Community Projects

Case studies

We work hard to ensure each project’s success.

Trees for Bees

Bees and other pollinators support healthy ecosystems, one tree at a time we’re supporting them too. A proposal was sent in 2021 to the Barrie-Huronia Rotary Club for funding a naturalization project with Living Green Barrie. The concept was to plant trees that are known to provide habitat for native pollinators. Trees for Bees supports […]

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Trees for Bees

Rotary Christmas Hamper

Every family deserves Christmas and we do our part to make sure that happens. Every year for 30 years, The Rotary Club of Barrie Huronia shops for approximately 70 families who need a little help at Christmas. The families come from Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Barrie & District, Women & Children’s Shelter of Barrie, and […]

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Rotary Christmas Hamper

Other community projects

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Heritage Park Gazebo

A shelter for visitors to take a break from their stroll around Barrie's waterfront, and a beautiful view featured in many wedding photos since it was constructed in 1993. The Heritage Park Gazebo was part of a waterfront revitalization project for The City of Barrie. The Rotary Club of Barrie Huronia worked in conjunction with The City of Barrie and to construct the Gazebo as part of the overall Heritage Park project.

Heritage Park Gazebo - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Barrie Clock

Barrie's Rotary clubs recognized Canada's 150th birthday and Rotary International Foundation's 100th anniversary by placing a traditional post clock on the walking path at the foot of Bayfield St. The project was funded by the sale of personalized granite stones that make up the walking path around the site. The bricks were sold for $100 each and they were inscribed with the name of the donor or their loves one, a business or a group. Installation of the clock and walkway coincided with the city's July 1st celebrations 2017. A project of the Rotary Club of Barrie, Barrie-Huronia, Barrie-Kempenfelt.

Barrie Clock - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Sadlon Arena 1994

(Formerly Barrie Molson Centre) The Sadlon Arena is a 4,195-seat multi-purpose arena in Barrie, Ontario, Canada.... The Sadlon Arena was one of the first modern arenas built in the OHL and was the blueprint from which a lot of the newer arenas were modeled. There is a full concourse so you can walk all the way around the arena. Supported by the Rotary Club of Barrie and The Rotary Club of Barrie-Huronia.

Sadlon Arena 1994 - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Rotary Place

Rotary Place at RVH in Barrie was supported by 12 Rotary Clubs throughout North Simcoe and Muskoka The facility was named Rotary House, in recognition of cumulative pledges totaling more than $1.5 million from area Rotary clubs. The facility opened in 2011, just prior to the opening of the Phase 1 Expansion Project. Rotary House also houses administrative offices, the Family Medicine Teaching Unit and Rotary House, a lodge for cancer patients and their families who travel to Barrie for cancer treatment from out of town.

Rotary Place - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Southshore Community Centre

The Southshore Community Centre is a historic site in Barrie. This industrial building on the Barrie waterfront was erected in 1903-4 as the Master Mechanic and Stores Department for the Grand Trunk Railway. The building was restored and converted in 2004 to a community centre and is now a popular venue for weddings  and receptions. Proudly supported by the Rotary Club-of Barrie Huronia and The Rotary Club of Barrie where weekly meetings are held.

Southshore Community Centre - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Centennial Park Concession Stand

The Centennial Park Concession Stand was a hands on project built by members of the Rotary Club of Barrie-Huronia. A cash donation was also made to support the project. The project was completed in 1985 and still stands today to serve the community while enjoying our beautiful Centennial Park.

Centennial Park Concession Stand - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Georgian College

The Rotary Club of Barrie-Huronia has been a proud supporter of Georgian College with a number of projects over the years including the Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning, providing support for the Operation Hero Scholarship and Supporting the Cenotaph project. In 2011, the club supported the Health and Wellness campaign: the capital campaign for the building as well as setting up the Rotary Club of Barrie-Huronia/Dr. Ken Robinson Memorial Award The Rotary Club of Barrie-Huronia is recognized on the first floor of the Sadlon Centre in the Rotary Community Clinic - a tri-club partnership of the Barrie area Rotary clubs

Georgian College - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Hospice Simcoe

Recognizing the needs of the community, the Rotary Club of Barrie Huronia along with the other two Rotary Clubs in Barrie stepped up to the plate to support the construction and opening of the 10 bed residential hospice in December of 2009. Additional support resulted in support from all three local Rotary Clubs of the Hospice Simcoe Hummingbird Capital Campaign. With the generous $24,000 donation from each club; Rotary Club of Barrie-Huronia, Rotary Club of Barrie & Rotary Club of Barrie-Kempenfelt.

Hospice Simcoe - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Sunnidale Park Pavilion

Barrie's Garden Club was selected by the City to construct the signature project to celebrate the City’s 150th birthday. They proposed to build a pavilion in the Arboretum at Sunnidale Park in the heart of the City. The Pavilion is meant to serve as shelter for people using the park and as a place where people can learn about the history and environment of the area. Designed by Jeffrey Architect. Proudly supported-by the Rotary Club of Barrie-Huronia. Currently Named the Peggy Staite-Wong Pavilion.

Sunnidale Park Pavilion - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Circle At The Centre

The Circle At The Centre is an outdoor rink which is transformed into a public skating rink during the winter Season and a beautiful fountain and reflecting pond throughout the summer. Supported by the Rotary Club of Barrie-Huronia Rotarians bringing families together for outdoor winter fun. The Circle at the Centre is located in the courtyard in front of City Hall, 70 Collier Street, Barrie. The official opening was December 15, 2007 to celebrate the Holiday Season with skating performances and entertainment.

Circle At The Centre - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

MacLaren Art Centre

The MacLaren Art Centre moved to its new, state-of-the-art facility in September 2001. As part of the new building design, the Rotary Clubs of Barrie supported the addition of “The Rotary Education Centre’. This space houses various workshops, lectures arid school tours. The pursuit of quality educational programming is the primary function of their Education Department, which serves both traditional and non-traditional audiences, Programs are developed to broaden their audience base, to make the arts accessible to a diverse population and to meet the needs of specific community members: children, youth, adults, seniors, families, students, teachers, artists, tourists and the casual visitor, as well as specialized audiences such as members of the Francophone community, the Indigenous community and culturally diverse audiences. The Education Department develops a wide range of interpretive and hands-on activities that provide an enriched environment for learning.

MacLaren Art Centre - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Barrie Public Library

The beautiful library building was completed in 1996. The main floor of the library houses a young adult section which is overseen by a teen advisory board with representatives from each of the local high schools as well as adult fiction and non-fiction. The second floor houses a 7,000 square foot children’s area. Throughout the library are computer stations for Internet use, word processing and searching for library resources. The library also hosts the Simcoe County Branch of the Ontario Genealogy Society and Information Barrie. A wonderful service to the community, proudly supported by the Rotary Club of Barrie Huronia. Located at 60 Worsley Street, Barrie.

Barrie Public Library - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Victoria Village

Victoria Village is a unique community located in the heart of Barrie that offers 57 Life Lease Suites, 16 Senior Residential Suites, a 128 Long Term Care facility and commercial space that includes a Sports Medicine clinic, a cafe, a pharmacy specializing in geriatric care, law office, accounting office and various other community services. Victoria Village is located on the former site of Royal Victoria Hospital. When it was determined that RVH had outgrown its space, the City of Barrie recommended to adopt the development of Vic Village on the old RVH site. The committee recognized the need to support the increasing senior population and opted to work to develop the property to accommodate the seniors in our community. Many members of the The Rotary Club of Barrie-Huronia have been involved on the Board of Directors of Victoria Village since its inception, and still are today. Our club along with ANAF club supported the purchase of an accessible van to transport residents on outings, which supports their well being and mental health.

Victoria Village - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Tiffin Centre For Conservation

The Tiffin Centre is a four-season destination for environmental recreation and education. There are 17 kms of looped trails that meander through a mixture of wetlands, forests, open meadows and ancient lake beds. The Tiffin Conservation area has-been a long-standing project for The Environmental Committee of the Rotary Club of Barrie Huronia. In the early 90s, they began helping with many hands-on projects. They cleaned up walking paths, built bridges, set up a tree seedling growing building, provided an HVAC unit for the facility, and they made a shack for skate rentals and provided a warm area for visitors. They also provided all-terrain wheelchairs to allow disabled patrons to visit the grounds as well.

Tiffin Centre For Conservation - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Trans Canada Trail

Trans Canada Trail Pavilion Centennial Park near Tiffin Boat Launch The Trans Canada Trail, the longest recreational trail in the world was initiated in 1992 as a lasting legacy to Canada's 125th birthday celebration. It is a non-profit charitable endevour of love and commitment to a great vision of bonding Canadian's together from coast to coast to coast. The Rotary Club of Barrie-Huronia contributed to this project along with many other Service organizations and local businesses.

Trans Canada Trail - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Milligan’s Pond

The Rotary Club of Barrie Huronia, in partnership with The City of Barrie, spent many years cleaning and revitalizing Milligan's Pond. Milligan’s Pond is a nesting area for migratory ducks and birds, and a playground for many squirrels. Over the years, through efforts of The Club led by the Environmental Committee, The Club got together for numerous path and park clean ups, constructed duck nesting boxes, and built a bridge over the Creek. The ongoing work began in the 90's and continued over 10 years. The project was the passion of one of our charter members, Howard Hamilton. Howard passed away last year, but he is remembered with a rock at Milligan's Pond.

Milligan’s Pond - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

YMCA

The New Y will be a hub that will house traditional Y programs while supporting other opportunities for the public, our membership, and our community partners. The 72,000 square foot facility at the corner of Dunlop and Bradford Street is the Y we need for the Barrie we want. Construction will begin construction will begin in 2022. For more information visit: ymcaofsimcoemuskoka.ca

YMCA - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Redwood Park Communities

Redwood Park Communities was founded-in-2009 as a charity to build safe, affordable, hopeful housing that supports families and individuals. We are committed to working through partnerships with local agencies serving vulnerable people who require affordable housing. They are partnering with The Salvation Army to establish a 14,000 sq ft - a two-story building that will provide 12 fully furnished, two-bedroom apartments for families in crisis. The building's heart will be a spacious kitchen and “great room," complete with a large stone fireplace, designed to provide space for families’ lives to intersect over coffee, conversation, and the occasional shared meal. For more information: redwpodparkcommunities.com

Redwood Park Communities - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Fishing Platform

The Rotary Fishing Platform is dedicated to The City of Barrie by all three Rotary Clubs in Barrie. The Rotary Fishing Platform began construction end of 2021 and will be completed in Spring 2022. Rotary Club of Barrie Huronia, Rotary Club of Barrie, Barrie Kempenfelt Rotary Club. The Platform will be located in Heritage Park, on the shore of Kempenfelt Bay. It is dedicated to the citizens and visitors of Barrie who enjoy this magnificent waterfront and share our appreciation and commitment to our Environment.

Fishing Platform - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

100 Trees For 100 Years

100 Trees for 100 years is Rotary Centennial Project recognizing 1905-2005 along our waterfront supported by The Rotary Clubs of Barrie. The three Clubs planted 100 trees from Minnet’s Point through to the Military Park at the Southshore Center. The Project-is commemorated with a rock at the corner of Lakeshore and Minnet's Point Rd. There is a plaque hung in The Southshore Center entrance recognizing-anyone who donated $100 to the Project.

100 Trees For 100 Years - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Gilda’s Club

The Rotary Club of Barrie-Huronia is proud to support many important initiatives in the community including in support for Cancer Care. The club supported the capital campaign of Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka which opened its doors in 2010. Gilda’s club’s mission is to ensure that all people impacted by any cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by community. Because no cancer care plan is complete without emotional and social support, their innovative programs of networking and support groups, education workshops and social activities are provided free of charge

Gilda’s Club - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

FOE (Friends of Wiidookdaadiwin)

When the Wiidookdaadiwin Lookout is fully complete, it will be much more than a view - it will be a hub of cultural significance. It will foster an interest in our heritage and demonstrate how beauty can be preserved, even from an old landfill site. A Historical Icon Sculpture created by Marlene Hilton Moore of Simcoe County will recognize the First-Nations, explorers, settlers and military that traversed the lakes, rivers, islands, and portages between Georgian Bay and Lake Ontario. The bronze statue depicts an explorer and a member from First Nations, complete with an Easter Ojibway birchbark canoe. The site is located on George Johnson Road in Barrie, For more information, visit: wiidookdaadiwin.org

FOE (Friends of Wiidookdaadiwin) - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Five Points Theatre

Five Points Theatre (formerly Mady Centre) for the Performing Arts, including the Park Place Theatre performance space, is a world class facility conveniently located in Barrie's downtown and managed by the Department of Culture. Completed in 2001, This modern facility is home to many professional and amateur cultural productions, film screenings, theatrical plays, concerts, dance recitals and other performances. It is also the main venue for Theatre by the Bay and the Talk Is Free Theatre Companies. The Rotary Lounge is a bar and gathering area where patrons gather during intermission and before and after a show and is an area where many special events are held.

Five Points Theatre - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Royal Victoria Hospital

The Rotary Club of Barrie-Huronia has been a proud supporter of Royal Victoria Hospital since 1984 when the club made our first major gift in support of a 16-bed Critical Care Unit. The Rotary Club of Barrie-Huronia proudly supported the following campaigns with important improvements to health care in our community: Sixteen bed Critical Care Unit (1984), Capital building fund (1987-1992), Health Information Centre (1999-2002), I Believe Campaign (2006-2014), Hearts and Minds Campaign (2016-2020)

Royal Victoria Hospital - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Dr. Ken Robinson Memorial Award

The endowed award was named after Dr. Ken Robinson, who passed away in December of 2011. Dr Robinson joined the Rotary Club of Barrie-Huronia in 1977 and was involved in setting up the criteria for the endowment, which was established as an endowment in 2011 named in his memory. The endowment is open to full-time students enrolled beyond their first year of study in any health-sciences program at the Barrie Campus of Georgian College. The recipient demonstrates financial need, volunteerism, community involvement and academic merit.

Dr. Ken Robinson Memorial Award - Rotary Barrie-Huronia

Shelter Box

A world where no family is without shelter after disaster. Rotary International has been in partnership since 2012. The partnership between Rotary and ShelterBox has provided a place of refuge to people facing some of the most difficult and uncertain moments in their lives. For more information, or to donate funds visit: www.shelterboxcanada.org

Shelter Box - Rotary Barrie-Huronia
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Current commitments

Present community projects led by our club

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