Category: Barrie Club

Blog Posts for Barrie Club News & Events

2026.10.06 – Barrie Trail Affected by Construction Project at Simcoe County Museum

Posted on by John Sloan

2026.10.16 Update – Trail closed signs at the Simcoe County Museum have been removed and the trail is open for use. Enjoy!

The following was posted on the Simcoe County website on September 21. Barrie Club members have confirmed that this affects access to the Barrie trail between Simcoe County Museum and Springwater Provincial Park. Please avoid hiking in this area until we have received notification that the work is completed.

Simcoe County Website Posting:

Please be advised that beginning September 21 the Warbler Way Interpretive Trail, located adjacent to the Simcoe County Museum in Midhurst, will be temporarily closed to allow for concrete pouring as part of an accessibility improvement project. The closure is necessary to support the installation of seven accessible benches along the 2.6-kilometre multi-use trail.

The bench installation is being funded through a $57,935 grant received under the Province of Ontario’s 2025-26 Enhancing Access to Spaces for Everyone (EASE) program. The funding, approved by the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility, will support the launch of the County of Simcoe’s bench seating program, an initiative identified through the County’s Positive Aging Strategy to improve accessibility and encourage outdoor recreation for residents of all ages and abilities.

Trail users are asked to respect all posted signage and barriers during the closure period. The trail will reopen as soon as construction activities have been safely completed.

We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding as these improvements are made to enhance accessibility and enjoyment of the trail for all visitors.

2026.09.15 – Barrie Trail Affected by Logging Operations in SCF Orrock Creek South Tract

Posted on by John Sloan

We have received notice that logging operations are starting immediately in Simcoe County Forest ‘Orrock Creek South’ tract. Due to the extent of this operation, including landing and hauling locations, SCF will be closing the full Tract for the duration of this cut. Orrock Creek N., Orrock Creek N.E. and Williams will remain open and signs will be positioned to ensure trail users are aware that they can still use these tracts. This affected tract is in between Old Second South and Gill Road on the Barrie trail, closest to Gill Road.  

Please avoid hiking in Orrock Creek South tract until the logging operation is completed and this posting is updated to announce the trails are once again available. If hiking near the area please obey all posted signs.

2026.06.10 – Barrie Trail Affected by No Trespassing Signs

Posted on by John Sloan

A new landowner has posted No Trespassing on the Barrie trail about 1.5 km north of where the Barrie and Mad River trails meet at County Road 90. The Barrie Club leadership is trying to contact the landowner to clarify if this means all use is prohibited or would hiking be allowed and ATV traffic prohibited (there has been a lot in this area). Until the landowners intentions are fully understood we advise avoiding the area and hiking on some other stretch of our 500 km trail.

The attached Ondago screen shot shows the approximate location of the No Trespassing signs.

2026 Volunteer of the Year Awards

Posted on by Campbell Britton

2025 was a unique year for volunteer activity due to the ice storm. The Ganaraska Hiking Trail Association Inc. executive, therefore decided to recognize three people for their contribution to the re-opening of the Ganaraska Hiking Trail in 2025.

While there are many people to thank for our remarkable recovery from the devastation of the storm in March of 2025, we want to extend a special thank you and present our Volunteer of the Year Award to the following:

George Boyd from the Kawartha Club – George spent considerable time providing information to make our maps of the Kawartha section more accurate while also taking a leadership role with the club’s hiking calendar.

Dale Hannah of the Barrie Club – Dale also led the activity to build three new water crossings on the Barrie section between Old Second South and Gill Road.

Bob Wilson of the Orillia Club – Bob made each trail maintenance outing enjoyable, safe and productive and there were many! He even brought snacks and refreshments along each time.

The above three sections of the Ganaraska Hiking Trail were especially hit hard by the ice storm. Dale, George and Bob’s leadership, their energy and the many long hours they spent on the trail were critical in getting our trails back in great shape.

The contribution of these three individuals shows how a volunteer-based organization such as the Ganaraska Hiking Trail Association Inc. can remain sustainable and keep on thriving.

Thank You!

Ganaraska Hiking Trail Association Inc.
April 2026

2025.12.03 – Simcoe County Interactive Map Updated to Show Current Ganaraska Hiking Trail

Posted on by John Sloan

For those of you that use the Simcoe County Interactive Map (https://opengis.simcoe.ca/public/ ) we are happy to announce that the map has been updated to reflect the current Ganaraska Hiking Trail, including all side trails. Our thanks to Victor Tolgyessy for working with the Simcoe County GIS team to get this done.

2025.09.10 – GHTA Barrie Club Trail Affected by SCF Logging Operations (Update: Trail open as of 2025.11.02)

Posted on by John Sloan

2025.11.02 – Update: Logging operations have completed and the trail between the Midhurst Community Centre and Gill Road is now open. Enjoy the trail.

2025.09.10 Original Post – The Ganaraska Hiking Trail in Midhurst (part of the Barrie Club trail) is temporarily unavailable due to logging operations in SCF Midhurst Tract. ‘Do Not Enter’ signs are in place both at the trail access point at the Midhurst Community Centre and at the access from Gill Road. Please avoid this area until the ‘all clear’ is announced (date unknown at this time).

2025.08.14 – GHTA Barrie Trail Detour in Midhurst

Posted on by John Sloan

A 2024.07.01 post announced a ‘temporary’ closure of the section of the GHTA Barrie Trail between the Doran Road / Belmont Cresent intersection and Highway 27 in Midhurst. The detour that was announced at that time is no longer available due to construction activity. For the foreseeable future, trail users will need to stay on Doran Road until it reaches Hwy. 27 and then walk along Hwy. 27 back to where they can rejoin the trail. The attached map (a marked up screen shot from Ondago) explains the new detour. Please take care walking along the Hwy. 27 shoulder – this is a busy road with high speed traffic.

2025.08.07 – Barrie Trail Affected by SCF Logging Operations in Tustin Tract

Posted on by John Sloan

On 2025.08.05 Simcoe County Forestry advised that logging operations were about to begin in SCF Tustin Tract. This tract is between Line 5N and Sugarbush Estates in Oro-Medonte and the GHTA Barrie trail runs through it. The entire tract will be closed until the logging operation is complete. Please avoid this tract and obey all signage if you choose to hike in the area.

The following is extracted from the 2025.08.05 SCF notice for reference.

“We have just been notified that operations will be starting up tomorrow in the Tustin Tract (Oro-Medonte). The operator will be establishing his landing off the Line 5 road allowance.

I do not currently have the exact stands he will be completing the salvage operations in, but as the pine is throughout several stands in Tustin, the entire Tract will be closed for these operations. 

Signs will be installed tomorrow morning.”

2025.08.07 – Barrie Trail Affected Through SCF Miller Tract

Posted on by John Sloan

On 2025.08.06 we received a notice from Simcoe County Forestry that they are conducting road work in SCF Miller Tract and there will be heavy machinery there for “the next week or so”. The GHTA Barrie trail enters the Miller Tract going south from Pinegrove Road. Please avoid using this area until the work is complete and the heavy machinery removed.

2025.06.05 – GHTA Barrie Club Trail in Springwater Provincial Park Now Open

Posted on by John Sloan

On 2024.12.07 the Barrie Club trail through Springwater Provincial Park was closed due to “Significant Conifer Plantation Management” activity in the park. This work in the park has been completed, and they have cleared the trails after the recent ice storm, so this section of the Barrie Club trail is now open. Enjoy!