Is a historic Indigenous village buried under this SmartCentres site in Barrie? One resident thinks so – simcoe.com
Site near Harvie Road may contain remnants of 400-year-old Huron-Wendat settlement
As a kid growing up in Barrie, David O’Brien remembers learning about the Molson site.
This registered archeological area near Harvie Road, west of Highway 400, is believed to contain the remnants of a 400-year-old Huron-Wendat village, which at its height was home to more than 400 people and at least 12 buildings, including longhouses and smaller cabins potentially used to shelter visitors.
Much of that historic area is believed to be owned by SmartCentres. But with no immediate redevelopment proposal in the works, the company has applied to the city for the extension of a temporary use bylaw to continue farming an 87-acre stretch of the land.
The undeveloped SmartCentres property has been used for soybean and corn production since 2014.
