A Historical Sketch of Barrie
Long before Europeans came to the area, the native people had established small communities near the site of what, much later, became the City of Barrie. This was the eastern end of a portage route between Lake Simcoe and the Nottawasaga River, which empties into Georgian Bay. This route, eventually known as the Nine Mile Portage, became an important overland route for trappers and fur traders. In the early 1800's, an agent of the Hudson Bay Company established a storehouse at the eastern end of the portage, on the shores of what is now Kempenfelt Bay on Lake Simcoe.

The Nine Mile Portage played an important role in the War of 1812. During the war, the Americans at Detroit had control of the St. Clair River and, consequently, access to the upper Great Lakes. Soon after the outbreak of the war, the British enlarged the Nine Mile Portage to accommodate wagons. To bypass the American forces in Detroit, the British used the Nine Mile Portage to move supplies and troops between Upper Canada and the military posts on Lake Huron and Lake Superior.

In the 1820's, pioneers arrived, cleared the land and built homes in the area. Soon after, the British established a military presence in Barrie. The settlement was named after Sir Robert Barrie, the Admiral in command of the British fleet stationed at Kingston. The first streets in Barrie were named after British officers: Wellington, Nelson, Collingwood, Worsley, Collier, Poyntz, Bayfield, Owen.

1843 saw the construction of the first subsidized private school, known as The Barrie Grammar School, in the District of Simcoe County. By 1879, this grammar school had developed into a high school, one of the first collegiates in the province. This school, Barrie Collegiate Institute, was located on Blake and Rodney Streets in the east end of Barrie. The school was destroyed by fire in December of 1916. Graduates of note in the 19th century included Dr. Sir William Osler, Dr. Edward Gallie, the Honourable Charles Drury, Premier E.C. Drury and Chief Justice Falconbridge. Barrie's first public school, Central Public School (later known as Victoria Public School) was built around 1875 on the northwest corner of Collier and Owen Streets where the present Post Office now stands.

One of the historical buildings in the area is the County Gaol (now known as the Barrie Jail), built in 1841.

The local economy of the 1800's revolved around agriculture and the lumber industry. Many of the tall pine trees (some as tall as two hundred feet) that grew in the area were cut down and used as masts for British ships.

By the middle of the 19th century, the railway had become a major element in Barrie's economy. In 1853, the Ontario Simcoe Huron Railway (later the Northern Railway) connected the City of York to the southwest corner of Kempenfelt Bay, which was known as Allandale. Barrie was added to the railway line when the line was extended in 1865. The railway company also operated a steamer that carried passengers to Orillia and Muskoka.

In 1853, the hamlet of Barrie separated from Vespra Township and sent its own representative to County Council. Jonathan Lane was the first Reeve of Barrie. Barrie was officially incorporated as a Town in 1871. The first mayor of the Town of Barrie was Robert Simpson.

Between 1870 and 1880, a series of fires struck the downtown area. The fire of 1875 destroyed the north side of Dunlop Street from Bayfield Street to Owen Street. The damaged stores on the south side of the street were repaired, but the two-storey frame and rough-cast structures on the north side were completely rebuilt with brick. The new brick commercial blocks, along with new churches and houses, transformed Barrie from a backwoods village into a provincial town. "The Five Points," Barrie's main downtown intersection, is a term that has been in use since the 1870's.

Between 1888 & 1889, there were between six and eight doctors in the community who made house calls and performed home operations and deliveries. When the Barrie General Hospital was incorporated in 1891, the two-storey brick cottage on Duckworth Street had two beds for male patients and two beds for female patients. In 1897, the Royal Victoria Hospital was built on High Street, accommodating 13 patients. On March 5, 1903 the hospital moved to its present location on Ross Street. An extension was added in 1911. From 1901 to 1968, the Royal Victoria Hospital School of Nursing operated from the hospital. The nursing school was taken over by Georgian College in 1973.

In 1916, the federal Department of Defense acquired a large tract of land in the Township of Essa and established Camp Borden (now called Canadian Forces Base Borden). This base augmented the economy and culture of Barrie where many of its permanent personnel began to reside.

In the first part of the 20th century, Barrie was changing rapidly. By 1930, the railway era had peaked and the highway era was beginning. A super highway (Highway 400) was constructed in 1950, joining Barrie to Toronto and southern Ontario. By the 1950's, Barrie had outgrown its space and, in April of 1954, it annexed 220 acres of land from Vespra Township. The population of Barrie at that time was about 15,000.

In the post-war era of the late 1940's and early 50's, many large American-based industries opened branches in Barrie, taking advantage of the favourable labour costs. Improved cars and highways allowed many people who were employed in Toronto to commute to work from Barrie. 1949 saw the opening of Barrie's first radio station (CKBB). Barrie's first television station (CKVR) opened in 1955.

It was in the same era that Barrie's newspaper, the Examiner, became a daily newspaper. Established in 1864, the Barrie Examiner was at first a bi-weekly newspaper. In 1940, the Examiner purchased the Northern Advance, which had been Ontario's first daily newspaper north of Toronto.

On January 1, 1959, Barrie annexed 1,973 acres from Vespra and Innisfil Townships, and Barrie's population climbed to over 20,000. 1959 was an important year for Barrie. It was in that year that this fine, well established community was incorporated as a city. (At that time, Barrie was the only city in Simcoe County.) The first mayor of the City of Barrie was Willard L. Kinzie.

1967 saw the founding of Georgian College of Applied Arts and Technology in Barrie. At first, the college was housed in vacant stores in the Wellington Street Plaza. The college moved to its present site in 1973.

Over the next few decades, more and more people were attracted to Barrie and settled by the shores of Kempenfelt Bay. On January 1, 1982, the City of Barrie annexed 10,539 acres of land and water from Innisfil Township. The City's population jumped to almost 45,000 and was still on the rise.

By 1980, Barrie's old City Hall had become too old and too small to adequately serve the needs of the growing population and municipal staff. In the early 1980's, plans were made to move to a new city hall. The City of Barrie purchased a nine-storey office tower from the Municipal Savings and Loan Corporation, and added a two-storey addition which houses offices, meeting rooms and the new Council Chamber. The new City Hall was ready for occupancy in May of 1985. The old building was demolished the following month. A unistone outline of the old building can be seen today on Mulcaster Street. As well, the Arch over Mulcaster Street, in the shape of the silhouette of the old city hall, provides an artistic reminder of the old building.

Barrie's population was still increasing and more area was needed. On January 1, 1987, the City annexed a further 942 acres from Innisfil Township. The area of the City increased to approximately 32 square miles, and its population rose to 51,848.

The 1990's have seen continued growth and numerous changes in Barrie. In 1990, the Provincial Government approved the construction of a new hospital near Georgian College, and construction of the new Royal Victoria Hospital began in 1994. In 1991, construction of the Oro-Barrie-Orillia Airport was completed. In 1992, the Barrie Police Services Board relocated to a bigger and more modern facility on Sperling Drive. In 1993, the City's transit terminal moved to a new location on Maple Avenue. The Southshore Community Centre was completed in 1994. Construction of Barrie's third fire station, on Big Bay Point Road, was completed in 1995. Construction of the Barrie Molson Centre, a multi-purpose sports and entertainment centre, was also completed in 1995. The 4,100-seat facility is the new home of the Colts, Barrie's Junior "A" team in the Ontario Hockey League. Construction of the new Barrie Public Library, on Worsley Street, was completed in 1996.

Over the years, Barrie has developed from a rural settlement into a major business centre. In 1996, Barrie's population reached 82,500. With its numerous recreational facilities, attractive surroundings, diversified economy and proximity to Toronto, the City of Barrie is, for many people, the ideal place in which to live.

This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1999 by
The Corporation of the City of Barrie, Barrie, Ontario, Canada.
All rights reserved.

Text from: http://www.city.barrie.on.ca/respages/hist.htm

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