You can exercise your body and mind at the same time during the historical interpretive trail around Kempenfelt Bay.
The Barrie Waterfront Heritage Trail allows residents and visitors alike an opportunity to take in the beautiful scenes of the lake as well as learn about thousands of years of the city’s history from interpretive stations.
By the end of 2020, 11 of them will be available to see, something city landscape architectural planner Wendy Loevenmark is happy to be a part of.
“The project phase that we are focusing on creating currently will present a history of Barrie from the time of the end of the last ice age to 1959 when Barrie becomes a city, which represents the beginning of the modern age,” she says.
The Barrie Waterfront Heritage Trail was the brainchild of the first mayor of the incorporated City of Barrie, Willard Kinzie, who died in November 2018 at the age of 99.
But not before he got the ball rolling for the interpretive stations that would tell the story of his beloved city.
“Willard was completely involved with the Heritage Trail working group as a key member from the beginning,” Loevenmark says. “He carried through his vision, starting from his original presentation to council and continuing on to actively attend and participate in the working group.
“It was during that time that I had the pleasure of making the cast of his hand for the ‘High Five’ (located at the end of the trail at the bottom of Penetanguishene Road) and sending it off to the bronze casting company that we used to create the final piece.”
Loevenmark says there were various rationale presented by Kinzie to council during his advocating for the heritage trail.
“Willard said it would add interest to the walk and be an incentive to walk and exercise. It would be educational for Barrie citizens of all ages, considering most Barrie residents are not native to Barrie,” she says. “The heritage trail will be a great tourist attraction: a boost to downtown and local businesses, hotels and restaurants. And it will also increase pride in the community.”
The specific topic themes behind each of the remaining interpretive panels to be installed are being explored and considered, she adds.
“We were supported in the goal by the work completed by the Barrie Historical Association, which had commissioned Su Murdoch to write six interpretive panels — Allandale Train Station, Ice Industry, Carriage Company, Gasworks, The Tannery and Memorial Square — which were placed around the waterfront."
These panels have been retained and relocated to the appropriately themed station, Loevenmark says.
There are some panels currently in place that reference Indigenous people, specifically two at the Military Heritage Park, where Indigenous involvement in the War of 1812 and the First World War are highlighted, she adds.
“In this current research phase, we are currently working with our local Indigenous partners at the Barrie Native Friendship Centre and our contacts at Chippewas of Rama First Nation, Chippewas of Georgina Island and Beausoleil First Nation to obtain feedback on their perspectives on key history related to the Barrie area towards creating further interpretive panels,” Loevenmark says.
Barrie is chock-a-block full of interesting history, she adds.
