Welcome to Explore Barrie Ontario; One of Canada's fastest growing cities - Barrie's Tourism Site. Information on art, attractions, museums, festivals, restaurants, shopping, ...
(2004 population estimate 150,000), metropolitan population 175,000 in2006. City is located on Kempenfelt Bay, an arm of Lake Simcoe in southernOntario, Canada which provides it with beautiful waterfront access andpathways that are ideal for walking, biking or rollerblading. It enjoysa central location for visiting amusement parks, historical andreligious sites, and the world's largest fresh water beach.
The city grows at an average 5% a year as it attracts people from all over Ontario. The city's north and south ends are separated by a deep valley which contains the downtownarea as well as Kempenfelt Bay. Waterfront is at the heart of its tourism industry, with events like the Kempenfest arts and crafts. Sports and recreational activities, like skiing, baseball, and boating attract people in all four seasons of the year. Hockey is big in the city thanks to 4,195 seat arena known as the Molson Centre which is the home of the Ontario Hockey League-Barrie Colts. It is home to the main campus of Georgian College, with 3,500 full-time and 10,000 part-time students. The city 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.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.
Barrie is located in the central portion of Southern Ontario, known as Central Ontario and in the far northern fringes of the urban agglomeration, the Golden Horseshoe. It 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. 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. Being strategically situated between Toronto and Muskoka on Highway 400, Barrie is also considered the gateway to cottage country resort destinations.
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. 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 various university degree programs in conjunction with Laurentian University, York University, Nipissing University, Embry-Riddle University and Central Michigan University.
Barrie has many community centres throughout the city. There are a total of nine facilities in Barrie open to the public.
* Allandale Recreation Centre * Barrie Sports Complex * Dorian Parker Centre * East Bayfield Community Centre * Eastview Arena * Holly Community Centre * Lampman Lane Community Centre * Parkview Community Centre * Southshore Community Centre * Victoria Village
Barrie is located in the central portion of Southern Ontario, known as Central Ontario and in the far northern fringes of the urban agglomeration, the Golden Horseshoe. It 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. 
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.
