Just come back from 3 and a half weeks in Ontario, most of which was spent in Barrie again.
We had a great time and enjoyed the lakeshore beach festivals etc. We also spent time researching banks, properties and made many new friends and contacts, some of whom were through chatting in Tim Hortons

However, we did check the news most days and continue to do so online and are concerned that there does seem to be a few problems, with drugs, vandalism, occasional shootings and stabbings and even graffiti (although I made contact with a councillor who assures me there's a council initiative planned to deal with it)

What's the feeling of those who've moved over in the last couple of years? Has the city changed? We don't want to relocate only to encounter the same sort of issues we have here in Croydon.

But it's just like Croydon. A commuter town populated mainly by lower income people, inevitably it'll have the same sorts of issues. It'll be colder though, with more snow.

I think Dakota44 lives in or near Barrie...why not drop him a PM?

We were going to settle in Barrie up until our visit 3 weeks ago. We have now brought a house in Wasaga Beach 50kms away. On this visit Barrie just didn't do it for us. We were also there for the dragon boat racing, Barriefair etc. We stay in the Holiday Inn on Fairview.

Chris

Believe me I've been to Croydon and Barrie within the last year, and Croydon was much grottier. In terms of dubious, shifty looking characters, Croydon wins that category as well.

Barrie tends to attract Toronto commuters whose jobs etc, are in the northern fringes (York Region) but don't want a Toronto priced house.

Yes, I was surprised by the comparison of Barrie and Croydon: there are some very rich bits of both as well as the more rundown parts.

We found some very unexpected parts to Barrie such as Johnson beach which was great and we had it almost to ourselves many a time.

I'm interested in your choosing Wasaga over Barrie, Chris. It's a lovely part of the world but doesn't it get snarled with traffic/Toronto types up there during the summer?

Paul

Doesn't Croydon attract London commuters whose jobs etc, are in the southern fringes but don't want a London priced house? I suggest that dormitory towns are much of a muchness regardless of the country of location.

Well Croydon is in London - a fairer analogy would be commuting from Reigate or Guildford. Trouble is nowhere is cheap in the South, most prices are pretty much of a muchness, ie high, aren't they?. There are cheaper bits of Croydon as in all towns.

Can we stop talking about Croydon - I know too much about it I want the residents' view on Barrie.

Too upmarket. Luton might be nearer the mark in terms of being working class.

Southend? It even has a beach.

Do you live in Barrie?

No.

No, but I've been there. Several times.

i don't find it half as depressing as Oakville or any or those other GTA suburbs.

At least Barrie isn't wall to wall housing, with tiny lots.

Just my opinion.

Chris

That's exactly how I see it. Small houses, sided not bricked, lots of malls, run down central area with strip joints and sex shops. I go to the Costco there sometimes but find visiting Barrie to be a depressing experience.