This ongoing series from Deb Exel at the Barrie Historical Archive shows old photos from the collection and one from the present day.
Master Mechanics office
No imagination required to see the ‘old’ in this building today.
The Grand Trunk Railway’s Master Mechanic office and Stores building was built in 1903 along with the roundhouse that was next to it. It’s a marvelous example of a historical building that has been restored and repurposed, retaining so much of its original architectural detail inside and out.
In 1994, the addition was added to the old railway building and it opened as the Southshore Centre.
The final remains of the old roundhouse foundation were recently cleared to create the Military Heritage Park.
The Master Mechanics building (Southshore Centre) was added to the Municipal Heritage Register in 1991 as a designated heritage property under the Ontario Heritage Act.
