Simcoe.com

Simcoe.com is a reliable source for local news, catering to readers in Alliston, Barrie, Bradford, Collingwood, Innisfil, Midland, Orillia, Stayner, and Wasaga Beach, as well as surrounding areas. With a strong focus on quality community journalism, Simcoe.com provides daily news and updates designed to inform, engage, and empower its audience while fostering community connections. This platform represents the digital evolution of several former weekly newspapers that served Simcoe County, such as the Alliston Herald, Barrie Advance, Bradford-West Gwillimbury Topic, Collingwood Connection, Innisfil Journal, The Mirror (covering Midland, Penetanguishene, Tiny, and Tay), Orillia Today, and The Sun (serving Stayner and Wasaga Beach). These award-winning publications, published by Metroland Media Group Ltd., a part of Torstar Corporation, transitioned to a fully digital format on September 15, 2023.

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Hundreds of hepatitis A vaccines given following exposure at north Barrie coffee shop, with zero new cases as a result

1 week ago | simcoe.com | Brett Glover

It’s been a week since the local health unit said some folks may have been exposed to hepatitis A at a north Barrie Timmies, and hundreds of vaccines have been doled out since. A vaccine was offered to those who had been exposed up to 14 days prior — the vaccine loses its effectiveness two weeks after exposure — with the last day of a vaccination clinic on June 17. In that time, the SMDHU confirmed it vaccinated 530 eligible residents.
Ryan Wood, youth hockey owner facing sexual assault allegation, died Wednesday night

1 week ago | simcoe.com | Brett Glover

WARNING: This story contains graphic content and may be upsetting to some readers. A Barrie hockey club owner who was facing an allegation of sexual assault has died. The OPP confirms that Ryan Wood, 41, died suddenly on June 18, shortly after 8 p.m. Wood was facing one charge of sexual assault related to an alleged incident on May 11. He was charged by the Barrie Police Service on May 20, and while he was originally expected in court on June 30, that date was put over until early September.
Barrie mourning loss of man known as an innovator, educator, philanthropist, and mentor

1 week ago | simcoe.com | Brett Glover

Barrie is mourning the loss off a business leader, mentor and friend. Steve Loftus, co-founder of Innovative Automation — a world-recognized automation and robotics manufacturer in Barrie — died suddenly Friday. He was 67. His cause of death has not yet been made public. Loftus leaves behind a wife, five children, and six grandkids. Loftus co-founded his company in 1989, and helped it grow from a local manufacturer to one that would serve industries around the world.
Barrie youth hockey coach, former Barrie Colts billet host, facing sexual assault charge

1 week ago | simcoe.com | Brett Glover

A Barrie-based youth hockey team has suspended operations after its owner and head coach was charged with sexual assault. Ryan Wood, the owner of the Purple Cobras hockey association, was arrested in Barrie on May 20. Court records show he was charged after an incident alleged to have taken place on May 11. No accusations against Wood have been proven in court. Simcoe.com reached out to Wood by phone for comment but has yet to receive a reply.
Financial woes stall Barrie fairgrounds development as Barrie Curling Club, City Hall, and school boards wait for what’s next

1 week ago | simcoe.com | Brett Glover

Financial roadblocks mean the old Barrie fairgrounds will continue to sit empty, as yet another development has been shelved, leaving several organizations in wait-and-see mode. Digram Developments, through Green World Construction Inc., had planned to transform the 55-acre site at 175/199 Essa Rd. and 50 Wood St. into a dense mixed-use community with more than 3,200 residential units, commercial spaces and a dedicated school block.
Local health unit offering Hepatitis A vaccine clinic after Livingstone Street Tim Hortons employee tests positive for disease

2 weeks ago | simcoe.com | Brett Glover

A Hepatitis head’s up from the local health unit to anyone who visited a coffee shop at a busy intersection in Barrie’s north end. The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) reports a confirmed case of Hepatitis A in a food handler at Tim Hortons, 181 Livingstone St. E, and that anyone who had food or drinks from the restaurant from May 17 to June 3, may have been exposed. The risk for customers to contract the disease is low, according to the health unit.
New downtown Barrie toy shop Hey Bootsy focuses on nostalgia, community building

2 weeks ago | simcoe.com | Brett Glover

There’s a new toy store in downtown Barrie, which caters to the young and young at heart. Hey Bootsy, located at 117 Dunlop St. E., in Barrie’s downtown core prides itself on being an old-fashioned toy shop, according to owner Heather Kennedy. “Hey Bootsy was meant to be a place where people could kind of come and escape the hustle bustle of everyday life and find their inner childhood,” she said. The store doesn’t sell anything with a screen.
New downtown toy shop Hey Bootsy focuses on nostalgia, community building

2 weeks ago | simcoe.com | Brett Glover

There’s a new toy store in downtown Barrie, which caters to the young and young at heart. Hey Bootsy, located at 117 Dunlop St. E., in Barrie’s downtown core prides itself on being an old-fashioned toy shop, according to owner Heather Kennedy. “Hey Bootsy was meant to be a place where people could kind of come and escape the hustle bustle of everyday life and find their inner childhood,” she said. The store doesn’t sell anything with a screen.
WHAT’S GOING ON HERE? Huronia Road getting some work done, leading to delays in Barrie’s south end

2 weeks ago | simcoe.com | Brett Glover

Huronia Road is getting a facelift, and it might hamper your commute to work. Lane restrictions are in place along Huronia from Loon Avenue to just south of Big Bay Point Road. Here’s why. Just the facts Huronia Road has been slated for resurfacing as part of the city’s 2025 pavement management program, an effort to renew aging roads, sidewalks, and curbs. Access to the Eagle Ridge Professional Complex will be maintained for the duration of the work.
Appeal delays Tiny Township’s shoreline work bylaw

2 weeks ago | simcoe.com | Ian Adams

Tiny Township’s bid to regulate shoreline work is on hold. The township council passed three bylaws in late May that created new shoreline protection and permit processes. The bylaws were intended to regulate site alterations within the shoreline area, such as fences, boathouses, retaining walls, decks, and landscaping within the 178-metre elevation of the shoreline. The bylaw amending the zoning bylaw has since been appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal.