Downtown Barrie: a hot spot for new local businesses

Barrie's Downtown BIA represents 300 businesses. (CTV News)

Downtown Barrie is once again becoming a hot spot for many new local businesses and a first-choice location for many.

Alison Oakes owns and operates Oh Beehive! Refillery along Dunlop Street. She moved her business from the waterfront to the downtown this month because she say it’s just what she was looking for.

“It’s having a downtown that has bustling stores, makes the community thrive more and the support of the community. The support we have been receiving has been incredible,” said Oakes of Oh Beehive! Refillery

The Downtown Barrie Improvement Association (BIA) indicates there no question it has far fewer vacancy’s than in previous years.

“As a vacancy comes up in the downtown what we’re seeing is it being filled back in quickly and a lot faster than it has in past years,” said Craig Stevens, executive director of the Downtown Barrie BIA.

Stevens’ association represents hundreds of local businesses and he says the push to support local has been increased post pandemic.

“What you get with a downtown business is a truly local owner. So that is a huge difference I always describe it as the people who own businesses downtown are your friends, family and neighbours,” Stevens said.

The Barrie Chamber of Commerce represents all businesses in the city and it too has seen growth year over year for the past five years.

“That Business Improvement Area, the BIA… it’s a geographical strip, but you know, but that’s the heartbeat of the city that’s really the engine that drives everything. So if it’s strong and healthy you know the rest of the city follows suit,” said Paul Markle, executive account executive at the Barrie Chamber of Commerce.

The BIA represents about 300 total businesses in the city’s downtown. That number is up year over year and is often viewed as a good indicator of how the business community is moving forward.