Barrie Plaza

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Hello Again Explorers,

Another shot, right in the nostalgia for denizens and visitors to Barrie, Ontario.  We are looking at the Barrie Shopping Plaza, Barrie's first major retail centre near the intersection of Wellington and Anne Street and in full view of Highway 400.  As malls simply did not exist in the early 1960's, shoppers hit individual stores along Dunlop Street downtown, or other stand-alone stores.  Across town on Blake Street, Dominion Plaza jostled to win customers.

When we moved to Barrie, that iconic 'three-disk' kiosk was still in place, but perhaps looking fatigued (like falling over sort of fatigued).  At this time, this kiosk typically did a brisk trade selling cigarettes.
 

The big draw (for us anyways) was to rent a (VHS / Beta) videos from Bandito video.  This store closed back in 2015.

The LCBO was the old draconian style of operation when the booze was not out in the open and you had to fill out a form (like Consumer's Distributing) and submit it to a clerk.  The government also wanted to keep track of how much you consumed as well.  Thankfully, we are not that old to remember this operation.  Anywhoos, here is the list of early tenants at the Barrie (Wellington) Plaza.

L. C. B. O.
Gall's Barber Shop
Paramount Cleaner
Rob-Ray Restaurant
Venus Coiffures (what the hell is a covfefe?)
Royal Bank of Canada
Quick-Clean Coin Wash
Stephens Store for Men and Boys
Ernies Department Stores
Bata Shoe Store
Allandale Hardware
The Fashion House
Plaza Drugs
Coward Clothes
Woolworth’s  (w00t!)
Kerns Jewelry
Power Supermarkets
Ontario Motor League 

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