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 [...]
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 collection of comments and recollections from Barrie residents, aggregated from social media channels and our own inbox. To share your story, feel free to email [...]
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 uncle, we see a snapshot of 16-year-old Peggy Newman finding her way in a new town. In these letters, Peggy details friendships she’s made since enrolling at Barrie Central Collegiate, many of which, according to her daughter Diana, would last [...]
"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 the Harbour View Country Club and now they looking for a suitable site to build another one. Ed's dream was to create a quality golf course that would meet the growing demand for a high-end facility in the area. The [...]
Barrie does not have a museum. This is the need the Barrie Historical Archive is responding to. With a city full of rich history and a community of people whose stories are worth telling, Barrie is ready for a free museum, accessible to all people at all times through the power of the Internet. Up until now there has not been anywhere online where Barrie’s history has been centralized and celebrated. All of this will [...]