The company s stable of engineers has grown to 26, up from just two when they bought the company. Those people likely didn t come from Barrie, points out Crook, a native of the city, who can trace his family s origins in the region back five generations. Moreover, unlike other Ontario cities, where skilled people are wooed away by nearby competitors, Crook and Ravalli contend people come to stay in Barrie for good. If they uproot and sell their homes and move here, they stay here, asserts Ravalli. Also working in Barrie s favour is the quality of life.
Housing is generally affordable, despite a recent run-up in executive house prices.
And while winters are long and cold, Barrie is a short drive to ski hills and snowmobile trails. In the summer, it s close to one of the most beautiful cottage regions in the world. Barrie also boasts a marina and yacht club. Alas, not all is idyllic in the city. Barrie has been fighting to keep the railway link between nearby Bradford and Barrie open after CN Rail informed the city it was abandoning the line.