Germany since 1996 - Friendship City:
Murayama, Japan - Friendship City:
Taizhou, China since 2006
[edit] Media
[edit] Print
[edit] Television
[edit] Radio
- FM 93.1 - CHAY, adult contemporary
- FM 95.7 - CFJB ("Rock 95"), active rock
- FM 100.3 - CJLF, Christian
- FM 101.1 - CIQB ("B101"), hot adult contemporary
- FM 107.5 - CKMB ("1075 Kool FM"), hot adult contemporary
[edit] Sports teams
| Club | League | Venue | Established | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrie Colts | OHL Hockey | Barrie Molson Centre | 1995 |
1 |
| Barrie Baycats | IBL Baseball | Barrie Metals Stadium | 2001 | 1 |
Barrie is also home to the Mariposa School of Skating which has trained many world-class figure skaters, including Brian Orser and Elvis Stojko.
[edit] Buildings and structures
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official City of Barrie Website
- Barrie Tourism
- Ontario Plaques: Barrie
- Barrie Area Attractions
- Ontario Highway 11 Homepage - Barrie
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Community Highlights, City of Barrie. Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population (2007-03-13). Retrieved on March 19, 2007.
- ^ a b c Population and dwelling counts, for Canada and census subdivisions (municipalities), (land areas, population density, national population rank and other data) 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data. Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population (2007-03-13). Retrieved on March 19, 2007.
- ^ a b c Barrie Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) with census subdivision (municipal) population breakdowns, land areas and other data. Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population (2007-03-13). Retrieved on March 19, 2007.
- ^ a b Population and dwelling counts, for urban areas (land areas, population density, national population rank and other data), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data. Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population (2007-03-13). Retrieved on March 19, 2007.
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Barrie |
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| Political representation | Dave Aspden (Mayor), Patrick Brown (CPC, MP), Joe Tascona (PCO, MPP) |
| Education | MacLaren Art Centre - Barrie Public Library - Georgian College |
| Events | Live 8 - Kempenfest |
| Hospitals | Royal Victoria Hospital |
 Largest City: Kitchener |
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