Some people actually LIKE Barrie?

Yes, as hard I find it to believe, some people actually like Barrie. To be honest, I knew that from the beginning. But, I also know many people who dislike Barrie as well as some people who just put up with it. They may like some aspects, and not others, but maybe not enough to move. Moving is expensive and emotional. In my case, it will be worth it.

There has been quite a flurry of activity on my blog already. A morning show on one of the local radio stations even picked it up and talked about it on the air.

I've met a few nice people here, but for me, there have been far more negative people and situations that far outweigh anything positive. I know I'm not the only one either. And it's not that I only associate with negative people. I meet all kinds of people, am very open minded, patient and look for good qualities.

But, after almost eight years in Barrie, it's safe to say that I'm not a good fit for this place. Of all the places I've lived in, this is by far the worst. I've lived in the Vancouver area and Montreal area.

Some people hate the rain in Vancouver. It's not the greatest kind of weather, but the trade-off is a very gentle and temperate winter, which I really like. The people are generally fantastic. I do want to go back to the west coast, but am considering the Okananagan Valley this time. A bit more snow (about 10 inches annually - I can live with that), but even less rain than Barrie.

I've lived in the Montreal area and loved it. Very much a European flair - more so in some areas than others (and even more in Quebec City, though I only visited there). I loved the French... speaking it, reading it, working in it... it was great. Again, I found most of the people there great. It was a different way of living and I loved it. The only part I didn't like was that there's still a winter. Just about as long as it is in Barrie, though not as severe in Montreal or the suburbs (West Island). No snow squalls or Lake Effect snow! It just seemed easier to tolerate.

What I liked about those two places, many people hated! But, I'd go back to either of those places in a heartbeat. There's a saying, "you can never please all of the of the people all of the time." This is very true. If you're a person who likes winter, then Barrie is a great place. Heck, Timmins or Winnipeg might be even better!

But, if you're in Toronto or the GTA and are considering a move to Barrie, but aren't very fond of winter, then you may not like Barrie - even though the houses are cheaper, etc. Toronto gets by with a fraction of what Barrie gets. This is a snowbelt area. Your car will rust more, it's colder here, the driving conditions get nasty (all season tires on your Honda Accord just won't cut it). I'm not trying to bash anyone, but it seems that the first car into the guardrail on Hwy 400 each winter is a Honda Accord!

Although not totally necessary, for almost as long as I've lived in Barrie, I've had a four wheel drive SUV with winter tires to make driving easier. This winter we had many days including seven days in a row of severe winter weather alerts asking people to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary. How can this be pleasant? I hope you like shovelling snow and cleaning snow or ice off your car on a regular basis too. Don't forget to plug in that block heater!

Once winter is over, we have spring. But don't forget, Barrie is in Tornado Alley. In 1985, a tornado hit Barrie and caused considerable damage. It seems that every spring we keep getting more and more tornado alerts for this area from Environment Canada. If I wanted to live in fear of tornadoes, Kansas would be nicer place (and yes, I've spent some time there, for real)!

If you're lucky enough to make a decent living in Barrie or like commuting to Toronto, then that's great. Maybe you're the right personality type for Barrie. I'm not. The purpose of this blog is to inform people about both sides of the coin - namely "the other side." To be honest, I'm not looking for Pro-Barrie comments here (but I know some people will leave them anyways just to try and prove me wrong). That's not the purpose of this blog. There are plenty of other websites and glossy brochures that do a fine job of that. There was, however, lack of an objective or opposing view. I felt strongly enough that people (especially potential new residents) needed to stop looking at Barrie through rose coloured glasses and know that Barrie many not be as perfect as some people make it out to be.

As long as I'm here, I'll keep telling people my opinion of the city, while others who like this place will continue to praise it.