Barrie

The city is part of the extended urban area in Southern Ontario known as the Greater Golden Horseshoe. As of the 2021 census, the city's population was 147,829, while the census metropolitan area had a population of 212,856 residents. The area was first settled during the War of 1812 as a supply depot for British forces, and Barrie was named after Sir Robert Barrie. The city has grown significantly in recent decades due to the emergence of the technology industry.

It is connected to the Greater Golden Horseshoe by Highway 400 and GO Transit's Barrie line. Significant sectors of the city's diversified economy include education, healthcare, information technology, and manufacturing. Communities to its south, particularly Innisfil, New Tecumseth, and Newmarket have developed rapidly since the turn of the 21st century. The city is notable for being one of the centres of the 1985 United States–Canada tornado outbreak.