Barrie Dragon Boat Festival brings community to the waterfront

Stephen J. Donkers — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:51:45 +0000

Paddles up, Barrie!

The city’s waterfront was buzzing on Saturday as paddlers, volunteers, families and spectators came together for the annual Barrie Dragon Boat Festival at Heritage Park.

The festival, hosted by the Barrie Public Library, brought between 800 and 900 paddlers, 40 teams and 75 volunteers to Kempenfelt Bay.

Barrie Public Library CEO Lauren Jessop said a sense of togetherness is at the heart of the event.

“The library tries to foster community in any way that we can,” she said.

“We are more than just books and things we loan out; it is about bringing people together and creating a stronger sense of community – that’s what this festival really does.”

Jessop added that the event doesn’t just raise funds for the library, but also for other organizations and charities.

“Every team fundraises for their own charity – they bring co-workers, family members and friends together,” she said.

“It’s just a fun day out in our community, raising money not only for the Barrie Public Library, but for other great charities as well.”

The festival began as a fundraiser connected to the library’s plans for future branches and has grown into its signature event and one of Barrie’s most recognizable summer traditions.

Tim Hortons, the festival’s title sponsor, has been part of the community spirit. Johnny Mizzoni, owner of several Barrie Tim Hortons locations, said the waterfront provides an ideal setting for an event of this scale.

“It’s a great community event,” he said.

“It’s so well organized every year, and to have it on the waterfront in this great city – why wouldn’t you have events here as often as you possibly could?”

Mizzoni said he enjoys seeing residents flock to the waterfront to take in the races and spend time together.

“I love that our community comes down here and enjoys the waterfront and watches some great competitive racing,” he said.

The festival’s community focus extends beyond the races. Throughout the day, families took part in activities, including children’s face painting, while community vendors and sponsors also helped bring the event to life.

For Coun. Craig Nixon, the festival is one of many important occasions that make Barrie summers special.

“This is another great example of the events that happen in Barrie every summer,” he said.

“This has always been a great event. I’ve been coming to the festival for years now – the crowds and participants grow every year. It’s wonderful to see so many people come out for the festival.”

The 2027 Barrie Dragon Boat Festival is currently being planned.

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City unveils first rendering of new Letitia Heights library branch

Stephen J. Donkers — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 23:04:40 +0000

The Barrie Public Library is beginning a new chapter.

The City of Barrie has released the first rendering of the future Letitia Heights branch of the Barrie Public Library, offering a glimpse of the long-awaited addition to the city’s library system.

Mayor Alex Nuttall, Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson, Coun. Amy Courser, Counc. Nigussie Nigussie, and Barrie Public Library CEO Lauren Jessop unveiled the rendering Tuesday at the library’s future site. The new branch will sit in a commercial plaza at 420 Leacock Dr. on the city’s northwest side.

The new 4,800-square-foot branch will occupy the former O’Hara’s Public House space and is intended to expand access to library services for residents in the Letitia Heights community.

Thomson, who represents the area on council, said the branch is a significant investment.

“This is very important to this community,” he said.

“It is an important investment in northwest Barrie in literacy, lifelong learning, connection and creative spaces where people of all ages feel welcome and supported.”

Nuttall said one of council’s priorities early in the current term was bringing city services to neighbourhoods facing greater economic challenges.

“One of the things that we worked on very early on as a council was to try to get city services into neighbourhoods that had income inequality in comparison with some other neighbourhoods around the city,” he said.

“Some of that work has focused on recreation and opening up existing gymnasiums in schools, and in this case, it’s about putting a library smack in the centre of one of our older neighbourhoods – one that I believe has lacked services over the years when it comes to access to a library and, certainly, all of the things that come with the Barrie Public Library.”

Nuttall also credited Thomson with helping to bring the project to fruition.

“Deputy mayor, thank you for pushing this through and making sure that it happened,” he said.

“This is one of two libraries that are in the works right now, but this is the one that really hits home,” Nuttall said. “The deputy mayor and I both grew up in neighbourhoods just like this, and that’s why it’s so important to make sure services are available in communities like this.”

Jessop said the new branch comes at a time when Barrie’s growing population is increasing demand for community gathering spaces.

“As Barrie continues to grow, so does the need for community spaces that bring people together,” she said.

“This new location supports the library’s strategic vision to expand access to services, meet residents where they are and create vibrant, inclusive spaces that respond to the needs of a growing city.”

The Letitia Heights branch is expected to offer literacy support, programs, Wi-Fi, computers and community space.

Another library branch is in the works, which will be in the future southeast recreation complex.

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Barrie Dragon Boat Festival brings community to the waterfront

City unveils first rendering of new Letitia Heights library branch