Barrie in Simcoe County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Living in a Company Town
| | Barrie Waterfront Heritage Trail | |
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 5, 2024
1. Living in a Company Town Marker
A Railway Town
For the century after its arrival in 1853 the railway was the largest employer and benefactor of Allandale. Its good and bad times meant the same for employees. It was the commitment to the success of the railway that united the families of Allandale for generations.
Constant Worry
Working for the railway was dangerous. Bodies in the wrong place could be crushed or limbs severed. Firemen died in boiler explosions. The risk of injury, sickness, or death was a constant worry as unemployment and hardship would soon follow.
Allandale railway workers united to form chapters of fraternal organizations that offered insurance and benefit payments for death or disability caused on the job. Engineers, trainmen, conductors, and car men each joined a similar organization. Each group had a committee ready to give emotional support to a bedridden employee or bereaved family.
Men Away Working
Railway work meant men could be away from home a week at a time with a two or three day turnaround between runs. Some young firemen or engineers blew their whistles longer when they were going through town to let their girlfriend or wife
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Women at Home
Vacation and sick days were rare. Mothers raised their children and ran the household but they were never alone. They could always call on a neighbour.
Community Organizations
Allandale had societies such as Masonry, Oddfellows, Loyal Orange Lodge, and Knights of Columbus that did community service. For others, social life and charity centred on the three churches, Burton Avenue United, Essa Road Presbyterian, and St. George's Anglican. Each had groups supporting youth and women and held social events like dances, suppers, and musical evenings. Allandale had a brass band and a glee club.
Walking to Barrie
Most groceries were bought at stores on Essa Road. Getting fresh meat and produce in the 1900s meant a walk to Brennan or Dutchers' meat shops and the Saso and Cancilla fruit and vegetable stores in downtown Barrie. Teenagers walked to high school in Barrie and at night might make the same trek to attend Girl Guides or Boy Scout meetings or go to the Barrie Public Library. When wooden sidewalks
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 5, 2024
2. Living in a Company Town Marker
Looking south across Lakeshore Drive. It is the center panel in this photo, and one of six related interpretive panels at this location.
Support for Others
Community life in Allandale meant supporting each other and those in need. Living close to the railway tracks, we often saw the young unemployed riding the freight cars and sometimes they came to our homes asking for sandwiches, and I don't ever remember them being refused food.
Generosity of the Company
The railway company sponsored recreational activities as an investment in keeping idle employees out of trouble and enriching community life. It maintained a skating rink behind the YMCA using the water from the tank supplying the steam locomotives. In summer it was a tennis court. There were several outdoor rinks in Allandale.
The Allandale Lawn Bowling Club was sponsored by the Canadian National Railway Recreation Association and Committee. The first clubhouse was a car department building moved from the rail yard at Beeton. It was replaced in 1904 and several bowling greens were added.
The Railroad YMCA opened in 1908 with money raised locally and a grant from the Grand Trunk Railway. The annual railway employees' picnic was held in Orillia or Midland and everyone arrived by train, all sponsored by the railway. On a rare free day or in retirement, railway families used their free rail passes to explore the world beyond Allandale.
[photo captions]
Field in front of CNRA Lawn Bowling Clubhouse.
Lawn Bowling behind the YMCA. Note the cupola on the right side of the photo of the Allandale Train Station in the background.
Erected by Barrie Waterfront Heritage Trail.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Railroads & Streetcars • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1853.
Location. 44° 22.451′ N, 79° 41.11′ W. Marker is in Barrie, Ontario, in Simcoe County. It is on Lakeshore Drive 0.3 kilometers east of Tiffin Street, on the left when traveling east. The marker is on the Barrie Waterfront Heritage Trail at Station #4 (Allandale Village), in South Shore Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 155 Lakeshore Drive, Barrie ON L4N 7Y9, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Ontario Cottage Country and specifically in Georgian Bay Country. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Ruperts Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Train Town Kids (here, next to this marker); Housing Shortages (here, next to this marker); An Independent Village (here, next to this marker); Early Businesses (here, next to this marker); Allandale Railroad YMCA (here, next to this marker); Allandale Railway Station (within shouting distance of this marker); Steamboating on Lake Simcoe / La navigation ΰ vapeur sur le lac Simcoe (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); In Recognition of the Rotary Club of Barrie Tree Planting Program (approx. 0.3 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Barrie.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Barrie Waterfront Heritage Trail Station #4 Allandale Village
Credits. This page was last revised on May 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 24, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 81 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 28, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
