Barrie, Ontario, Canada

🇨🇦 Barrie is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. It is a politically independent single-tier municipality within Simcoe County. Barrie is part of the extended urban area in southern Ontario known as the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

Barrie is situated on the traditional land of the Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabeg peoples. The area was first settled during the War of 1812 as a supply depot for British forces. The city has grown significantly in recent decades due to its emergence as a bedroom community for Toronto, to which it is connected by Ontario Highway 400 and GO Transit. Significant sectors of the city's diversified economy include education, healthcare, information technology and manufacturing.

Economy The following are some of the city's major employers: • 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 • TD Canada Trust and TD Waterhouse Regional Centre • TD Canada Trust Technology and Operations Centre • Scotiabank Regional Centre • BMO Data Centre • IBM Canada Leadership Data Centre • The Source Distribution Centre • Coca-Cola Bottling Company • Canadian Mental Health Association - Simcoe • Hydro One Ontario Grid Control Centre.

Tourist Industry 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 hosts many older buildings that have been kept up over the years or given new facades that exemplify their historical importance. Many speciality shops, boutiques, pubs and restaurants are located throughout downtown Barrie, most notably 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 numerous 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 boasts several beaches including Minet's Point Beach, Johnsons Beach, The Gables, Tyndale Beach, and Centennial Beach. Boating is also very 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 green space and parkland along the lake-shore. There are numerous winter recreation activities and facilities in the surrounding area, including skiing, snow tubing and snow-boarding 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.