Then and Now

Barrie's south shore wasn’t always the beautiful park land it is today — it was a railway yard

Now referred to as the Wellington Plaza, shopping centre opened in 1961 and had parking for more than 1,000 vehicles

During early days of settlement, Kempenfeldt's growth outpaced nearby Barrie; Kempenfeldt had four taverns, a brewery, a wharf and more

Original Rockforest was built on Peel Street, but was demolished in the 1980s to make way for townhouses; Rockforest II was constructed on Owen Street around 1900

Reported in 1876: 'Of the new dwellings going up, the one being built by Mr. William Boys on Toronto Street deserves special notice. It will be a cottage style, built of frame and stucco plastered, and will cost about $3,000'

Property has a long and storied history in Barrie, including as the Union Inn and thuggery surrounding the general election in 1841

Located on Davidson Street, Rose Cottage was built in the mid-1840s for John and Elizabeth Bingham, who arrived in Canada from England

In the 1950s, the Parkway Exchange was created, with the first two digits in the phone number becoming '7' and '2' representing the first two letters in Parkway

There are many families with deep ties to the little community north of Barrie and several still reside in Crown Hill or nearby

Maj. Joseph Rogers probably had the best lawn ornament on the block – a working cannon!