BARRIE -- The long weekend weather forecast is far from ideal.
Traffic heading north along Hwy 400 is frustratingly slow.
But at Barrie's OnRoute Friday afternoon, there was only excitement for the potential adventures ahead. There were plans for relaxing at cottages, camping at trailers, and getting lost in the wilderness.
For one woman travelling from Niagara to a cottage in Gravenhurst, the weekend is an opportunity not only to unwind but also to reconnect.
"I haven't seen this group of friends in a while, since before quarantine really. So I'm really looking forward to seeing them," she said.
The city of Barrie anticipates another busy weekend along the waterfront, but there won't be any specialized enforcement to coincide with the holiday.
"We do have dedicated officers to our waterfront parks for parking and park's patrols. That's been seen days a week for the last few weeks, and that'll be the same this weekend," says Jason Forgrave, Supervisor of Enforcement Services.
Barrie continues to charge non-residents a maximum of $50 a day for waterfront parking to deter out-of-town visitors as a COVID-19 control measure.
At the same time, Wasaga Beach has made more space for tourists along its famous waterfront.
The town has added 100 spots for non-residents inside a fenced-off pod that had previously been for locals only.
"We just to see more use," says Jeff Regan, Coordinator of Municipal Law Enforcement and Property Standards. "We've had lots of visitors here, and not too much extra space for them to spread out. We've been at capacity more or less, every day it's been hot. So we'd like to try and accommodate an additional 100 people."
