Located on Kempenfelt Bay, which is a segment of the huge Lake Simcoe located within Central Ontario, is the fast-growing city and a dynamic waterfront community of Barrie. At first, the First Nations People made use of this area as a main resting point while they moved through the portage which ran across Nottawasaga River and lake Simcoe to Lake Huron.
Due to the city's convenience and its nearness to Kempenfelt Bay, Barrie has developed a strong tourism business, where Barrie's waterfront plays a vital role. Kempenfelt Bay holds much of the tourist activities and year-round attractions which the city has to provide. In summertime, people can enjoy windsurfing, swimming, boating, or whatever different water sports from the city's beaches, including Centennial Beach, Minet's Point Beach, The Gables, Johnsons Beach, and Tyndale Beach. In winter, Kempenfelt Bay becomes home to a lot of fishing huts because fishing enthusiasts flock to enjoy winter fishing at the bay. Fishing then again, is a year-round activity in Barrie. Fishing enthusiasts would be pleased to fish at the Kempenfelt Bay shoreline or in Little Lake, either during summertime or wintertime, and try their luck in catching a Walleye, Whitefish, Perch, Lake Trout and Bass. A fishing license should be acquired first before anyone more than 18 could fish in the bay.
The city is able to draw numerous tourists to its cultural and arts events, although the city of Barrie may have been known for its various outdoor recreational and family activities. The Kempenfest arts and crafts festival is the most celebrated of these, where tourists can find a lot of Crafts, Antique and Arts exhibits with live entertainment. The festival is held on the August long weekend and draws over 300,000 visitors annually. Various famous city festivals consist of the Barrie Kiwanis Music Festival, Barrie Jazz and Blues Festival, Railway Blues & Bluegrass Festival, and the Barrie Dragon Boat Festival.
Barrie has a diverse financial system, with the manufacturing, sales, service, and transportation sectors as the city's strongest and largest businesses. Growth in the construction, utilities, finance, business services, trade, food and accommodation, education and health services sectors are expected in the next ten years.