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 the community and membership dues were used to buy more books, as a place of intended public instruction, in 1848, the library was still seldom used. In an effort to [...]
From Barrie with Love Part IV: Wartime Letters from a Briton in Barrie
Read the fourth instalment of this exciting new blog series for the Barrie Historical Archive, made possible by archive supporter Diana Strachan. If you need to catch up, check out the preceding blogs here. Diana’s [...]
From Barrie with Love Part III: Wartime Letters from a Briton in Barrie
This marks the third installment in an exciting blog series for the Barrie Historical Archive, made possible by archive supporter Diana Strachan. Check out the preceding blogs here. Last time, we felt Peggy Newman’s anticipation [...]
From Barrie with Love Part II: Wartime Letters from a Briton in Barrie
This is the second instalment in a new blog series for the Barrie Historical Archive, courtesy of archive supporter Diana Strachan. Catch the first instalment here. After settling in Barrie with her sister, auntie and [...]
From Barrie with Love: Wartime Letters from a Briton in Barrie
This piece marks the first in a new series for the Barrie Historical Archive, courtesy of archive supporter Diana Strachan. Strachan’s mother, Peggy Newman, was just 16 years old in July 1940 when she, along [...]
History Lesson: Accessing the Tollendal Mill
In the 1800s, getting to the Tollendal Mill could be a precarious journey. The only access, before a bridge was built over Lover's Creek, was by way of water or the Tollendal Mill Road. This [...]
In Memory of the Postcard
Wish you were here. A simple sentiment that, at one time, was likely entirely overused. At one time, when distance was a real thing. When entering into someone’s company, regardless of spatial separation, wasn’t as [...]
Historically Happy Holiday Wishes from the BHA
Members of the BHA celebrate their group award from Heritage Barrie. All the Barrie Historical Archive wants for Christmas is...you! Cliche? Maybe. But in earnest, we want you in 2018! We would be amazed [...]
Tiny Building Leaves Big Impression – BHA Monthly Meeting, November 1, 2017
It's just a tiny, clapboard building in Oro-Medonte, just a few kilometres from Barrie's city limits. But it's left a HUGE impression on our community. Now, learn about the HUGE undertaking required to restore the church, first constructed more [...]
National Pines
"If you build it, they will come." - Field of Dreams, 1989 In 1989, Ed Membery purchased 215 acres of property from the Ross family of Cookstown. The year before, the Membery family had sold [...]
A special message from our Chairman, Dr. Travis Doucette
It would seem fitting that on Canada's 150th Birthday I finally let out a secret I've been keeping for 150 days: I'm moving to Florida in August! Many of you know my educational background and [...]