Licence 2 Ride for Barrie Youth: Your Summer Pass to Transit, Fitness, and Fun!
 
Applications are open for the City’s Licence 2 Ride (L2R) program, which is available for Barrie youth aged 12 to 17. The program includes free unlimited summer rides on Barrie Transit and free, select drop-in access at Peggy Hill Team Community Centre, Allandale Recreation Centre, and East Bayfield Community Centre.
Find out more and apply at barrie.ca/Licence2Ride.
City of Barrie celebrates FIFA World Cup with Regional Esports Tournament
The Game On! World Cup Esports Tournament will unite top qualifying players aged 14 to 24 from across Simcoe County for a FIFA / EA Sports FC showdown—featuring online play and a live, on-stage final experience. The event is presented in partnership with Bradford West Gwillimbury, Collingwood, Innisfil, Orillia, Oro-Medonte, Penetanguishene and Tiny Township and is hosted virtually by online interactive gaming entertainment company, We Got Game.
For more information and to register by May 22 visit barrie.ca/GameOnWorldCup.
Considering a run for office? Attend an information session
Nominations for the 2026 Municipal Election are now open. The City is hosting two information sessions for anyone thinking about running for mayor, councillor, or school board trustee, or registering as a third-party advertiser. Each session covers different topics, so attending both is encouraged. Sessions will take place in Council Chambers at City Hall (70 Collier Street), with options to attend in person or via Zoom.
Session One: May 11, 6–8 p.m.
Session Two: May 28, 6–8 p.m.Â
For full details visit barrie.ca/election.
Save time with the City’s Recycling Depot!
The Recycling Depot is located at the lower gate area of the City’s landfill site (272 Ferndale Drive North). This facility helps reduce wait times and make dropping off select materials more efficient.Â
Drop off these items at the depot for free:Â
NEW:
- Yard waste, residential only (maximum 4 bags)
- Tires on or off the rim
- Organics (items that go in the organics cart)
- Blue and grey box recycling
- Scrap metal
- Textiles
- Electronics – anything with a cord or a battery
- Broken recycling or organics bins
- Light bulbs
- Batteries
- Saturdays only: household hazardous waste (like paint or chemicals)
The depot is open seasonally Tuesday to Saturday, from 8:30 a.m.– 3:30 p.m.
Learn more about the Recycling Depot at barrie.ca/Landfill.
City invites local businesses to complete this year’s Business & Employer Data Survey
City of Barrie staff are now conducting the annual Business & Employer Data Survey through door-to-door visits in Barrie’s commercial and industrial areas. The survey helps update the City’s online business directory and informs economic development and planning efforts.
Businesses can also complete the survey online at buildingbarrie.ca/BusinessDataSurvey by September 30, 2026. For more information and to view the 2025 summary report, visit investbarrie.ca/BEDS.
Explore opportunities at the Construction Job Fair on May 21
Invest Barrie and the Barrie Construction Association are hosting a Construction Job Fair on Thursday, May 21, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Allandale Recreation Centre (190 Bayview Drive). This free event connects job seekers with local employers who are actively hiring. No pre-registration is required—just bring copies of your resume and be ready for possible on-the-spot interviews.
Learn more and view the list of participating employers at investbarrie.ca/ConstructionJobFair.
Share your vision on the future of downtown waterfront parksÂ
The City is redeveloping Heritage Park (Phase 1) and Sam Cancilla Park and is inviting the community to share input on the designs. Residents can review the proposed concepts and take the online survey until Sunday, May 24, 2026 at BuildingBarrie.ca/DowntownWaterfrontParks, for the chance to win a prize. You can also drop in to one of the pop-up engagement events to learn more about the project.
For more information on the project, including details about the pop-up events, visit BuildingBarrie.ca/DowntownWaterfrontParks. (Pictured: Heritage Park Concept 1 — Revealed Geogology).
It’s pothole season and repairs are underway!
Spring is here and City of Barrie crews are busy filling potholes. So far this year, crews have filled over 2,200 potholes and hundreds more are getting filled every day. In 2025, over 12,900 potholes were repaired.Â
To report a pothole, please provide specific location details using one of the following channels:Â
- Visit ServiceBarrie.ca
- Call Service Barrie at 705-726-4242
- E-mail Service Barrie at [email protected]
- Use the City’s mobile appÂ
Pothole complaints are addressed on a priority and scheduling basis. By reporting potholes​, you help ensure that they are repaired in a timely manner. Visit barrie.ca/potholes for more information.
Temporary traffic calming measures could be coming to your neighbourhood!
Traffic calming uses physical measures designed to reduce speeding and encourage safe driving in neighbourhoods. Each spring and summer, seasonal, temporary traffic calming measures —such as speed cushions, flexible bollards, and planters—are installed, then removed in the fall.
To learn more and see the full list of 2026 locations, visit barrie.ca/SeasonalTrafficCalming.
Call for artists: Cabinets to Canvas traffic cabinet wraps
The City of Barrie and the Barrie Public Art Committee are inviting Ontario-based artists to submit designs for the Cabinets to Canvas program (formerly Artist Designed Traffic Cabinet Wraps). Part of the City’s Graffiti Abatement Program,, the initiative transforms traffic cabinets with vibrant, community-inspired artwork. Submit your proposal by Friday, May 22, 2026. Artists are also invited to a virtual information session  on Tuesday, May 12, from 6–7 p.m. (registration required).
Learn more, review eligibility, and apply at barrie.ca/GraffitiAbatementArtwork.
Do you have your waterfront digital parking permit?
Resident waterfront digital parking permits have been extended to December 31, 2028. A waterfront parking permit, free for Barrie residents, allows you to park for free at select waterfront locations. Each digital permit is tied to a specific licence plate, so you do not need to bring anything with you or display anything when parking in select areas along Barrie’s beautiful waterfront.
Don’t have a permit yet? Visit barrie.ca/Waterfront Parking.
Spring street sweeping is underway!
The annual spring street sweeping program cleans all City streets of sand deposited during winter road maintenance, and other debris. Spring sweeping always starts in the Source Water Protection Areas of the city (zones 1-9).
Visit barrie.ca/StreetSweeping for progress updates to learn where we’re headed next and view the map to determine your zone.
Presented by The City of Barrie
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of The City of Barrie and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of iPolitics.
