January 29, 2006
Exploring Ontario in the Winter - Hello
from Barrie and Making a German-Trinidadian-Austrian Connection
As much as I love the city (Toronto, that is), every once in a
while I gotta get away and a few weeks ago I came up with the idea
of a little winter weekend getaway with my sister-in-law Yolande
and my nephew Jazz. So I started surfing around the Internet to
see where we could go, and since I didn't want to spend several
hours driving, I settled on a destination just about an hour outside
of Toronto: I came up with the city of Barrie whose surrounding
areas include several ski resorts.
Yesterday was a gorgeous day, and at plus 8 degrees Celsius certainly
not a typical Canadian winter day. After checking in at our overnight
retreat, the Nicholyn Farms Bed and
Breakfast just 15 minutes outside of Barrie, we drove downtown
to explore this growing city of 125,000 which is located right on
the shores of Lake Simcoe on Kempenfelt Bay.
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Local architecture in Barrie |
Although our plans to go ice-skating fell through, Lake Simcoe
was frozen solid enough so we could take a walk around Kempenfelt
Bay, and like many others on this gorgeous day we were able to walk
and play on the frozen lake. I started off with a brief walk through
town to capture some of the essence of this country town that has
become a popular bedroom community for commuters to Toronto. The
completion of the railroad connecting Barrie to the City of York
(now Toronto) in 1865 and the construction of Highway 400 in the
1950s were critical events that promoted this city's growth. With
its proximity to both Toronto and Ontario's Lakelands and 4-season
resorts, Barrie is ideally positioned for a quick winter getaway.
[SAFETY WARNING: Please ensure that you obey all weather
warnings when venturing out on frozen lakes. This year the winter
has been particularly mild and every year several people fall through
the ice and drown. Please make sure that the ice is safe before
you venture out on the lake!]
In close proximity to Barrie are 2 winter resorts, Horseshoe Valley
Resort and Snow Valley, and not much further away are Blue Mountain
/ Collingwood (Ontario's largest ski resort) and Mount St. Louis
Moonstone. The forests and lakes around Barrie offer plenty of opportunities
for hiking, cross-country skiing and snow-mobiling. Its proximity
to Georgian Bay, one of Ontario's favourite getaway areas, makes
Barrie a popular travel destination close to Toronto. Lake Simcoe
itself is a major hub for ice-fishing.
The Spirit Catcher sculpture on Barrie's lakefront
Barrie's downtown is anchored around Dunlop Street which holds
a variety of independently owned shops and retail outlets. Many
of the buildings along Dunlop Street date back to Victorian times
and the city has made an effort to preserve and highlight its architectural
heritage.
Barrie's waterfront is dominated by an impressive outdoor sculpture:
the Spirit Catcher, which was designed by sculptor Ron Baird for
the 1986 EXPO in Vancouver. The sculpture was donated to the Barrie
Gallery Project in 1987 and represents the Aboriginal People of
Canada and the Aboriginal myth of the Thunderbird. When the Spirit
Catcher was erected, it was blessed in a special ceremony by the
Rama Native Drum Group of the Mnijikaning First Nation.
A German-Trinidadian snowball fight on Lake Simcoe
In the spirit of human understanding , we had our own inter-cultural
experience. After I returned from my little photographic tour through
downtown Barrie, I reconnected with my sister-in-law and my nephew
next to the Spirit Catcher on the waterfront. Yolande and Jazz had
met a young German exchange student by the name of Martin who is
currently completing a degree in Environmental Technology in Germany
and managed to arrange an international coop assignment in a small
town north of Barrie.
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Historic Victorian storefronts |
We had a fabulous conversation and Martin mentioned how tough it
was to realize his dream of completing an international coop program
in Canada. But he succeeded and is spending 9 weeks here in Ontario.
He said he loves the country and is taken in by the Canadian mentality.
Of course, he also plans to explore Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Niagara
Falls and New York City during his short 9-week stint here in Canada.
Martin told us that at his young age he had already travelled to
19 different countries, and no matter where he goes he loves to
link up with people from different places.
It's getting dark....
And apart from just having a conversation, Martin, full of youthful
energy and mischief, was definitely up for a snowball fight and
some horsing around, something that my 8-year old nephew greatly
enjoyed. It was fabulous to see the two of them chasing each other
on the frozen lake, heaving snow at each other and laughing their
heads off. On one hand there was blond and blue-eyed Martin from
Germany and on the other there was my brown-skinned nephew of Trinidadian
heritage. Two total strangers, from totally different backgrounds
and cultures, connecting through fun and outdoor activities. It
doesn't get any better than that....
Sunset on Kempenfelt Bay
After Martin had left, we continued our walk on Lake Simcoe and
enjoyed our time in the warm sunshine like all the other people
on the frozen lake until the sun slipped down beneath the horizon.
We took in the activities and watched float planes land and take
off, we watched the dog walkers, the ATV riders, even mountain bikers
on the lake, and glanced at the ice-fishing huts in the distance
on the other side of the bay. One young boy was playing catch with
his father, and with real Canuck determination, was dressed in shorts.
He figured +8 degrees Celsius was enough to break out the summer
garb. That's the true Canadian spirit!
The frozen marina on Kempenfelt Bay
Useful links for travel to Barrie:
Tourism
Barrie
Simcoe
County Tourism
Ontario's
Official Travel Website
Related Articles:
Hello from Barrie 2: A wonderful weekend
getaway at Nicholyn Farms
Hello from Barrie 3: Lots of winter
fun without the need for high mountains
Useful books for travel in Ontario
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