| As much as I love the city (Toronto, that is), every | | | | experience. After I returned from my little |
| once in a while I gotta get away and a few weeks | | | | photographic tour through downtown Barrie, I |
| ago I came up with the idea of a little winter | | | | reconnected with my sister-in-law and my nephew |
| weekend getaway with my sister-in-law Yolande and | | | | next to the Spirit Catcher on the waterfront. Yolande |
| my nephew Jazz. So I started surfing around the | | | | and Jazz had met a young German exchange student |
| Internet to see where we could go, and since I didn't | | | | by the name of Martin who is currently completing a |
| want to spend several hours driving, I settled on a | | | | degree in Environmental Technology in Germany and |
| destination just about an hour outside of Toronto: I | | | | managed to arrange an international coop assignment |
| came up with the city of Barrie whose surrounding | | | | in a small town north of Barrie.We had a fabulous |
| areas include several ski resorts.Yesterday was a | | | | conversation and Martin mentioned how tough it was |
| gorgeous day, and at plus 8 degrees Celsius certainly | | | | to realize his dream of completing an international |
| not a typical Canadian winter day. After checking in | | | | coop program in Canada. But he succeeded and is |
| at our overnight retreat, the Nicholyn Farms Bed and | | | | spending 9 weeks here in Ontario. He said he loves |
| Breakfast just 15 minutes outside of Barrie, we | | | | the country and is taken in by the Canadian mentality. |
| drove downtown to explore this growing city of | | | | Of course, he also plans to explore Toronto, |
| 125,000 which is located right on the shores of Lake | | | | Montreal, Ottawa, Niagara Falls and New York City |
| Simcoe on Kempenfelt Bay.Although our plans to go | | | | during his short 9-week stint here in Canada. Martin |
| ice-skating fell through, Lake Simcoe was frozen solid | | | | told us that at his young age he had already travelled |
| enough so we could take a walk around Kempenfelt | | | | to 19 different countries, and no matter where he |
| Bay, and like many others on this gorgeous day we | | | | goes he loves to link up with people from different |
| were able to walk and play on the frozen lake. I | | | | places.And apart from just having a conversation, |
| started off with a brief walk through town to | | | | Martin, full of youthful energy and mischief, was |
| capture some of the essence of this country town | | | | definitely up for a snowball fight and some horsing |
| that has become a popular bedroom community for | | | | around, something that my 8-year old nephew |
| commuters to Toronto. The completion of the | | | | greatly enjoyed. It was fabulous to see the two of |
| railroad connecting Barrie to the City of York (now | | | | them chasing each other on the frozen lake, heaving |
| Toronto) in 1865 and the construction of Highway | | | | snow at each other and laughing their heads off. On |
| 400 in the 1950s were critical events that promoted | | | | one hand there was blond and blue-eyed Martin from |
| this city's growth. With its proximity to both Toronto | | | | Germany and on the other there was my |
| and Ontario's Lakelands and 4-season resorts, Barrie | | | | brown-skinned nephew of Trinidadian heritage. Two |
| is ideally positioned for a quick winter | | | | total strangers, from totally different backgrounds |
| getaway.[SAFETY WARNING: Please ensure that you | | | | and cultures, connecting through fun and outdoor |
| obey all weather warnings when venturing out on | | | | activities. It doesn't get any better than that....After |
| frozen lakes. This year the winter has been | | | | Martin had left, we continued our walk on Lake |
| particularly mild and every year several people fall | | | | Simcoe and enjoyed our time in the warm sunshine |
| through the ice and drown. Please make sure that | | | | like all the other people on the frozen lake until the |
| the ice is safe before you venture out on the lake!]In | | | | sun slipped down beneath the horizon.We took in the |
| close proximity to Barrie are 2 winter resorts, | | | | activities and watched float planes land and take off, |
| Horseshoe Valley Resort and Snow Valley, and not | | | | we watched the dog walkers, the ATV riders, even |
| much further away are Blue Mountain / Collingwood | | | | mountain bikers on the lake, and glanced at the |
| (Ontario's largest ski resort) and Mount St. Louis | | | | ice-fishing huts in the distance on the other side of |
| Moonstone. The forests and lakes around Barrie offer | | | | the bay. One young boy was playing catch with his |
| plenty of opportunities for hiking, cross-country skiing | | | | father, and with real Canuck determination, was |
| and snow-mobiling. Its proximity to Georgian Bay, one | | | | dressed in shorts. He figured +8 degrees Celsius was |
| of Ontario's favourite getaway areas, makes Barrie a | | | | enough to break out the summer garb. That's the |
| popular travel destination close to Toronto. Lake | | | | true Canadian spirit!Useful links for travel to Barrie: |
| Simcoe itself is a major hub for ice-fishing.Barrie's | | | | Tourism Barrie |
| downtown is anchored around Dunlop Street which | | | | Simcoe County Tourism |
| holds a variety of independently owned shops and | | | | Ontario's Official Travel WebsiteSusanne Pacher is |
| retail outlets. Many of the buildings along Dunlop | | | | the publisher of a website called Travel and |
| Street date back to Victorian times and the city has | | | | Transitions ( Travel and Transitions deals with |
| made an effort to preserve and highlight its | | | | unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, |
| architectural heritage.Barrie's waterfront is dominated | | | | real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers |
| by an impressive outdoor sculpture: the Spirit | | | | and travel experts, insights and reflections, |
| Catcher, which was designed by sculptor Ron Baird | | | | cross-cultural issues, contests and many other |
| for the 1986 EXPO in Vancouver. The sculpture was | | | | features. You will also find stories about life and the |
| donated to the Barrie Gallery Project in 1987 and | | | | transitions that we face as we go through our own |
| represents the Aboriginal People of Canada and the | | | | personal life-long journeys.Submit your own travel |
| Aboriginal myth of the Thunderbird. When the Spirit | | | | stories in our first travel story contest ( and have a |
| Catcher was erected, it was blessed in a special | | | | chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the |
| ceremony by the Rama Native Drum Group of the | | | | Amazon River."Life is a Journey Explore New |
| Mnijikaning First Nation.In the spirit of human | | | | Horizons". |
| understanding , we had our own inter-cultural | | | | |