Barrie, Ontario
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| City of Barrie | |||
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| Motto: The People are the City | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | Canada | ||
| Province | Ontario | ||
| County | Simcoe | ||
| Number of Wards | 10 | ||
| Established (town) | 1837 | ||
| Established (city) | 1853 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Dave Aspden | ||
| - Council | Barrie City Council | ||
| - MPP | Aileen Carroll (LIB) | ||
| - MP | Patrick Brown (CON) | ||
| 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 | ||
| Twin Cities | |||
| - Zweibrücken | Germany | ||
| - Murayama | Japan | ||
| - Taizhou | China | ||
| Website: http://city.barrie.on.ca | |||
Barrie is a city of 128,430 residents,[1] the 35th largest municipality in Canada.[2] It is located on Kempenfelt Bay, an arm of Lake Simcoe in Central Ontario, Canada. 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.
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 small group of houses and warehouses at the foot of the Nine Mile Portage from Kempenfeldt Bay to Fort Willow. The city was named in 1833 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 allowed 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, during the The "Barrie" Tornado Outbreak of 1985.
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.[5] 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. [6][7] 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.[8]
[edit] Geography
Barrie is located in Central Ontario and is accessible via Highways 90, 400, 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 one hour drive from Barrie via Highway 400, a six lane highway that runs directly through Barrie.
[edit] Topography
Barrie's downtown is situated in a 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.
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.
[edit] 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. 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 is well known for heavy thunderstorm activity in late spring and summer and more occasionaly, funnel clouds and tornados.
[edit] Economy
There are several manufacturers located in Barrie and Canadian Forces Base Borden is nearby. The perception of Barrie is that it is 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. 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 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 parkland 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[9]:
| • Population: | 128,430 (23.8% from 2001) |
| • Land area: | 76.99 km² (29.73 sq mi) |
| • Population density: | 1,668.1 inhabitants per square kilometre (4,320 /sq mi) |
| • 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 |
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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 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 has seen 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).
In 2001, some 46 per cent of the population is under 14, while 10.9 per cent of the population is of retirement age.
According to 2006 census data from Statistics Canada released, only one out of every 17 people in the Barrie region are visible minorities
| Racial Groups | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Total visible minority population | 10,130 | 5.8% |
| Black | 2,310 | 1.3% |
| South Asian | 1,900 | 1.1% |
| Chinese | 1,180 | 0.7% |
| Spanish (Latin America) | 1,165 | 0.7% |
| Filipino | 875 | 0.5% |
| Southeast Asian | 535 | 0.4% |
| Korean | 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 |
| Ethnic origin | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| English | 65,160 | 37.2% |
| Canadian | 58,510 | 33.4% |
| Scottish | 45,300 | 25.8% |
| Irish | 41,390 | 23.6% |
| French | 23,050 | 13.1% |
| 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 |
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 of Jehovah's Witnesses
- St. John Vianney Catholic Church
- Bethel Community Church
- Hi-Way Pentecostal Church
- Mapleview Community Church
- Barrie First Baptist Church
- Holy Spirit Parish
- St. Andrews Presbyterian Church
- Harvest Bible Chapel of Barrie [3]
- Connexus Community Church [4]
[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.
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[edit] Georgian College
Georgian College'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 some university degree programs in conjunction with Laurentian University.
[edit] Politics
- Municipal
The current mayor of Barrie is Dave Aspden, who was elected in November, 2006, succeeding Rob Hamilton.
- Federal representation
| Party | Member of Parliament | From | To | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Patrick Brown | January 23, 2006 | present | Barrie | |
- Provincial representation
| Party | Member of Provincial Parliament | From | To | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Aileen Carroll | October 10, 2007 | present | Barrie | |
[edit] Culture
[edit] Media
There are two newspapers that are published in Barrie. The Barrie Advance is a free newspaper delivered twice a week (Wednesday & Fridays) to every resident in the city, plus every home in Springwater Township, and parts of Oro-Medonte. The newspaper contains local news, classifieds, advertisements and flyers. The Barrie Examiner is a subscription-based paper delivered 6 days a week. It is also delivered free to residents of Barrie on Wednesdays and Fridays.
- Television
There is one station broadcasting from Barrie itself:
- Radio
- FM 93.1 - CHAY (The New Chay), adult contemporary
- FM 95.7 - CFJB ("Rock 95"), active rock
- FM 100.3 - CJLF ("Life FM"), Christian
- FM 101.1 - CIQB ("B101"), hot adult contemporary
- FM 107.5 - CKMB ("1075 Kool FM"), hot adult contemporary
[edit] Sports
| 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, Elvis Stojko and Jeff Buttle.
[edit] Recreational facilities
Barrie has many community centers throughout the city. There are a total of ten facilities in Barrie open to the public.
- Allandale Recreation Centre
- Barrie Arena
- Dorian Parker Centre
- East Bayfield Community Centre
- Eastview Arena
- Holly Community Centre
- Lampman Lane Community Centre
- Parkview Community Centre
- Southshore Community Centre
- Victoria Village
[edit] Architecture
- CKVR Television Tower
- Highpoint Apartments
- Barrie City Hall
[edit] Notable people and residents
- Shayne Corson, NHL hockey player
- Joe DiPenta, NHL hockey player
- Ric Jackman, NHL hockey player [11]
- John Madden, NHL hockey player
- Darryl Shannon, retired NHL hockey player
- Darren Rumble, retired NHL hockey player
- Gary Goodridge, UFC fighter[12]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Community Highlights, City of Barrie. Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population (2007-03-13). Retrieved on 2007-03-19.
- ^ 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 2007-03-19.
- ^ 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 2007-03-19.
- ^ 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 2007-03-19.
- ^ CTV.ca | Barrie, Ont. to host Canadian edition of Live 8
- ^ Massive blaze destroys six buildings in Barrie (2007-12-07). Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
- ^ Fire destroys historic buildings in Barrie, Ont. (2007-12-07). Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
- ^ CANOE - CNEWS - Canada: Cops: Pair charged in Barrie fire had ties to destroyed restaurant
- ^ 2006 Community Profile
- ^ 2001 Community Profile
- ^ Jackman shares Stanley Cup with his neighbours
- ^ Fight Finder - Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge's Mixed Martial Arts Statistics
[edit] External links
- Official City of Barrie Website
- Barrie Tourism
- Environment Canada - Barrie forecast
- Ontario Plaques: Barrie
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Wasaga Beach | Midland | Orillia |
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| Alliston | Innisfil | Georgina, Cook's Bay |
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