Newest public art piece part of GO transit stop is celebrated

Barrie showcases an eye-catching stainless steel sculpture called 'Exhale' at the Allandale Transit Terminal.

A new piece of public art is shimmering in the light alongside the Barrie Allandale Transit Terminal.

As you drive along Essa Road at Tiffin Street, you may notice some glimmers of light flickering around.

The public art piece was celebrated today at a media event with Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall, Barrie Public Art Committee members, and the winning artistic team.

The piece, titled “Exhale: Memories of Breath, Steam & Campfire Smoke,” was created by Brad Hindson and Michael Simon, also known as Studio F Minus, based in Toronto.

The sculpture is comprised of about 240 stainless steel paddles with mirrored sides, allowing for natural sun light to shimmer and its surroundings to be reflected. The paddles move and spin at different tempos and times, depending on the wind speed and direction. They also create intricate shadows. The art piece can look completely different from one day to the next depending on what Mother Nature is doing.

Canadian artists were called upon to design and create a piece for the transit site. After 46 submissions, “Exhale” was the winner chosen by a jury of third-party stakeholders and approved by Barrie City Council.

The design was installed in September 2025 as part of the newly constructed transit site.