This ongoing series from Barrie Historical Archive curator Deb Exel shows old photos from the collection and one from the present day, as well as the story behind them.
Little Avenue and Fairview Road
It’s hard to picture the area of Little Avenue and Fairview Road as anything but busy, but even in the 1960s, it had a pretty rural feel.
Until it became part of Allandale and then Barrie, Little Avenue was part of Innisfil Township, so theorizing the street was named for Innisfil pioneer William Little (and not former Barrie mayor John Little) seems legit.
Little was born in England, near Stroud, Gloucester, in 1820. He served three years in the Royal Navy, during the war with China, followed by time in India and Australia, before coming to Canada in 1847, settling in Innisfil Township.
Little wasted no time establishing a presence in the community. Elected to Innisfil council in 1853, he served on Simcoe County council as reeve or deputy reeve from 1856 to 1879. In addition, Little served as a justice of the peace, as major in the South Simcoe Reserve Militia and president of the Innisfil Agricultural Society.
Considered a staunch liberal-conservative, a good Anglican and a prominent Orangeman, he was the first MP elected for Simcoe South in 1867 — a position he held until his death. In his role as MP, he was responsible for establishing post offices in Victoria (now Stroud) and Union (now Painswick), villages he renamed for places in England. Similarly, Little named the small communities of Ivy, Holly and Vine.
At the age of 34, he married Mary Ann Hammell, 17, and together they had six children. Mary died shortly after giving birth to their seventh child (stillborn). She was 28 years old. A few years later, Little married Mary Bennett, with whom he had another five children. His son, Edward, would go on to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and son William became chief clerk in the Department of Railways and Canals and captain of the Ottawa Rough Riders. William Little’s great-grandson is impressionist Rich Little.
Until Allandale began expanding, Little Avenue was likely considered the ‘boonies.’ But exciting progress appeared in 1950, with the opening of the Huronia Drive-In Theatre — “just two miles south of Barrie on Concession 14 (Little Avenue), the first road on the left past the cloverleaf on Highway 27 heading south.” This new-to-Barrie entertainment featured no dress code, parking for 500 cars, concession stand, and free bottle-warming service for families.
Down the hill from the drive-in, students of Miss Barb Lloyd’s Riding School, located where the Volkswagen dealership is now, roamed the trails on the hilly meadow at Little Avenue and Fairview Road. In the winter, children tobogganed the hills before the Holiday Inn was built and the subdivisions came.
And Fairview Road? No historical significance to the name, it seems — just a ‘fair view’ of the town and bay from a pleasant hillside.
