October 2025
A new transit terminal opened in Barrie, Ontario, on 21 September, replacing the now-closed downtown transit terminal.
The location of the new Barrie Allandale Transit Terminal has a long history of transportation, occupying a portion of the former Canadian National Railway lands on the shore of Kempenfelt Bay, once a large, important railway hub, dating back to the 1850s.
Located in the former Village of Allandale, which had been annexed by the Town of Barrie in 1896, this was where the Grand Trunk Railway built their flagship station, an Italianate style station that included a restaurant portion, a passenger depot and railroad offices. To the east of the station, infilling of the bay allowed the creation of a rail yard, featuring roundhouse, a master mechanic and stores building, a coal stockpile and water towers.
Canadian National Railways took over the Allandale Station in 1922, along with all of the GTR’s operations following the demise of the company, and operated the station until closing it to passenger service in 1980. The Allandale Station briefly re-opened as a passenger station for GO Transit, from 1990 – 1993, after which the station was permanently shut down. The railway tracks were removed, except for the main line running west to Collingwood.
The Allandale Station sat abandoned and deteriorating until 2009, when the City of Barrie undertook a $10 million project to restore and preserve the historic station. Three years later, Barrie saw the return of GO Transit to the Allandale, both rail and bus service, but unfortunately not to the historic GTR station. A new, modern railway station opened to the east of the restored station, named the Allandale Waterfront GO Station.
In place of the former downtown transit terminal, a new Downtown Hub opened the adjacent to it, featuring bus stops and heated waiting areas. The former terminal is being turned over to Lakehead University for use as their Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) campus.
Sources: https://www.barrietoday.com/local-news/new-barrie-allandale-transit-terminal-opening-sunday-11239431, https://www.barrie.ca/government/news-notices/media-releases/grand-opening-barrie-allandale-transit-terminal-celebrated-today, Barrie Allandale Transit Terminal & Downtown Mini Hub | City of Barrie.
