Apr 15 2026
April 2026 A small disused cemetery, contained in a grassy-and-wooded lot on the north-eastern edge of Barrie, Ontario, is the final resting place for some of the early residents of Vespra Township. Located at Lot 5, Concession 1, along what is now Penetanguishene Road south of Georgian Drive. Penetanguishene Road has the distinction of being …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/lawrence-cemetery-the-final-resting-place-for-early-residents-of-vespra-township/
Apr 09 2026
April 2026 The original structure has been around for over 100 years, but the Southshore Centre, along the waterfront in Barrie, Ontario, was re-christened with a new name on 15 May 2024. The new name of this historic building from Barrie’s railway past is the General John Hayter Southshore Community Centre, in honour of the …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/southshore-community-centre-re-named-in-honour-of-local-korean-war-veteran/
Apr 06 2026
April 2026 For over one hundred years, the Playhouse Cinema has been entertaining the residents in the east end of Hamilton, Ontario. The Playhouse Cinema, originally called the Playhouse Theatre, is one of the few independently owned and operated, single-screen cinemas left in the Hamilton area. Opened in 1914 as a 700-seat venue for vaudeville and …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/playhouse-cinema-still-entertaining-hamilton-into-its-second-century/
Apr 03 2026
April 2026 The southern Ontario city of Hamilton is known as a centre for steel production, with Stelco and Dofasco being fixtures on the shore of Hamilton Harbour since the early part of the 20th Century. In the 1840s, the Hamilton waterfront served as a final stop for more than 16, 000 Irish immigrants escaping …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/hamiltons-connection-to-the-irish-potato-famine-remembered-with-waterfront-monument/
Mar 12 2026
March 2026 The Toronto Islands are only around a mile off shore from Toronto’s waterfront, but once there, it can seem like a whole world away from the bustle of Canada’s largest city. The Toronto Islands are a chain of 15 small islands in Lake Ontario, providing a sheltered harbour for the city. Originally a series of sand-bars …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/toronto-island-a-little-piece-of-paradise-in-canadas-biggest-city/
Feb 21 2026
February 2026 The fall from grace was a long-time in coming, but given the revelations of the past decade, not unexpected. We all have stories of brushes with greatness, where we encounter various celebrities. It’s easier than ever to capture these moments forever, but there was once a time when people didn’t have a camera …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/from-hero-to-less-than-zero-the-spectacular-fall-of-the-man-formerly-known-as-a-prince/
Feb 18 2026
February 2026 The Hamilton-Burlington Beach Strip is a popular destination for recreation and leisure. Featuring amenities like parkland, a giant wave pool, walking & cycling trails, a go-kart track and of course, the beach for swimming and suntanning, the beach strip has been the place to go in the hot summer months for over 150 …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/popular-diner-has-served-up-burgers-fries-and-shakes-on-the-hamilton-beach-strip-for-eight-decades/
Feb 03 2026
February 2026 Independent, family-owned movie theatres used to be a fixture in every city and town across the country. Whether they were indoor theatres with one or two screens, or multi-screen Drive-Inns, they were the place to go to see the latest movies out of Hollywood. Sadly, few of them remain in operation today, replaced …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/circle-theatre-one-of-the-last-of-the-independents-in-simcoe-county/
Jan 29 2026
January 2026 Before Highway 400 opened between Toronto and Barrie on 1 July 1952, as the first controlled-access highway in Ontario, motorists traveling to cottage country in Northern Simcoe County and the Muskoka District endured slow and arduous process along the King’s Highway 11. Snaking its way through the towns and villages, the route was …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/ghosts-of-barrie-a-former-highway-11-motel-in-barrie-fades-into-the-past/
Jan 02 2026
January 2026 One of Canada’s most decorated military veterans, Major-General (Ret’d) Richard Rohmer, OC, CMM, OOnt, DFC, CD, KC, was honoured by the City of Barrie, with a memorial at Military Heritage Park on the south shore of Kempenfelt Bay in September 2024. Rohmer, a Collingwood native, joined the Royal Canadian Air Force at the age …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/barrie-honours-one-of-canadas-most-decorated-military-veterans-with-memorial-rcaf-roundel/
