All gears have shifted into drive as the new Barrie Allandale Transit Terminal opens to the public.
The City of Barrie has officially opened the terminal, a $31.4-million project that officials say will improve service efficiency and strengthen connections across the region.
Located beside the Allandale Waterfront GO Station near Essa Road and Tiffin Street, just outside the city’s downtown, the terminal began serving riders on Sept. 21. Local dignitaries, including Mayor Alex Nuttall, local MPPs Doug Downey and Andrea Khanjin, city councillors Jim Harris and Nigussie Nigussie and Markham–Stouffville MP Helena Jaczek, gathered Sept. 25 to mark the grand opening.
Nuttall called the new terminal a “game-changer” for Barrie transit riders.
“It will enhance service efficiency, improve connections to GO train service, and unlock new opportunities for downtown revitalization by repurposing the existing terminal site,” he said.
Downey added the project will benefit both the city’s downtown core and waterfront.
“Moving forward with the Allandale station will also create opportunities to improve and enhance a key part of downtown Barrie and the waterfront,” he said.
The terminal was funded through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, with more than $11 million from Ottawa, $9 million from Queen’s Park and the balance covered by the city.
Khanjin said the terminal’s completion would not have been possible without a collaborative approach.
“This project would not have been possible without the team approach — whether it’s Team Barrie, Team Canada, or the folks who have been working on this project. It really shows you that this has been long in the making for Barrie,” she said.
The terminal includes fully accessible facilities, covered bike shelters, a public art sculpture in the outdoor plaza and a design reflecting the heritage architecture of the nearby Allandale Historic Train Station. Additions to the terminal are in the works, which include a café, solar panels on bus shelter roofs and a new multi-use path through the site.
The former downtown terminal on Maple Avenue will be redeveloped as a campus for Lakehead University’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Hub, with classes expected to begin in fall 2026. Downtown transit service will continue through bus stops and new shelters on Maple Avenue.
