Two major topics are dominating conversations across Barrie this week.
The City of Barrie is introducing a new strategy to deal with Barrie illegal shops operating downtown, while community leaders are looking back at another successful Kempenfest. Although heavy rain affected part of the weekend, the festival still attracted thousands of visitors to the city's waterfront.
Here's what Barrie's talking about this week.
Barrie Illegal Shops Face New Enforcement Strategy
Barrie officials are taking a different approach to tackling Barrie illegal shops that continue to operate in the downtown core.
According to Mayor Alex Nuttall, enforcement efforts have shut down several illegal businesses over the past year. However, many reopen quickly or move to another location.
Because of that, the City of Barrie is now shifting its focus to commercial property owners.
Under an existing municipal bylaw, landlords who knowingly lease space to businesses operating illegally could face penalties themselves.
The city hopes this approach will discourage property owners from renting to operators who repeatedly ignore municipal regulations.
Officials believe targeting landlords could prove more effective than relying only on fines or criminal charges against business operators.
As a result, the city expects the new strategy to strengthen enforcement while protecting legitimate businesses operating downtown.
Kempenfest 2026 Delivers Strong Attendance Despite Challenges
Another Kempenfest has wrapped up, and organizers are calling the weekend another success.
Thousands of people visited Barrie's waterfront to enjoy live entertainment, local vendors, food, and one of Canada's largest outdoor arts and crafts festivals.
However, the weekend wasn't without challenges.
Heavy rain on Sunday forced many visitors to cut their day short and created difficult conditions for vendors.
Parking also became a major talking point.
Some vendors expressed concerns that higher parking costs for visitors from outside Barrie may have reduced attendance at certain times during the festival.
Meanwhile, shuttle service generated mixed feedback. While many people appreciated the transportation option, others felt there was room for improvement.
Despite those issues, Paul Markle says Kempenfest continues to deliver significant economic benefits for local businesses, restaurants, hotels, and the tourism industry.
The festival remains one of Barrie's signature summer events and continues attracting visitors from across Ontario every year.
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