Featured Pieces: Willard Kinzie
Barrie Historical Archive Board of Directors pose with former Mayors and children of former Mayors in the Green Room before the Mayors’ Seat event at City Hall (1).
Dr. Travis Doucette shakes hands with Principal Greg Brucker after presenting him with the inaugural Barrie Historical Archive Civic Award at Mayors’ Seat at City Hall.
The Barrie Historical Archive (BHA) is Barrie’s only free online museum. Cultivated by local historians, we’re committed to capturing and archiving Barrie’s rich history and telling YOUR story.
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The Mechanics Institute was Barrie’s first library system
A nomadic beginning eventually led to a majestic building. Barrie’s first library began as a group. It started out in 1844 as a Mechanics’ Institute, a subscription and fee-based organization created for workingmen and mechanics for improvement and development. Although the institute received donations of books from influential people in [...]
Barrie tornado: Thirty-five years later, residents remember
On May 31, 1985, a devastating tornado touched down in Barrie and left eight dead, hundreds injured and countless homes and businesses in ruins. Despite the passage of time, for survivors, there are some scars that will never fully heal and memories that will never fade. The following is a [...]
Barrie’s changing skyline
Iconic bell tower slowly disappearing from the downtown landscape. The Toronto Street address wasn't the first location of the former Central United Church building, but it was its last. Just over 2 years ago, the sanctuary which has stood at the corner of Ross and Toronto Streets, virtually unchanged since [...]