Any Expats living in Barrie, Ontario ?
Mar 16th 2011, 3:46 am
#1
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Location: Innisfil, Ontario
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Any Expats living in Barrie, Ontario ?
Hi there,
We are flying into NY and then driving up to Canada and landing on the 10th April at Niagara, then driving up to Innisfil near Barrie where we are staying for the week to enable us to get our SIN/bank account etc sorted out.
We have chosen Barrie as my OH is in the building industry and wanted to be within close proximity of Toronto and job opportunities.
Is there anyone out there that can fill us in with what Barrie is like to live / work in ?
We are looking to eventually buy a house around half an hour to a hour outside Barrie itself so any info there would be great also !
We have visited Barrie, Midland and Collingwood over the last few years so know the area but obviously not from a residents point of view.
Any input would be very much appreciated - Thanks !
We are flying into NY and then driving up to Canada and landing on the 10th April at Niagara, then driving up to Innisfil near Barrie where we are staying for the week to enable us to get our SIN/bank account etc sorted out.
We have chosen Barrie as my OH is in the building industry and wanted to be within close proximity of Toronto and job opportunities.
Is there anyone out there that can fill us in with what Barrie is like to live / work in ?
We are looking to eventually buy a house around half an hour to a hour outside Barrie itself so any info there would be great also !
We have visited Barrie, Midland and Collingwood over the last few years so know the area but obviously not from a residents point of view.
Any input would be very much appreciated - Thanks !
Mar 18th 2011, 4:23 pm
#2
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Re: Any Expats living in Barrie, Ontario ?
Hi. I live(d) in Alliston, about 40 minutes west of Barrie. Now I live just outside of Everett which is still pretty close by.
Barrie is okay. Not wonderful by any stretch of the imagination, but it has the lake and festivals year-round on the lakeshore. It's seen by some as the gateway to the north as it's on the 400 just south of where it splits to either go along Georgian Bay to Sudbury and beyond or up to North Bay.
Work wise there's a lot of service industry there; tons of retail, restaurants, etc. Pretty much all of Bayfield St is malls, strip malls, restaurant chains, shops... In Alliston there's Honda Canada and there are other manufacturers along the 400 corridor, mainly as you get into the GTA itself. I get the impression Barrie is becoming a commuter town.
The downtown is a bit scruffy. Two big fires there in recent years have taken out most of the older buildings and to be honest, what's left is a bit grotty.
The lakeside is nice; a great park for the kids, the marina's there and in summer it's packed with people jogging and cycling. Being a Brit though, I can't help but think they need a bar with a patio along there to sit and chill with a beer looking over the lake on a warm summer's evening!
Me and the ex looked at moving there early last year. In town itself, the south side is probably the nicest within easy reach (ie - walking distance) of most of the amenities. There are a lot of newer subdivisions sprouting up on the east and west of town as well all within easy driving distance to schools and shops. Once you move outside of town, be wary that life can get very boring in the winter, especially over my neck of the woods - for any kind of life, unless you're seriously into playing hockey, you need to be right on Barrie's doorstep, although Innisfil has a great recreation centre with a swimming pool, in Alcona, if memory serves me correctly.
Where are you looking at moving to? Bear in mind, I'm a bit of a curmudgeon and will give very much a warts and all point of view. Most of my expat friends here love the place!
There are loads of expats around, especially in Barrie itself, and I'm sure one of them will jump on here and tell you more than I can what it's like, but in the meantime, if you have any questions, PM me...
Barrie is okay. Not wonderful by any stretch of the imagination, but it has the lake and festivals year-round on the lakeshore. It's seen by some as the gateway to the north as it's on the 400 just south of where it splits to either go along Georgian Bay to Sudbury and beyond or up to North Bay.
Work wise there's a lot of service industry there; tons of retail, restaurants, etc. Pretty much all of Bayfield St is malls, strip malls, restaurant chains, shops... In Alliston there's Honda Canada and there are other manufacturers along the 400 corridor, mainly as you get into the GTA itself. I get the impression Barrie is becoming a commuter town.
The downtown is a bit scruffy. Two big fires there in recent years have taken out most of the older buildings and to be honest, what's left is a bit grotty.
The lakeside is nice; a great park for the kids, the marina's there and in summer it's packed with people jogging and cycling. Being a Brit though, I can't help but think they need a bar with a patio along there to sit and chill with a beer looking over the lake on a warm summer's evening!
Me and the ex looked at moving there early last year. In town itself, the south side is probably the nicest within easy reach (ie - walking distance) of most of the amenities. There are a lot of newer subdivisions sprouting up on the east and west of town as well all within easy driving distance to schools and shops. Once you move outside of town, be wary that life can get very boring in the winter, especially over my neck of the woods - for any kind of life, unless you're seriously into playing hockey, you need to be right on Barrie's doorstep, although Innisfil has a great recreation centre with a swimming pool, in Alcona, if memory serves me correctly.
Where are you looking at moving to? Bear in mind, I'm a bit of a curmudgeon and will give very much a warts and all point of view. Most of my expat friends here love the place!
There are loads of expats around, especially in Barrie itself, and I'm sure one of them will jump on here and tell you more than I can what it's like, but in the meantime, if you have any questions, PM me...
Last edited by Mr Lee; Mar 18th 2011 at 4:31 pm.
Mar 18th 2011, 10:28 pm
#3
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Location: Innisfil, Ontario
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Re: Any Expats living in Barrie, Ontario ?
Thanks for getting back to me with all the info, much appreciated 
We are now living in a suburban housing estate and are looking to find somewhere without neighbours and a bit of land for veggies etc so are looking for something outside Barrie but near enough to get to work etc.
Alliston was one of the areas alongside Angus and Utopia (love to have that address). Looking at them there doesn't seem to be schools nearby, we have a 14 year old daughter and was wondering where she would go to school ?
We are looking to rent for a while and then buy when we know the areas a bit better, again the school situation is a bit of a dilemma as we don't want her to have to keep moving schools.
Also looking at rental prices we had a bit of a shock as we have nearly paid our mortgage off and have gotten used to only paying around $100 a month out, so we could do with buying asap really.
We don't mind being out in the sticks as we are hoping to embrace winter living and go skiing more than the once a year as we do now, as long as we have internet access we are all pretty happy, apart from my OH who will miss the golf over the winter, but I am sure that he will make up for it during the summer
I am finding myself rambling on..........
I am expecting that we will have a pretty lousy 6 months when we arrive, adjusting etc, I am the pessimist of the family I leave all the optimistic stuff to my OH, but I am sure everything will be fine there afterwards
So it's back to making lists for our landing next month and we will take it from there !
Any information on schools and teenagers and what teenagers get up to would be greatly appreciated !
Thanks again
We are now living in a suburban housing estate and are looking to find somewhere without neighbours and a bit of land for veggies etc so are looking for something outside Barrie but near enough to get to work etc.
Alliston was one of the areas alongside Angus and Utopia (love to have that address). Looking at them there doesn't seem to be schools nearby, we have a 14 year old daughter and was wondering where she would go to school ?
We are looking to rent for a while and then buy when we know the areas a bit better, again the school situation is a bit of a dilemma as we don't want her to have to keep moving schools.
Also looking at rental prices we had a bit of a shock as we have nearly paid our mortgage off and have gotten used to only paying around $100 a month out, so we could do with buying asap really.
We don't mind being out in the sticks as we are hoping to embrace winter living and go skiing more than the once a year as we do now, as long as we have internet access we are all pretty happy, apart from my OH who will miss the golf over the winter, but I am sure that he will make up for it during the summer
I am finding myself rambling on..........
I am expecting that we will have a pretty lousy 6 months when we arrive, adjusting etc, I am the pessimist of the family I leave all the optimistic stuff to my OH, but I am sure everything will be fine there afterwards
So it's back to making lists for our landing next month and we will take it from there !
Any information on schools and teenagers and what teenagers get up to would be greatly appreciated !
Thanks again
Mar 19th 2011, 1:40 am
#5
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Thread Starter
Joined: May 2009
Location: Innisfil, Ontario
Posts: 103
Re: Any Expats living in Barrie, Ontario ?
OMG ! just cancelled the landing trip, wasn't aware that we were moving to a Third World Country 
Mar 19th 2011, 5:44 am
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Re: Any Expats living in Barrie, Ontario ?
Unless you're Catholic and will be sending your daughter to a Catholic school, there are currently two high schools on this side of Barrie. Banting in Alliston and Bear Creek on the outskirts of Barrie itself. Angus residents currently send their kids to the latter although with the construction of a high school there, this will soon change.
I don't know what either are like as my son has only just started Kindergarten, but I have driven school buses to and from both. Bear Creek is a bit more modern. One thing you may be surprised at is that some Canadian high schools have a police officer on site! They have cops at both these schools.
As for the places you mention...
Angus is on the edge of CFB Borden, a large military base complete with explosives and firing ranges. You get used to the helicopters and the shells being fired after a little while. Many of the residents are military personnel who live off base. The town itself though is nicknamed "Hang-us" and is a little bit rough and ready. Parts of town are also prone to flooding as the Nottawasaga regularly bursts its banks here in spring.
I have a few friends in Angus though, and they seem to like it. There are some nice properties with huge gardens on the western side of town just off the main drag. There are a load of new houses on the eastern side, but this is where the river flows, so be wary.
Utopia is pretty much a sprawl of rural properties with no distinct centre. If I was looking to buy or rent there, I'd stay clear of the main highway (because it is constantly busy) and look south along County Rd 56. Although like dbd33 says - kiss goodbye to the internet as you know it.
Alliston...hmmm. I lived there for 4 1/2 years. Other expat friends love it, because it's small town and a complete contrast to what they are used to back home. Little crime, semi-rural and they got more bang for their buck house wise. There's an annual "Potato Festival" (no laughing at the back there) and they've just rebuilt the outdoor swimming pool.
The downside? Well the town council is pretty corrupt, which I find infuriating, box stores on the outskirts are sapping the life out of what could be a pretty nice downtown and unless you skate, there isn't a lot to do in town in the winter in town itself.
The town is growing pretty quickly with whole new subdivisions being built as I type. It's an hour from Toronto which I guess is part of its appeal.
Coincidentally, my ex is looking to rent out our old house starting in the summer which is in a subdivision on the southside of town - not really space to grow veggies, but it's a nice neighbourhood and will give you an idea of what it's like here.
Mar 19th 2011, 5:54 am
#7
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 20,185
Re: Any Expats living in Barrie, Ontario ?
Yes - you may be in for a shock. I just moved from Alliston 15 minutes down the road and now have no broadband. The communications companies (ie Bell & Rogers), despite receiving millions from Ottawa to do so, don't seem to be in any rush to provide rural Canada with anything better than dial-up. The alternatives provide horror stories of their own.
Unless you're Catholic and will be sending your daughter to a Catholic school, there are currently two high schools on this side of Barrie. Banting in Alliston and Bear Creek on the outskirts of Barrie itself. Angus residents currently send their kids to the latter although with the construction of a high school there, this will soon change.
I don't know what either are like as my son has only just started Kindergarten, but I have driven school buses to and from both. Bear Creek is a bit more modern. One thing you may be surprised at is that some Canadian high schools have a police officer on site! They have cops at both these schools.
As for the places you mention...
Angus is on the edge of CFB Borden, a large military base complete with explosives and firing ranges. You get used to the helicopters and the shells being fired after a little while. Many of the residents are military personnel who live off base. The town itself though is nicknamed "Hang-us" and is a little bit rough and ready. Parts of town are also prone to flooding as the Nottawasaga regularly bursts its banks here in spring.
I have a few friends in Angus though, and they seem to like it. There are some nice properties with huge gardens on the western side of town just off the main drag. There are a load of new houses on the eastern side, but this is where the river flows, so be wary.
Utopia is pretty much a sprawl of rural properties with no distinct centre. If I was looking to buy or rent there, I'd stay clear of the main highway (because it is constantly busy) and look south along County Rd 56. Although like dbd33 says - kiss goodbye to the internet as you know it.
Alliston...hmmm. I lived there for 4 1/2 years. Other expat friends love it, because it's small town and a complete contrast to what they are used to back home. Little crime, semi-rural and they got more bang for their buck house wise. There's an annual "Potato Festival" (no laughing at the back there) and they've just rebuilt the outdoor swimming pool.
The downside? Well the town council is pretty corrupt, which I find infuriating, box stores on the outskirts are sapping the life out of what could be a pretty nice downtown and unless you skate, there isn't a lot to do in town in the winter in town itself.
The town is growing pretty quickly with whole new subdivisions being built as I type. It's an hour from Toronto which I guess is part of its appeal.
Coincidentally, my ex is looking to rent out our old house starting in the summer which is in a subdivision on the southside of town - not really space to grow veggies, but it's a nice neighbourhood and will give you an idea of what it's like here.
Unless you're Catholic and will be sending your daughter to a Catholic school, there are currently two high schools on this side of Barrie. Banting in Alliston and Bear Creek on the outskirts of Barrie itself. Angus residents currently send their kids to the latter although with the construction of a high school there, this will soon change.
I don't know what either are like as my son has only just started Kindergarten, but I have driven school buses to and from both. Bear Creek is a bit more modern. One thing you may be surprised at is that some Canadian high schools have a police officer on site! They have cops at both these schools.
As for the places you mention...
Angus is on the edge of CFB Borden, a large military base complete with explosives and firing ranges. You get used to the helicopters and the shells being fired after a little while. Many of the residents are military personnel who live off base. The town itself though is nicknamed "Hang-us" and is a little bit rough and ready. Parts of town are also prone to flooding as the Nottawasaga regularly bursts its banks here in spring.
I have a few friends in Angus though, and they seem to like it. There are some nice properties with huge gardens on the western side of town just off the main drag. There are a load of new houses on the eastern side, but this is where the river flows, so be wary.
Utopia is pretty much a sprawl of rural properties with no distinct centre. If I was looking to buy or rent there, I'd stay clear of the main highway (because it is constantly busy) and look south along County Rd 56. Although like dbd33 says - kiss goodbye to the internet as you know it.
Alliston...hmmm. I lived there for 4 1/2 years. Other expat friends love it, because it's small town and a complete contrast to what they are used to back home. Little crime, semi-rural and they got more bang for their buck house wise. There's an annual "Potato Festival" (no laughing at the back there) and they've just rebuilt the outdoor swimming pool.
The downside? Well the town council is pretty corrupt, which I find infuriating, box stores on the outskirts are sapping the life out of what could be a pretty nice downtown and unless you skate, there isn't a lot to do in town in the winter in town itself.
The town is growing pretty quickly with whole new subdivisions being built as I type. It's an hour from Toronto which I guess is part of its appeal.
Coincidentally, my ex is looking to rent out our old house starting in the summer which is in a subdivision on the southside of town - not really space to grow veggies, but it's a nice neighbourhood and will give you an idea of what it's like here.
Sounds just lovely. I can see why you moved there.
Mar 19th 2011, 6:21 am
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Mar 21st 2011, 5:36 am
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Location: Newmarket, On
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Re: Any Expats living in Barrie, Ontario ?
Yes - you may be in for a shock. I just moved from Alliston 15 minutes down the road and now have no broadband. The communications companies (ie Bell & Rogers), despite receiving millions from Ottawa to do so, don't seem to be in any rush to provide rural Canada with anything better than dial-up. The alternatives provide horror stories of their own.
Unless you're Catholic and will be sending your daughter to a Catholic school, there are currently two high schools on this side of Barrie. Banting in Alliston and Bear Creek on the outskirts of Barrie itself. Angus residents currently send their kids to the latter although with the construction of a high school there, this will soon change.
I don't know what either are like as my son has only just started Kindergarten, but I have driven school buses to and from both. Bear Creek is a bit more modern. One thing you may be surprised at is that some Canadian high schools have a police officer on site! They have cops at both these schools.
As for the places you mention...
Angus is on the edge of CFB Borden, a large military base complete with explosives and firing ranges. You get used to the helicopters and the shells being fired after a little while. Many of the residents are military personnel who live off base. The town itself though is nicknamed "Hang-us" and is a little bit rough and ready. Parts of town are also prone to flooding as the Nottawasaga regularly bursts its banks here in spring.
I have a few friends in Angus though, and they seem to like it. There are some nice properties with huge gardens on the western side of town just off the main drag. There are a load of new houses on the eastern side, but this is where the river flows, so be wary.
Utopia is pretty much a sprawl of rural properties with no distinct centre. If I was looking to buy or rent there, I'd stay clear of the main highway (because it is constantly busy) and look south along County Rd 56. Although like dbd33 says - kiss goodbye to the internet as you know it.
Alliston...hmmm. I lived there for 4 1/2 years. Other expat friends love it, because it's small town and a complete contrast to what they are used to back home. Little crime, semi-rural and they got more bang for their buck house wise. There's an annual "Potato Festival" (no laughing at the back there) and they've just rebuilt the outdoor swimming pool.
The downside? Well the town council is pretty corrupt, which I find infuriating, box stores on the outskirts are sapping the life out of what could be a pretty nice downtown and unless you skate, there isn't a lot to do in town in the winter in town itself.
The town is growing pretty quickly with whole new subdivisions being built as I type. It's an hour from Toronto which I guess is part of its appeal.
Coincidentally, my ex is looking to rent out our old house starting in the summer which is in a subdivision on the southside of town - not really space to grow veggies, but it's a nice neighbourhood and will give you an idea of what it's like here.
Unless you're Catholic and will be sending your daughter to a Catholic school, there are currently two high schools on this side of Barrie. Banting in Alliston and Bear Creek on the outskirts of Barrie itself. Angus residents currently send their kids to the latter although with the construction of a high school there, this will soon change.
I don't know what either are like as my son has only just started Kindergarten, but I have driven school buses to and from both. Bear Creek is a bit more modern. One thing you may be surprised at is that some Canadian high schools have a police officer on site! They have cops at both these schools.
As for the places you mention...
Angus is on the edge of CFB Borden, a large military base complete with explosives and firing ranges. You get used to the helicopters and the shells being fired after a little while. Many of the residents are military personnel who live off base. The town itself though is nicknamed "Hang-us" and is a little bit rough and ready. Parts of town are also prone to flooding as the Nottawasaga regularly bursts its banks here in spring.
I have a few friends in Angus though, and they seem to like it. There are some nice properties with huge gardens on the western side of town just off the main drag. There are a load of new houses on the eastern side, but this is where the river flows, so be wary.
Utopia is pretty much a sprawl of rural properties with no distinct centre. If I was looking to buy or rent there, I'd stay clear of the main highway (because it is constantly busy) and look south along County Rd 56. Although like dbd33 says - kiss goodbye to the internet as you know it.
Alliston...hmmm. I lived there for 4 1/2 years. Other expat friends love it, because it's small town and a complete contrast to what they are used to back home. Little crime, semi-rural and they got more bang for their buck house wise. There's an annual "Potato Festival" (no laughing at the back there) and they've just rebuilt the outdoor swimming pool.
The downside? Well the town council is pretty corrupt, which I find infuriating, box stores on the outskirts are sapping the life out of what could be a pretty nice downtown and unless you skate, there isn't a lot to do in town in the winter in town itself.
The town is growing pretty quickly with whole new subdivisions being built as I type. It's an hour from Toronto which I guess is part of its appeal.
Coincidentally, my ex is looking to rent out our old house starting in the summer which is in a subdivision on the southside of town - not really space to grow veggies, but it's a nice neighbourhood and will give you an idea of what it's like here.
Mar 21st 2011, 10:36 am
#11
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May 2nd 2011, 10:30 am
#12
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2
Re: Any Expats living in Barrie, Ontario ?
I know i'm a little late to join this thread, but having lived here for the last year I think Barrie is a great place to live. Yes downtown needs a makeover but there are so many things to do around here in the summer and winter.
As an Expat I have settled in well to life in Barrie.
As an Expat I have settled in well to life in Barrie.
May 2nd 2011, 11:05 am
#13
Seasoned Maritimer
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Fredericton, New Brunswick CA
Posts: 8,309
Re: Any Expats living in Barrie, Ontario ?
I know i'm a little late to join this thread, but having lived here for the last year I think Barrie is a great place to live. Yes downtown needs a makeover but there are so many things to do around here in the summer and winter.
As an Expat I have settled in well to life in Barrie.
As an Expat I have settled in well to life in Barrie.
May 2nd 2011, 11:15 am
#14
Just Joined
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Posts: 2
Re: Any Expats living in Barrie, Ontario ?
and whats that supposed to mean??
May 2nd 2011, 1:36 pm
#15
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Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Fredericton, New Brunswick CA
Posts: 8,309
